rocketman3746

Look who's back! Here's a reminder for you...

Also, what he said is completely untrue. I know many, MANY Cape Air pilots who have gone on to legacy airlines. Just the fact that I work at Cape Air has gotten me a letter of recommendation at Delta from an ex-Cape Air/PBA pilot who flies there now...

Spicoli

This is an opinion forum right? Well my opinion is that seniority is everything. Amanda already has 1000hrs. She can probably get the next 500 in less than a year and be hired by a regional. If she goes to cape that pushes the timeline to the right by about a year give or take. Then after cape she still has to go to a regional in order to get qualified to fly for a legacy. Thus my conclusion that if the end goal is to get on with a legacy airline in the shortest amount of time from today, DO NOT go to cape air.

If you want to get great experience and have fun then sure, go to cape.

PotatoChip

You have to go to a regional to get qualified for a legacy? Huh, interesting, I don't remember reading that on any of their basic requirements....

Spicoli

Turbine time. You need some of it, and typically if you have not gone the mil route then rj is where to go. Twin piston time is not going to make a resume look any better for a legacy.

PotatoChip

Sooo.... Citations, Hawkers, Challengers, Gulfstreams, Lears, Metroliners, ATRs, I could go on, don't qualify? You DO NOT need to attend regional purgatory to be hired from a major.

Further, you are basing all your assumptions in a perfect world. Go to a regional today and you are likely to a) be an FO for a long time and b) get furloughed based on what I personally see happening in the near future. Go to Cape and you build PIC and retain your seniority if you ever need to go back (which in this industry is a fairly likely occurrence).

I understand your basic argument, and in a perfect sense, you are right. However there are entirely too many variables in this incredibly volatile example to categorically say, "You will get to a major faster if you don't go to Cape." You absolutely can't make that argument in this reality. You can argue that in a perfect world maybe.

If you want to go to Cape Air. Go.

And FWIW, I don't, nor have I ever, worked there. YMMV.

Spicoli

I agree, if you want to go to cape then go.

However if you want to move up as quickly as possible them I would be in search of turbine time somewhere. Not necessarily the regionals.

Baronpilot

The mail is kind of hit or miss. Some days it can be very easy with light loads and some days it can be a lot of work (sometimes requiring extra runs to get all the morning mail to ACK). Around the holidays and summer is when the loads are at their peak. I've never held a mail line but I was checked out to fill in on it last year when I was a PIC and I've filled in on it a few times in the last month. I like doing it but I wouldn't want it as my fulltime line. I know right now they are having some of us SVT (backup/reserve) captains fill in because there is only one PIC doing it right now, normally being two or three mail pilots.

rocketman3746

The opinion I addressed was the one when you said if you want to end up at a legacy, don't go to Cape Air, and I explained why you were incorrect. Also, seniority isn't everything. A number at a regional that goes out of business right after you get on the line is pretty worthless. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. Of course, getting the regional job can be beneficial, but it isn't the only game in town.

No you don't. Of course you are welcome to share your opinion, but it is remarkable misinformed. Have you heard of the jetBlue gateway program that Cape Air has? We have been sending a steady stream of pilots over there, none of whom have had any turbine time. Gasp!

ackattacker

Why is anybody still talking to Spicoli? The dude is an obvious troll who claims to be an "ex-rampie" and student pilot. He's just spewing nonsense trying to get people riled up.

BTW I'm an ex-Cape Air who had a lot of fun there, then went straight to a major. So, it can be done. Life is to short to take a job you know you are going to hate.

Spicoli

Jet blue is a legacy carrier? If your goal is to go to Jet Blue then Cape can be your number one choice. If your goal is a LEGACY carrier then twin piston will not cut it.