Any hope of getting picked up by a major with my times?
 

I was hoping some of the Legacy pilots might be able to help out or give some advice and direction. I currently have these time and I was wondering if I had any chance of getting picked up by one of the major carriers?

Total= 5421
Turbine=3921
Multiengine=4417
PIC= 1560
Turbine PIC= 188
Night= 1100
Actual Instrument= 310

Thank you all for your input, help, and advice.:confused:

The easy answer is yes. But a big factor in all of that is recency of experience.

Also, do you have an "in" at any companies?

Word of advice - put the apps in, worst case they say no and you figure out something else to do.

Well, I think you know where you're falling short. That Turb PIC number:

You know, people have been hired without it, though. There have been times in the past when Majors have dropped the TPIC requirement.

The tough thing now is that you probably have literally thousands of guys & gals out there with thousands of hours of Jet PIC because of the post 9/11 stagnation that you'll be competing with for that job.

I'd say without some inside pull, you're going to have a tough time making it to the top of the call list given the other candidates that your app will be compred to. Remeber, published mins aren't necessarily competitive mins.

This I do know: They will absolutely not hire you if you don't apply. So my advice is apply now and update often. It shows interest and at some airlines you get "points" for how long your app has been in and active. Certainly doesn't hurt you.

Youv'e got good time. Its all a game when it comes to getting hired. Take it from a guy that has interviewed at 3 of the legacy carriers(back in the mid 1990's). Airlines dont look for reasons to hire you. Since everybody has the same qual's coming in they actually look for reasons NOT to hire you(no degree, no turbine time, low PIC time etc,,,). Granted they should already know your qual's before the interview but if you have an "in" they can look past some things.

do you have a degree?

Thank you to those of you who have responded so far. I do have a four year degree from ERAU and have applied to NWA, CAL, DAL, JetBlue and Spirit, but have not heard anything back. All my ins so to speak are at American which is not hiring, other than that I know one pilot at Frontier and one at UPS. I know I am short of PIC Turbine time. I have done six years at the regionals and unfortunately was not able to upgrade. Do any of you have any ideas where to get the PIC time quickly

Single engine TPIC in Africa..

.. but I don't think that is a very desirable option for you.

sd75

you must have been at AE...

Change regionals to get the fast upgrade and PIC. If you get hired at a major before that good, if not, then you are getting the PIC hours you need.

Very poor odds of getting interviewed at UPS without 1000 TPIC these days(or even with it). Find a street Capt job for quick PIC. What are you flying now?

Yes I was at Eagle, so pretty much I am relegated to applying at either Colgan or Mesaba. Neither one is really desirable because I live in Socal and I am not in a position to move my family. I was flying a King Air until recently when the owner sold the plane.

Is YV hiring captains off the street on the jets??

How about a Q400 with Lynx? They are still hiring street CA's last I heard.

Upgrades at Republic are running 16-18 months with no end in sight. Lots of the recently hired FO's at RAH can't upgrade because they were hired with less than 2500TT (which is a requirement at RAH for left seat). Also, RAH is offering a $2500 bonus if you are currently qualified in the 145/CRJ.

Good luck.

Do you have 500 ME PIC? If so I know Scenic Airlines in Las Vegas is desperately short on captains. Could apply as a street captain with your times. Pay is decent and the busy season is rolling around so the turbine PIC would come quick. Plus you could update your applications as you continue to log turbine PIC. Vegas is also a short commute from SD. Just an idea.

Good luck.

Thank you all for all your help. I do have around 1500 ME PIC with almost about 200 Turbine PIC, I have considered scenic and those other companies for the Grand Canyon. Going to have to investigate more as I have heard scheduling really doesn't allow you to commute back and forth. Lynx I last heard is just hiring FOs, I was offered to interview there but was a little worried when they initially had troubles getting the airline up and running. Republic worries me due to lack of some what west coast bases they only have DEN or IAH, both of which I heard are kind of senior. A friend of mine who just interviewed there (He did not get it, he thinks he was done in by the Wonderlic test) said they seemed to be making a big push to fill CMH base for Chatauqua and since you can transfer certificates it would be risky for me.

May I ask why you left AE? It might affect your aspirations to work at American. If you left on good terms, you are ok but if you left on bad terms, American will not hire you.

