Benwhaa

Hi all,

I have been out of the airline industry for over 10yrs. and based on current events have decided to jump back in. When I left the industry in 2004, I had a good feel for most of the regionals, who to work for who not to based on my career goals etc..., but things have somewhat changed and I'm at a loss to accurately evaluate a regional, getting there but need more input, hence this post.

I knew the Mesa of old (prior 2003) and would like to know about the current Mesa 2014/15 and some predictions of where they might be headed (I know, the industry is crazy right now, but any predictions would be appreciated)....

Background.
Without going into too much detail..
+5500 hrs, both military and civillian (army-helicopter and c-12 time), prior 121, +/- 1500hrs (about 400s 121 PIC), corporate, total FW +/-3000hrs.
still working on degree.

Situation
Live in PHX, would like to be based in domicile...willing to commute for awhile to wait out time to get PHX, don't want to commute indefinitely 1-2-3yrs etc.. However I will commute in order to get current 121 time/experience to maybe hire on with a major/legacy.

I did the phone interview with Mesa, and got the offer, 900's.

Would like to know what awaits me from class date through the next year, anyones experiences with this etc...

Told by interviewer...
PHX is 6-8 months out for me to hold...
Upgrade time 1.5yrs, but conservatively, 2yrs. (mentioned that upgrade is now not only based on seniority, but also CA recommends???)
DFW or IAH as a domicile until PHX...

My fears/concerns...
Heard mention that all 900's are out of DFW, 700's are the one that are based in PHX, so actually no PHX for me?
Reduced lines in PHX this month, will that stay or just a blip?
Yes would like to upgrade quickly, $$$ and moving on to Major/Legacy, but is that upgrade time really happening.

Last but not least, the training department and climate... I don't plan on failing out of a program, never have, but sometimes I've seen certain personalities force people out in a bad way, in other words personality conflicts, how is the training staff, and curriculum at Mesa? in other words do they throw a bunch of pilots into the training and see what comes out the other end? 50% 60% 70%????

Thanks for any feedback...

Benwhaa

Forgot to ask...

Does Mesa now have anything resembling a commuter policy???

Also,
Reserves, for a new hire expected wait for a hard line, and what is the call out time 2hrs.?

ClickClickBoom

Ohhhhhheeeee,
Sitdown, strapin, and get ready to partay!

yimke

First off, thank you for your service. To give you an honest answer, don't come back. I feel you are setting yourself up for disappointment. While your time in the military is impressive, C-12 and helo time do not correlate to hiring at a major. IMO it should, but HR runs the show now! I have seen way too many guys burn out at the regionals, thinking they will be there for 2 years and be out! If you are looking at non-flow carrier, I would expect another 3-7 years, depending on your credentials.

If you are still interested, I am assuming you are from PHX and wish to stay there. So, I would recommend working towards AA. The fastest path is either through Envoy or Piedmont with a direct flow. Off the street hires are slim to none, if you do not have large aircraft fixed wing time in the military. PSA has a preferential interview, but it is around 8 years for a new hire, and AA can delay hiring.

Benwhaa

Good info, and thanks for your response.

Do you feel these times might come down with all this movement going on at the regionals, and seemingly lack of pilots, would this eventually hit at the Majors?

Thanks again.

ClickClickBoom

The regionals are gonna be hurtin like Great Lakes is now. Skywest didn't lower the bar, they unhooked it and threw it away. The airline lifestyle is different than anything else out there. If DAL or your flavor of choice don't call immediately, the lack of 121 might be the reason, jump into a regional, check the 121 box and DAL will be knocking down your door. Military trained aviators are a special treat for the majors, the regionals are gonna look at you like a transient, but will hire you nonetheless. The majors in the future will try and poach new meat from other carriers due to the lead time necessary for training new fish. For all those that say "I would be there if the pay was better", I say if there was ever a better time with a positively golden future, its now, and if you aren't in the supply chain right now, you will never enter it. Anybody employed at a regional right now will retire making an unbelievable amount.

FaceBiten

Majors are closer than you think once you get a degree. C12 and helo time are fine. That guy doesn't know what he's talking about. With prior 121 time you'll upgrade quick but will be in dfw. I'm in a similar boat. After work I'll pm you more gouge

yimke

It will be 2025 before hiring at the Majors feel the effects of the lack of pilots. Ask around for how many qualified pilots are out there with 1000 turbine. 10-12k right now, with more being pumped through the military and civilian world to replenish it. I could possibly see more mainline jobs being created as a result of the regionals not being able to staff.

A good estimate is for every 3 50 seat aircraft not staffed (24 pilots), they can throw a narrow-body on that route (8 pilots). So you could see hiring pick up a bit, but I don't see too much of an increase. DAL already is hiring for the 717 to replace RJ's. AA is slowly ramping up with their A319 orders. UAL is adding additional narrow-bodies. You can see about 100 more people hired per year, or about 25% increase from the retirement numbers posted per year.

What are your Major airline choices in order? If you are considering DAL, they will not look at you without a 4 year. Also, they rank the school and how much time it took to acquire your degree. Food for thought.

A complete rundown of your qualifications would yield a better guess of when you can get a call. It is more than about flight time. As taken from your first post, you are middle to lower of the pack. However, filling in some information would get you a better evaluation, to determine how many years to get to a major.

Education: 0/5 no degree yet, GPA?
Community service: Volunteering? Aviation organization involvement?
Flight Training: 3/5 military training, but not air force/navy. Instructor Certificates?
Flight Experience: 3/5 low 121 pic turbine, lack of heavy time. LCA?
Employment: 3/5 left aviation for desk job? Other responsibilities in military?

yimke

Thanks, for the bash. I didn't say for him not to go to Mesa, but to look at other options. My opinion is unbiased, considering I work at none of the carriers mentioned.

Nightman

Agree that C-12 and helo time are better than no military time. Don't know what that guy is smoking. Would something like KC-135s or C-17s look better? Maybe. But military flight school is military flight school. If it came down to you or a civilian flight instructor, they're going to take you all other things being equal. Priority one should be to get that degree ASAP. Majors won't look at you without it.