Bearhawk23

Hey everyone! I originally posted this in the Skywest forums but would really love some info from a Horizon point of view. To my surprise quite a few OO pilots advised to go to Horizon and I am definitely leaning towards Horizon. But, my primary concern is long reserve times and adding a year or two before I have 1000 hours 121 TPIC compared to OO. I’ve heard from once source that getting on now should really help with seniority and make it much easier to hold a line instead of being reserve for a year flying 20 hrs a month. But I’ve only heard that from one person and would love to know if this actually holds any merit with the rest of the QX pilot group.


Hey APC!

I’d love some advice on a decision I feel super blessed to make. I live in Troutdale Oregon just a short car ride from PDX and am having trouble making a solid decision on which airline I’d like to fly for right now.

I have classes for both in August on the E175. Here are my current pros and cons for both. I’m positive I will love every second at either company but would love some insight!

I was honestly a huge Skywest only pilot for a little bit. But with me starting to settle down nicely in the PNW and having some real roots holding me here (friends, family, house). I’ve started to really consider Horizon because of how commutable it is. I always hear two sides to commuting. That it’s not as bad as people make it out to be or that it’s easily doable if you plan accordingly so would love some thoughts there!


Horizon Pros:
PNW based with a drivable commute to Seattle
Expected to hire 400-450 within the next year or so
Huge jump in my seniority IF BIG IF this is true so being PDX based sounds possible
Smaller company
Opportunity to become a check air men or trainer sooner

Horizon Cons:
ZED only for intl flight benefit
Less pay
Long reserve / low flight hours per month (historically)

SkyWest Pros:
Huge diversity in routes
FLIGHT BENEFITS (huge plus for me I love to travel!)
Better pay
Just in general always hear great things about company culture and employee satisfaction

SkyWest Cons:
I will be commuting my entire career there unless PDX goes magically junior for FO and Captain
Huge company
Potentially less opportunity to be a trainer / check air men? Not sure about this one tbh.

My end goal is to fly wide body freight! Fedex, Kalitta, UPS if that matters at all!


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Jetlikespeed

Horizons not a bad place to work I very much enjoy the people I fly with. Right now Q CAs reserve are a little fat but is trimming down with travel bouncing back. Q FOs on reserve are flying a lot. Not sure about the jet but they seem to be getting tons of premium pay so I would conclude they are hurting for pilots as well and plenty of flying to go around. As long as there’s no economic fall out within the next year or two with all the movement there will be plenty of flying to go round and reserve times will be minimal. For pay things are in the works and hopefully will be a pay raise. Skywest your flight benefits are for the airline you fly for in that base so if you are Portland-based you will only have Alaska bennafits and from what I’ve heard it’s worse priority than a guest pass. How are you I’d go Qx as when you upgrade you won’t have to go to chciago or Detroit and can stay west coast. But if you want to go to Skywest it’s a great company and without a doubt are not gonna be going over anytime soon and if you’re willing to relocate to one of their junior bases you are without a doubt able to pick up as many hours as you want.

best of luck

Jeff4912

Commuting is not fun, Horizon is a good place to work with a lot of potential movement about to occur in the pilot ranks.

I would go with QX

VanDriver

QX without a doubt, assuming you want to stay in the PNW. I commute and it is doable but given the choice you absolutely will be happier and able to fly more living in base. Regarding travel benefits, you can travel for free on any US airline internationally by listing for the jumpseat (but you’ll sit in back). Not as good as OO benefits for Delta say, but you don’t necessarily need to buy ZED fares if it’s just you traveling.

Bearhawk23

I absolutely want to stay in the PNW, I love it out here!

I think my biggest concern has been that in the past it seemed like the 121 time building at Horizon was slower compared to Skywest. But that seems to be changing in a good way from what I’m gathering.

Would anyone be able to comment / speculate on getting PDX on the jet?

Or how the commute is PDX to SEA for the jet?


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Blip

Snapshots of right now won't be worth much in a couple months but right now they need jet fos in PDX

Bearhawk23

I’m going to ground in august for the jet! If that’s the case that would be amazing for me!


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Capricornus

I was hired in the jet in November and already have a line in SEA after 2 months of reserve. Not long ago they were really soliciting for jet FOs to bid for the PDX satellite base, and I seen tons of premium pay trips for both of these bases with our current summer schedule.

And with our new pay TA we are now at wage parity with OO.

I think your decision should be clear, get in now here while you can.

rickair7777

OO: Always going to have a job. Somewhere. Somewhere in the west if you have some seniority. Almost certainly faster upgrade. All jets. Yes turboprop pilots are at a disadvantage with most majors. Yes I know somebody at QX heard about a dash pilot who got hired at DL once, and also one who got hired at FDX. But if you're playing the odds, turbojet jet PIC is the gold standard.

QX: You won't get transferred out of the PNW. IIRC there's some sort of flow to AS, which isn't a bad gig at all if you live in base, and AS probably won't transfer you out of the PNW. Probably. If you don't flow to AS, it will be because AS has no scope and QX got A220s or 190s.

Jetlikespeed

think majors actually care jet or prop? Thought TPIC was TPIC? (Genuinely curious)
you think sticking out into eh Q to become a check pilot trumps turbo jet Time? That’s boat I’m in sticking out t prop for CKA to to better my odds to get out.
Or think it’s better to just go the jet