My first post, hello all. :D

LP

WELCOME ABOARD !! Lots of good[and some not so good] dialog here. For the most part, folks here seem to genuinely want to help. Keep posting!

It still astonishes me at how many people continue to prop up the regionals. This guy has over 5000 hours and some of you people are telling to scrub the toilets. My advise, go corporate or fractional. QOL is better most of the time, and pay is getting better every day.

I'm not sure of any regionals this pilot would have to scrub toilets.

If 50 K pound multiengine turbine pic time is out there for the taking, and travel bennies to get to/from work, why not?

Once again thank you all for your help and advice. I have had the worst luck with corporate and charter, every place that wanted to give me a chance asked me to fork out somewhere between $10000 and $15000 dollars out of my own pocket. I left eagle because of the long upgrade time and I left there on good terms no worries there. I know I am probably looking at 2 steps but I sure wish I could make one more job to a legacy carrier and stay there until I retire.

Why is this? Sorry....I'm a little out of the regional loop.

Places like Colgan and Mesaba are hiring direct entry captains, don't have to sit as an FO.

Don't know about Colgan but Mesaba is still hiring Street CAs for Saabs, and even if you start as an FO, your upgrade in the Saab will be in a matter of months or less. Since you were at AE with 121 experience and turbine time, with your hours, your chance of getting hired as a CA in the Saab is very good. In fact, I would be surprised if you do not get the offer as a CA in the Saab. Even if you start out as an FO, you will upgrade fast, probably even before you finish your systems ground school.

Another thing you should bear in mind is that Mesaba pays monthly min guarantee of 75 hours during training, your own private room at the hotel, and you get your seniority number from day one. You can also use nonrev privilege as soon as you get your ID badge, although to jumpseat, you have to wait until you are CASS approved, which normally takes a couple of weeks. Mesaba has a commuter friendly policy and over 70% of pilots commute including myself.

Are you from San Diego? I have a lot of friends in SD as I am from there as well.

They awarded close to 70 people CRJ CA out of IAD over the next month and a half. The company also sent out an email stating that they might have to hire street CA's if they don't get more bids for IAD.

In addition the junior award for CRJ CA was 7 months seniority.

Who is YV? I fear its Mesa.

You are correct sir.

CAL has hired MANY pilots the last couple years that didn't have 1000 turbine PIC, or really any PIC for that matter. Not saying I think it's a good idea for guys to go to any legacy without that time (in case of furlough) but it's an option for you. That being said, EWR is a lonnnng way from SoCal. You have good times. Go to an AirInc conference and start looking for connections. PM me if I can help with CAL. They love ERAU rats.

-Life
ERAU '01

My app has been with CAL for about a year no word from them and I have updated a few times already. I am planning to go to the AirInc job fair in LAX next month hoping to land a good job there and if nothing pans out there hopefully the job fair in Vegas in May. Yes I am from SD as well and ERAU class of 97.

I am working on March 29 so I can't go to LAX for Air Inc but it looks like there are only two majors signed up so far so that does not look good.
I may go to the one in May if I am off.

Do you have an internal rec that you've flown with? CAL has become pretty hardnosed about that since they've hired a few who've bailed after training or couldn't find their way out of a paper bag after having received a sterling recommendation. It's getting tougher to get on now. Good luck.

This whole "TT/ Where should I go?/Will XYZ take me?" thing is a waste....
It all depends on who you know.
I personally know of a guy who left xjt after 1.5 years, no previous airline experience only about 1000 sic hours on type,that was picked up by CO all because his daddy at USAir, had a friend.
This guy is about 28 came straight outta ATP and jumped on the first regional that hired him. Now he's currently deciding whether or not to bid for a 757 slot, he's been with CO for a solid year now on the 37...

Hope
 

He is right. If you are a no name guy off the street then you first need to be practically perfect in every way and then to hang all your hopes on the occasional miracle.

Flight time and degree requirements are just built in reasons for HR say no to anybody. The truth is that minimums and requirements mean nothing for the right people. The biggest factor in hiring success is who your daddy is or what wing you flew with in the military.

I tried to get my old and retired father (engineer) to get hired at a major so he could then get me on but he wouldn't do it. :p

SkyHigh

First off, remember the wave. The industry is cyclical.

Second, broaden your horizons. There is life outside AA,DL,UA,CO,SW

There are many jobs out there.