CRJ is better if you want to fly...a lot. You'll learn a lot, get valuable experience in every sort of environment you could imagine. Your seniority will skyrocket, you'll be able to better your schedule sooner, fly the 700/900 (much nicer, nicer trips, more pay). PLUS, you won't be hesitant to upgrade into the CRJ (pretty quick now), as a lot of FOs have been who never experienced the CRJ. Most of the growth will be Central and East.

ERJ is a nice airplane, pay is ok. Easy (almost too easy at times) to fly. Training is excellent and improving. Bases are arguably better. You could always transition to it after a year (I think). Most of the growth will be West.

All the pros could be cons. It's all how you look at it. Either way, you'll get into a groove and feel comfortable in 6 months to a year.

SkyWest is a great place to be. Not perfect, but you have every opportunity to get what you need out of them if you stay away from the gripers and moaners. I rarely ran into any, though. I think APC magnifies our perceptions of negativity. There are 4,500 pilots at SkyWest. How many SkyWest pilots are posting here regularly?

 

Seniority for me over the last few months has been an average of 10% a month in ORD on the FO side. I'm sure it'll slow down soon though as I start to get below the people who live here.

700/900 trips don't pay extra until after your first year.

Upgrade is indeed fast. Like, you have the hours, you're good fast...street captain fast.

I'm a positive guy, but I have plenty of things I can moan about if desired. Screw support will live up to their name. If you're CRJ, I hope you live in base, otherwise your life will probably suck. Minimum days off, then include getting extended into days off (for whatever reason, mx, wx, etc.) and then trying to commute home would be rough.

Do NOT expect scheduling flexibility on the CRJ. I'm by no means senior yet, but bidding for minimum credit nets you 95 hours credit in ORD. I have all Fridays and Saturdays off this month though, as well as some Thursdays (weee). That's with a weekends off bid. I also burned my first 4 layers trying to get the 1st-4th off, decreasing to just the 1st off on layer 4. No other parameters. Was awarded a 4-day starting on the 4th

 

Thank you man I appreciate it. With the new ERJs that are coming do you think they will help lower the upgrade time for a new hire or is there too many senior CRJ guys moving into them that it won’t make a difference??

 

Keep in mind that all of the new DL 175s coming are going to NYC. Junior upgrade will still be CRJ ATL/DTW/MSP/ORD but expect the ERJ ORD/NYC (if and when that base opens) to be following closely.

Bottom line is that the plane doesn’t matter except for a couple west coast bases. Make sure to live in base, upgrade when you’re ready not when you can, and get out.

 

You're choosing skywest?


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmvMn3gSKpQ

 

Surfpilot,

Are you familiar with the term "bucket of crabs"?.

 

If you want SAN/SEA then it’s ERJ for you. If LAX/SFO are what you want, they’re both doable in a couple months after IOE in either plane. You’ll likely fly more in the CRJ which will equal more money and getting ready to upgrade faster, but less time off.

The key is to live in base though. I know a guy who commutes from FL to DTW, but avoid commuting if at all possible. My life did a 180 when I got based half an hour from my house. I still don’t get paid much, but life is much easier and I’m not spending half my pay on crappy hotel rooms.

 

Why are you so defensive about everybodys reaction to your stupid declaration of "going to skywest" when the questions youre asking should be answered before arriving at a decision on an airline. Question is how on earth did you arrive at the decision to submit to good ole skw if you didnt know about the pay, bases, qol, or aircraft??

 

All of that and then deciding to blast it smack in the middle of the everything else discussion board when in fact there is a perfectly good OO sub-forum that will answer everything. That’s just an invitation for APC trolls (myself included). And the topic title just sounds a little pompous.

 

any training contract/bond ?