Direct entry captain: to go or not to go??
02-23-2019 | 08:35 PM
#11
Banned
Joined: Jan 2019
Posts: 408
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Spirit and Frontier have relatively short upgrade times, under 5 years, with a lot of planned growth. I'd rather make more money as a young FO at a LCC than a CA at a regional. Continue to try for the legacies while at an LCC, and know that if you never make it, you still have a much better job and work rules than a regional.
You can also make a career at Spirit with the pay now.
02-23-2019 | 08:48 PM
#12
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Oct 2018
Posts: 564
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Don't go to pdt.. worst reserve rules in the industry.
Making more money today at an lcc means you'll have more money at 65 than if you played around in the regionals for another 5 to 10 years. Take the best money you can get today, preferably outside the the regionals
Making more money today at an lcc means you'll have more money at 65 than if you played around in the regionals for another 5 to 10 years. Take the best money you can get today, preferably outside the the regionals
02-24-2019 | 10:45 AM
#13
Perennial Reserve
Joined: Jan 2018
Posts: 14,251
Likes: 257
Don't go to pdt.. worst reserve rules in the industry.
Making more money today at an lcc means you'll have more money at 65 than if you played around in the regionals for another 5 to 10 years. Take the best money you can get today, preferably outside the the regionals
Making more money today at an lcc means you'll have more money at 65 than if you played around in the regionals for another 5 to 10 years. Take the best money you can get today, preferably outside the the regionals
the worst thing that can happen at a regional is that the whole regional goes away and you start out zero seniority somewhere else. All it will take is one bad mistake by a coworker over whom you have zero control. And that HAS HAPPENED at some regionals and may happen at others.
The worst thing I would expect to happen at most ULCCs is that they get bought and you go through a seniority list integration to become the tail end part of something even bigger and better. That might be wishful thinking, but so might expecting to finish your career at any given regional.
02-26-2019 | 02:42 PM
#14
On Reserve
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 171
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Commutair only has airport reserve, so even living in base may not make it more fun. But they are so desperate for captains that you would probably get to fly every time you were assigned reserve.
However, 1000 multi turbine PIC is the ticket to the dance. Do a year of that at Commutair and then upgrade to an LCC or cargo operation.
6 year FOs at Expressjet would have been hired by now at United via CPP if they had gone to Commutair at year 3.
Short term pain, long term gain.
However, 1000 multi turbine PIC is the ticket to the dance. Do a year of that at Commutair and then upgrade to an LCC or cargo operation.
6 year FOs at Expressjet would have been hired by now at United via CPP if they had gone to Commutair at year 3.
Short term pain, long term gain.
02-28-2019 | 02:43 AM
#15
Line Holder
Joined: Dec 2018
Posts: 55
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CommutAir also assigns Short Call but there is a lot of flying. CPP is getting C5 pilots to United.
Commutair only has airport reserve, so even living in base may not make it more fun. But they are so desperate for captains that you would probably get to fly every time you were assigned reserve.
However, 1000 multi turbine PIC is the ticket to the dance. Do a year of that at Commutair and then upgrade to an LCC or cargo operation.
6 year FOs at Expressjet would have been hired by now at United via CPP if they had gone to Commutair at year 3.
Short term pain, long term gain.
However, 1000 multi turbine PIC is the ticket to the dance. Do a year of that at Commutair and then upgrade to an LCC or cargo operation.
6 year FOs at Expressjet would have been hired by now at United via CPP if they had gone to Commutair at year 3.
Short term pain, long term gain.
02-28-2019 | 03:27 AM
#16
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Jan 2019
Posts: 310
Likes: 0
Direct entry captain: to go or not to go??
While they’re all dangling the carrot of 45K sign on CA bonuses.
You’re 7 months into employment with what everyone calls a “bottom” feeder regional. You’re experience allows you to upgrade but you can’t hold the seniority and it’s so unpredictable. You’re desperate for TPIC since you have 0, coming back from time off from flying and need to advance ASAP to get to your dream job to enjoy maybe 20 or so yrs. You need the left seat $$.
It’s Reserve for life no matter staying put at your current company or moving on. You’ll commute no matter the company.
Work rules are so much better at anywhere else vs your bottom feeder. So you hope. IE: you don’t get commuter hotels, commuter clause is terrible, DH is not 100%, pay/per diem is lowest, now real effective “flow” which is used as a terrible recruiting scheme. No incentive to continue doing this for anymore SIC time.
