Around 55% of the legacy's flag is contracted out to "regionals". As that most excellent recent article by Patrick Smith noted, that means fewer % of pilots end up at the mainlines as in the good ol days. On the other hand, low cost carriers seem set for a lot of growth. Even mainline carriers seem to repeatedly attempt to start their own lost cost structures. Delta, for example, seems less interested in wide body overseas flying and more interested in narrow body domestic flying. Most new Delta pilots will fly the C-series based out of NYC doing shuttle type flying. (Btw, the C-series is supposed to replace Crj-700/900 routes, The 700/900s are supposed to replace 200 routes, and the 50-seaters will disappear. So that will free up a lot of Crj-200 pilots, so I don't think mainline will be too concerned about their regional feed for a couple years. But, if I was a pilot at a 50-seater airline I'd be concerned.) So, realistically, I'd think that far more pilots that want to move on from a regional will end up at a LLC than mainline. Maybe Spirit isn't everyone's first choice, but it is a realistic choice. And, most importantly, it is a CHOICE. Nobody is forcing anyone to go there. It's an option. I don't understand why anybody would ***** about having more options? Plus, my understanding is that other pathways are in the works. Maybe GoJet pilots will end up with 3 or 4 pathways to choose from? It's said that one of the downfalls of this industry is no clear pathways to move up. It's a huge financial risk to get into professional flying because it's such a crap shoot where you'll end up. Many pilots end up at one defunct regional after another. So I applaud GoJet with at least doing something in this regard. They do take an unusual interest in emphasizing that they want to help pilots to move on to bigger and better things. I've worked at several airlines and I've never seen that interest before. First I thought it was BS, but they do seem serious about that from all accounts. The devil is in the details, though. I'm curious how it all pans out. But even if it falls flat on it's face, at least it's an attempt. More than a lot of places do.

 

Who says you have to stay at Spirit or any other ULCC ? Get a type and make the resume look better for the Legacies.

 

PIC time does much more for a resume than any type rating ever will.

 

Knowing the right people will do more than both. Everyone has a different situation. This is still good news for GoJet pilots. It is an option they didn't have before. Nobody will force them to go to Spirit. That being said, if you are at Gojet and have just logged your 1000th hour of PIC, then you are wasting time if you stay (unless you can get check airman or something like that). Once you have 1000 TPIC, you are doing yourself a disservice if you don't move to a better career opportunity. Spirit may not be your final goal, but (dare I say it?) it is better than your regional.

 

Dude have you heard of spacing pargraphs?

 

Don't discount the probable inability for many folks to afford 1st yr pay at Spirit. It's not a light financial matter. It's very real and will have an impact for a few years afterwards. Everyone in my class at Spirit made between $28,000 to $32,000. I personally made $29,900 and am still trying to recover 4 years later.

"Didn't you know what 1st year pay was and what you were getting into?"

Yes and No

I was sold on an abundance of Preium Pay. That is not the case.

I was sold on immediately holding a line. 5 months of Reserve for me (results may very depending on Base).

$1,500/ month during Training is brutal.

I went in budgeting for $40-45,000 1st year and fell well short of that expectation.

 

The point is not to get comfortable at any airline until you are at your final career destination. But I have a feeling you knew what I was saying anyways.

 

this !!!! ^^^^^^^ :d

 

Except that you will literally be losing tens of thousands of dollars.... First year pay here is a joke. Second you can live on, and third you start to scratch your head why you're making $80/hour less flying 228 passengers (more than many wide-bodies) than the other folks.... On fourth year pay you'll likely start to make more than you did in the left seat, BUT, you will never get back to even taking into account the joke of first year pay. Be forewarned.

If you want to lose tens of thousands of dollars for an Airbus type (and hopefully not botching training and adding a pink slip), best of luck to you.

 

^^^^^^^^^^^^
This. Hey Fodder. Just stay at the Hulas compound w/ the other lifers who don't have any ambition. You'll fit in nicely. Before you ask, yes I worked for that crap hole regional. You can have it. Why better yourself when the bottom is good enough, right?