Where is the 135 industry headed?
 

Everyone knows that 135 regulations require at least 1200 hours for IFR operations. A few years ago, the 135 industry was what you did to build time after instructing to go to an airline. Now with the regionals hiring with hardly any time at all, what will become of the 135 industry? They generally pay lower than 121 carriers, and they require way more hours by regulation than what someone can be hired with at a regional. With this current trend, how will any of these companies be able to recruit pilots with these amount of hours? They certainly couldn't raise pay much to attract candidates due the smaller amount of revenue the smaller aircraft generate. Heck, with 1200 hours you are getting close to regional captain status in some cases. What will happen to the 135 ops? Will they try an act of god to get the 135 regulations changed? Any of you who might know some details, please share.

135 pilots
 

There are a lot of over 60 in 135 and will be for a lot longer. There are a lot of 121 guys that can not afforde to quit when they hit sixty in this day and age that is what I am seeing. There are a lot that never get out of 135 and move from company to company, like the life style I guess?

"They certainly couldn't raise pay much to attract candidates due the smaller amount of revenue the smaller aircraft generate"

Yeah they could. Amflight does UPS contracts. UPS HAS to move those boxes. Amflight could raise what they charge UPS and UPS would pay it. As long as the bar gets lifted equally across the board, the large 135 operators could pay much better and pass it on to the customer. Some of the little outfits might not survive.

They hire a lot of guys that washout of regional 121 training. There seems to be quite a few of those these days.

More applicants equals more wash outs. I guess that sounds right.
There are places (like Alaska) where the 135 ops are important to the economy and probably wont go away.

135 does not necessarily pay less than most 121...especially regional level. 30,000 a year is an average starting point and then you will be building PIC time in the 135 with the opportunity for turbine advancement very soon if not immediately. Some seem to forget that not everybody wants to deal with some of the nonsense that goes on in the 121 airline industry.

135 won't be going anywhere, and I suspect that we won't have trouble finding qualified applicants either; we haven't had trouble so far and the regionals have been hiring fresh, warm bodies for quite some time now. In fact at my company, the last groups of people that we hired have had substantially more time than any regional airline "prefers", let alone requires.

You also forget to mention the folks who have no desire to go to the airlines(IE myself). Had the times been good, I would've went through the airlines just to get my basic experience, and moved from there. A major airline wasn't really ever in my plan. A UPS/Fed-Ex is still probable, but honestly I'm very happy where I'm at in the Part 91 market at 26yrs old. I did the 135 freight for almost 2 years, and love the experience. Personally if I ever returned to 135, I could see myself sticking to the freight side, but pax action is where some really nice equipment can be found and you go from there.

How so? 135 operators can hire SIC's with fresh comercial certs too...

135 by choice.
 

When I decided to try and fly for a living, I had airline dreams. I didn't even know 135 existed.

When I discovered it, I thought it seemed exciting because of the variety of flying, both in equipment and in destinations. I decided to go for 135 with some corp. blended in.

I have been happy, and don't have any regrets. However, If the airline industry was hiring then like it is now, I may have done something different.

Oddly, now if a new professional pilot wanted to get into 135/91, I may advise he or she to build time at a regional to qualify for a corporate/charter job. Otherwise, they are going to have to scratch around for some time.

BTW, A friend of mine applied at several regionals, then got hired at a 135 cargo job. Someone from a regional approached him about flying for them, citing the increase in pay. However, to the suprise of the regional dude, he was making more flying 135.

Hi!

We're kind of -135 (we operate Falcons). We have hired with <300 TT (NOT the norm).

Starting pay is $34/$39K/yr (Falcon/-9). One of my buds, a Falcon FO, made $7K in one month (slightly more than the regionals pay).

I know a guy in -135, who was a 1st year Beech capt at $65K, but now is on the Citation III (still Yr. 1), with pay in the $80s-LOTS more than a regional.

-135, or charter PAX/charter freight is one way to go, vs. a regional.

Good luck to you!

cliff
YIP
PS-PM me your email if U want a bunch of info on USA Jet.