Airline Pilot Central Forums - What could a potential Mesa New hire expect?

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- - What could a potential Mesa New hire expect? (https://www.airlinepilotforums.com/mesa-airlines/88193-what-could-potential-mesa-new-hire-expect.html)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grumpyaviator (Post 1885136)

Skywest has a small phx base. I don't know how long it would take to hold it.

As of right now, around a year. It's future is uncertain with only 11 or so -200s and 4 -900s however.

Several carriers (most?) give you zero credit for your helo time. IMO you need to compare your resume as a civilian resume with prior military service.

Getting back into the saddle and cranking out hours(recent experience) with hopefully a quick upgrade is a good plan. The first road block you're facing is the lack of a four year degree. Out of all the guys hired I just saw the second or third announcement of a non four year degree guy hired. That's a really small pool and I'd assume that their resumes were impressive in other areas.

I recommend guys look at multi year plans. What's your resume look like in 1,2,3,4,5 years if you do plan A? Or plan B? If you're not competitive now work on a plan that makes you competitive when all the squares are filled at some year in the future.

Good luck.

How set are you on non-commuting from PHX? (are you not willing to commute from PHX to work at UAL/DAL for example if you are not then you're looking at AA as your only future major airline destination.) you said you were willing to commute short term to get current, but wanted to live in domicile PHX long term - so also for UAL/DAL?
How set are you with working for AA to get PHX?
How much longer are you looking at for an airline career? mid-40's, mid-30's, mid-50's?

I think you'd be competitive for JetBlue/Virgin/Southwest/Frontier/Spirit/Allegiant with 4000 FW once you get current with any regional (and get a degree).... Have you written off these carriers and only the big 3 is your goal?

So if staying with AA to get PHX, in the future 50% of AA newhires will be coming from Envoy. Problem is that going to any of the AAG regional means that your only way to get into AA is through their flow programs. The likelihood of circumventing the flow through program and trying to get hired off the street is not very likely (though it has been done.)

With a non-AAG regional, like Mesa, Republic, Skywest, Endeavor, Compass, Transstates, you'll be able to apply to AA like every other normal person would and just wait to see if you get picked up for an interview.

Depending on your age, you might have a lot of time to keep starting over - get current at a regional, move to a LCC, then try your shot at AA. If you go to UAL or DAL, will you'll be commuting from PHX for the rest of your career.

As far as CA recommendations for upgrade, Mesa has always required 2 CA letter of recommendations in order to bid for upgrade, it's to prevent those who really aren't captain material from upgrading (i.e do you have common sense.) If you're a normal person, it's pretty easy to get. I only know of 1 person who works/worked at Mesa who couldn't get a CA recommendation letter.

What could a potential Mesa New hire expect?

If we don't get new aircraft I don't think you'll be upgrading at all. Every month guys who were new to 12 1are meeting the time requirements.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sliceback (Post 1885334)

There is one major carrier that doesn't count helo time for anything, and that is southwest. DAL/UAL require 1000 fw turbine hours, and AA doesn't have a fixed wing hour requirement other than ATP mins. They count helo time though. Plenty of army pilots at UAL I have talked to and several at the others as well.

Your opinion about comparing his resume with a civilian's is inaccurate according to most mainline recruiters I've talked to. Mil flight training and experience checks a separate box, and they don't exclude army.

People go straight from Great Lakes flying nothing larger than a big kingair (1900) to majors. Not sure why people keep thinking c12 time is insignificant.

Degree is the biggest hurdle IMO. And recency if you haven't flown much lately. I wouldn't be too worried about an upgrade with your 121 pic time and mil PIC time.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bruhaha (Post 1885337)

Good questions,
I'm currently just focusing on the regional slice of the pie, but would I move from PHX, oh yeah. What I really didn't explain was that for the 1st. year on FO pay a move would be financially impossible, also if moving on to a major/LCC were in the cards say 2-3-4 years for me, I would commute for the regional piece then move to domicile once on at the majors/LCC. Why spend $$ on a move when you might be faced with it again in a relatively short amount of time.

No haven't written off any potential larger carriers at all...I do feel as though I'm close to being competitive for them but not quite there yet.

I'm just over 50 so this will be my last go-around for the airlines, good or bad....

Good news on the CA recommends, I feel I have just as sound judgement as the next guy...best scenario is to get a fast upgrade, knock out school, life might be good then....

Thx

Quote:

Originally Posted by Benwhaa (Post 1886772)

Yeah you really don't have much time to keep starting over at the bottom of a seniority list. (maybe twice if it's within a short period of time - 5-6 years max)

If I were in your shoes, I'd apply to all the regionals and LCCs and get the degree. don't want for the upgrade to apply to the LCCs, just get them out there. The regionals will definitely call first, but if you get on with a LCC without having to go to a regional, all the better for you. I really don't think it will take much more for you to be competitive with the LCC after you get current. Once you get the degree you can add the apps for DAL/UAL/AAG to rotation of applications you need to keep updating to get out of the regionals.

To the OP, there's lots of good advice in this thread. Your resume currently, given your lack of currency, probably isn't going to get you a call at a major yet -- maybe for 6+ months or a year, who knows.

Good plan to get back to a regional that is convenient to work at from your home in PHX. You have to balance, though, the ease in commuting/basing with the realistic possibility that whatever regional you are with may be your home for a year or three. So, don't pick somewhere that might appear to offer the possibility of a less-bad commute but isn't somewhere you want to work for the next three years.

If you want to stay out west/south, look at all of the west coast basing options, including SkyWest and Compass. According to SkyWest, here are recent times to hold various west bases (some of which would be extremely easy commutes from PHX):

FO in SFO 4 months
FO in IAH 5 months
FO in DEN 5 months
FO in COS 5 months
FO in LAX 7 months
FO in SEA 9 Months
FO in SLC 10 months
FO in PHX 1 year 3 months

Compass, also, has LAX as its junior base (would be a short, but somewhat crowded, commute from PHX according to the Compass thread), and is opening Seattle soon.

As has been said, apply everywhere (including all the majors and LCCs) but take a path that will advance your professional resume while you are waiting. Take an easy-commute job at a 121 regional, and hope that the call from somewhere "better" comes sooner rather than later.