Do you jump ship to:
1-Piedmont
2-Commutair
3-GoJet
4-Or any other regional hiring day one/two into the left seat?
5-Stay put and wait your number while saying this place bites in all ways.
While they’re all dangling the carrot of 45K sign on CA bonuses.
You’re 7 months into employment with what everyone calls a “bottom” feeder regional. You’re experience allows you to upgrade but you can’t hold the seniority and it’s so unpredictable. You’re desperate for TPIC since you have 0, coming back from time off from flying and need to advance ASAP to get to your dream job to enjoy maybe 20 or so yrs. You need the left seat $$.
It’s Reserve for life no matter staying put at your current company or moving on. You’ll commute no matter the company.
Work rules are so much better at anywhere else vs your bottom feeder. So you hope. IE: you don’t get commuter hotels, commuter clause is terrible, DH is not 100%, pay/per diem is lowest, now real effective “flow” which is used as a terrible recruiting scheme. No incentive to continue doing this for anymore SIC time.
Do you jump ship to:
1-Piedmont
2-Commutair
3-GoJet
4-Or any other regional hiring day one/two into the left seat?
5-Stay put and wait your number while saying this place bites in all ways.
Go to Endeavor or Republic. Get paid as much as DECs as a FO and make a lot more $ when you upgrade. Have a good QOL as well.
DEC is a dicey proposition for many folks. Learning a new jet and a new FOM can cause problems. PDT apparently has had a low DEC success rate. The folks who’ve had the best performance either know the jet, or flew at another AA WO.
03-08-2019 | 09:55 AM
#17
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Nov 2018
Posts: 832
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Jump ship to a U/LCC and keep your apps in with the legacies... and hit hw job fairs... I have a buddy at Delta who made it with 2500 jet SIC time and no TPIC so it’s possible.
Go to Endeavor or Republic. Get paid as much as DECs as a FO and make a lot more $ when you upgrade. Have a good QOL as well.
DEC is a dicey proposition for many folks. Learning a new jet and a new FOM can cause problems. PDT apparently has had a low DEC success rate. The folks who’ve had the best performance either know the jet, or flew at another AA WO.
Go to Endeavor or Republic. Get paid as much as DECs as a FO and make a lot more $ when you upgrade. Have a good QOL as well.
DEC is a dicey proposition for many folks. Learning a new jet and a new FOM can cause problems. PDT apparently has had a low DEC success rate. The folks who’ve had the best performance either know the jet, or flew at another AA WO.
03-08-2019 | 12:47 PM
#18
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Jan 2019
Posts: 310
Likes: 0
Or you may want to look at USA Jet or someplace like that. Go back to being an FO in something you’re familiar with before branching out.
Old not glass/FMS jet SIC time combined with lack of currency is setting yourself up for failure, or a large struggle to succeed in a DEC training program.
You’ll be better off going into an RJ and getting flight current as an FO. You can always DEC at another airline after you’ve got some current aircraft experience.
03-08-2019 | 12:59 PM
#19
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Jul 2017
Posts: 1,729
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Probably worth the wait tbh.
Or you may want to look at USA Jet or someplace like that. Go back to being an FO in something you’re familiar with before branching out.
Old not glass/FMS jet SIC time combined with lack of currency is setting yourself up for failure, or a large struggle to succeed in a DEC training program.
You’ll be better off going into an RJ and getting flight current as an FO. You can always DEC at another airline after you’ve got some current aircraft experience.
Or you may want to look at USA Jet or someplace like that. Go back to being an FO in something you’re familiar with before branching out.
Old not glass/FMS jet SIC time combined with lack of currency is setting yourself up for failure, or a large struggle to succeed in a DEC training program.
You’ll be better off going into an RJ and getting flight current as an FO. You can always DEC at another airline after you’ve got some current aircraft experience.
03-08-2019 | 01:29 PM
#20
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Nov 2018
Posts: 832
Likes: 0
Old not glass/FMS jet SIC time combined with lack of currency is setting yourself up for failure, or a large struggle to succeed in a DEC training program.
You’ll be better off going into an RJ and getting flight current as an FO. You can always DEC at another airline after you’ve got some current aircraft experience.
You’ll be better off going into an RJ and getting flight current as an FO. You can always DEC at another airline after you’ve got some current aircraft experience.
As others have said, accepting a DEC position with my lack of currency is a risky move, and I agree.
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