Honestly, it's all of the above to an extent.

The pay is certainly better here than what I'd make as an FO at XJT, and unless you're a TDY guy, you're home every night. I'm single and don't mind the overnight thing, but having a routine is nice. Hell, the most annoying thing that's happened here lately is the schedule change that's made it so I can't get breakfast at my usual haunt in LNS.

The type of flying is a big part of it. Most people at Cape take a lot of pride in the "down and dirty" style of flying that we do through the weather. The ERJ is a great airplane (particularly the XR model), but I found it pretty boring. Some people really enjoy the 121 jet thing (and that's still my career aspiration), but I enjoy the SPIFR thing. You have to think on your feet, and I like that challenge. Plus, there's a certain sense of pride breaking out at 200' while it's raining sideways, knowing AirTran is sitting there short of the runway thinking "F-in' Cape Air..."

Commuting...yeah, I commuted my whole time at XJT. I'm sure things would have been better if I lived in base, but who wants to live in Houston, Newark, or Cleveland?

Being PIC is nice, but I wouldn't decline recall for that reason alone.

The big reason (the reason that really makes this decision) has to do with the potential for turbine PIC. If I took recall to XJT today, it might be 2015-2016 before I'd see the left seat in the ERJ. If I hang out here, it appears that I could hold the ATR as a captain much sooner. The junior ATR captain is a 02/2007 hire, and I'm a 09/2008 guy. I'm still a ways off from holding it, but it'd be sooner than 2015. As I said though, I'm single and would go to Guam in a heartbeat.

So, it's a variety of factors that help make the decision. I'd say it's 80% potential for TPIC, 20% everything else. Some people stay for the bare minimum of time here and can't wait to go back to 121. That's fine...flying a 402 in the northeast doesn't appeal to everyone. For me, it works for now.

Mmmm...mocha flavored kool-aid.

 

Night...thanks for the response. I can't disagree with your logic. There certainly is something rewarding about the Single-Pilot IFR operations and shooting an approach to mins while a bunch of airliners are holding short waiting for you. Having flown at high altitudes and low altitudes in the northeast are certainly different experiences. Flying IFR in the northeast at low altitudes is quite a pain in the neck as I do routinely with students.

Being single myself moving around to their outstations or guam would just be part of the Cair experience. I didn't realize how junior the ATR are is there. I'm assuming you have to be a FO on it first then upgrade or can you upgrade directly from the 402?

 

It's pretty junior as far as DOH, but there's been a lot of hiring onto the 402 during 2007 and 2008 that makes it still a pretty good ways off for those of us hired in mid-late 2008. I'm about 50 numbers junior to the junior ATR CA (excluding part-timers, instructors, management pilots, and those on LOA), and there are about 150 full time pilots on the seniority list, again excluding part-timers and those on LOA. I'm hoping 2 years from now to the left seat of the ATR. We'll see. Could be more, could be less. That's why I'm hoping senior people start taking recall and getting hired elsewhere.

You can either go to the ATR as an FO first, or transition straight from the 402. Most people transition from the left seat of the 402 into the left seat of the ATR just for pay reasons. ATR FO positions are offered to the current pilot group first, but it's rare that a 402 CA will take an ATR FO spot. In the past the company has had to hire ATR FOs off the street.

 

When will that runway be paved on Virgin Gorda? 2022?

 

I hear we're bidding on your old IRK stomping-grounds too, haha.

 

Haha, that project is moving at the speed of the Caribbean.

 

Bump. Anyone have an update on how staffing looks for the summer? How are the summer lines looking?

 

I sent an email to Krista and it got bounced back. Did she leave?

 

She's still here. The email system changed. Try [email protected].

 

A friend of mine said he met one of the guys who does the hiring in ALB and heard from him that they were expecting to do another class this summer. But no info on size or type...