sandrich

If it helps your decision (if United is your goal), I had a meet-and-greet with a UA chief pilot recently. One thing he told me was DO NOT chase PIC time... While PIC time is good, there's many other things you can do to get points on your app. Too many times does chasing a DEC or quick upgrade lead in divorce, furlough, etc. Either the numbers don't work out, the airline doesn't get the jets they were expecting, whatever the scenario may be. United prefers guys that value their time AT home, not away from it. If you could explain your decision to stay to a recruiter/interviewer, you may not be in a bad spot. If you could make the switch, recover your pay, live in base, and log PIC time all at the same time it's a no brainier. But if you're taking a pay cut, commuting to reserve, left with 5 days at home a month, how much is your life worth to you?

If you got on at C5/PDT, it'll take you 2 years to log the magic 1000 TPIC on reserve. Will it even be required by then? You may be able to make it there on your own in that amount of time. Take a union or safety position. Reach out to anyone you know that's gotten hired at your goal airline, have them write you letters. Anyone from mainline that jump seats, ask for their card. You never know who's going to walk through that cockpit door. And as much as it sucks, get to career fairs. Every attendance list you're on gets you more points. Try getting on with an LLC to wait it out, maybe even Atlas.

amcnd

Leaving is a gamble... I left Eagle after 9/11. For a lateral move. Well that paid off. Lived in a base so no more commute and upgaded in 2 years. The last 13 have been awesome. Had i stayed at Eagle the i would be flowing/ in class to AA with the rest of my class mates right now.. But would i give up the last 13 years, being home most nights and no comute to be at AA?? What i say is look 5 years out. Thats all you can do to make the best decision.. Good luck..

block30

Gees, I feel for ya man (woman?). I am surprised to hear this from Air Wis....I would think a couple other regionals have one foot in the grave and the other on a banana peel more so than Air Whiskey does.

IF you are going to move laterally, and IF you like Endeavor's bases, you might at least give Endeavor a look based on things like good regional first year FO pay, and reasonable upgrade time, plus guaranteed interview at Delta. But if you like Commute Air or PDT's career progression to mainline better, by all means go there.

RJtrashPilot

I have been sitting on the sideline for a while but felt the need to enter this conversation before people make a mistake. Don’t count Air Wisconsin out for the count just yet. I have several friends who landed their after Comair closed and they couldn’t be happier with the work rules and benefits compared to the other places they could have gone. At that same time others were migrating there from the likes of Pinnacle/Endeavor, Eagle/Envoy, and PSA just to name a few. The one thing I know about Air Wisconsin is they are crafty and if I am to believe the rumors I hear they are on the cusp of their own positive announcement later this year that I don’t expect to be an “Agreement in Principle”. When this happens I expect to see FOs flock from the likes of Republic, CommutAir, GoJet, Trans States and others.

prex8390

They let you drop stuff? Quite literally the last 15 or so things I have submitted have been denied due to lack of FO availability. Maybe Orf was a bad choice. Even stupid day trips are getting getting denied. The heck am I doing wrong?

Flubber

Ah, yeah. How many times in the past few weeks has CS been proffering requests for FOs to put their drops in since they're so fat (availability, not the FOs!)? In the meantime, one can count the number of available CAs on two hands on a good day - but you'll still have fingers left over.

As far as attrition goes, more FOs may be resigning than Captains, but we do have some number of guys who have either prior 121 time (think Comair) and more guys who are detaching from the military and coming here to get current so they can get the look-see from greener pastures. I also think we're beginning to see some of the more senior guys finally pulling the cord and moving on.

Pardon the typos... cheap portable keyboard is just that!

prex8390

Am I the only FO here who can't get ANYTHING dropped??

Flubber

Maybe you made Scheduling's "List?"

J/K - 25 RSV FOs doesn't do you much good if 20 of 'em are in PHL...

ChipChelios

No matter where you go, it's always a gamble. You never know how good your hand is until all the cards are on the table. I left Pinnacle after being downgraded and displaced from Colgan because I was projected to be furloughed only 3 years ago. I came to AWAC and by the time I upgrade, I would have re-upgraded at Endeavor.
I might have well just have stayed put.

I say, if you are willing to hold your cards and up your bet by staying it's a big gamble but that's the only way to reap the big rewards. If the worst does happen in a couple of years, you won't have any problems finding employment at another airline!

BobJenkins

I like this thread. So far, not too off topic. And not one snotty remark telling the OP to "man up and do some research" or "use the search function, that's what it's there for". Constructive comments. Good advice. It's been nice to read it.

Hopefully this trend will continue when a noob comes to APC asking (what may seem silly or obvious) questions. That would be nice, indeed.