Regional or 121 Supplemental Airline/ACMI
 

Hey everyone!

With today’s hiring environment, I was wondering what everyone would do if they had a redo.

If you had to go back and do it all over again, would you go the regional route or go to a 121 Supplemental carrier such as Miami Air (or a similar carrier) or an ACMI carrier?

Annnnnd GO!

121 Supplemental.

Regionals are for the birds.

I would have went to a place where I can drive to work. Oh wait, I did that.

Most ACMI's aren't entry level. Need experience. I can't think of a better place to get good experience than a regional. Keep your time at a regional short, and move on. That's what I did, can't complain about anything.
Was in IAH today, watched all the pax pilots speed walking to their next flight, always in a hurry. I don't miss that, life is good at K4, either FO or CA.

ACMI's are closer to entry level now than in the past, and may get closer still but you're right it's not the historical norm.

I think the question is after you get 1000 hours 121 SIC, do you stick around for TPIC, or go to a LCC/ACMI. If you're squeaky clean DAL material, probably should stick around.

I'm a pax pilot and I don't do that. If they schedule me for a 25 minute turn in another concourse (which they really don't at the major) that's their problem.

I know the regionals are better than they were a few years back, but it is still stupid how they seem to be the only way to get anywhere else outside of mil time or staying 91/135. I get it, you need to build experience and all, but if we stopped whoring ourselves out for less than stellar pay and work conditions, the regionals would fall and slime ball management of said companies would have to pay living rates in hard pay, not just bonuses with tons of “oh by the way” language attached.

I’ve been in the regionals for a few years now, upgrading at the moment and can honestly say I’m not looking forward to it. It’s the same crap sandwich schedule, for maybe an extra 500-700 a month, on top of that a lot more on the line when I sign each release before each one of my legs on a 18-24 leg four day.

If anyone thinks being a PIC of an airline transport aircraft for 65-70k in 2019 is a good deal, they need to re examine the pay rates of today’s careers. People fresh out of college sitting at a cushy desk job make that much if not more, they don’t have to worry about a checkride every 6 months, a medical every 6 or 12 months or the news throwing their names in the dirt among speculation by “aviation correspondents” in the rare event of a bad day.

I miss being a CA on a CRJ, but not the pay, schedule, or pax. At the time, I had to upgrade, go from 30k to 60k a year in pay. My first year at an ACMI, made more money than my entire time at Mesa.
You'll end up loving being a CA, as long as your company treats you right. Strangely enough, Mesa left me alone as a CA.

If your goal is to move on to the majors, stay at your regional. You won't build time very fast in ACMI.

Common misconception on the part of pilots who have never worked in the white-collar world.

White-collar is actually pretty fun in your 20's. After that it gets harder, as work responsibilities pile up at the same time as life/family responsibilities. Also the typical office politics and need to be physically present from X to Y oclock M-F (and always available on the leash) is soul crushing at best, violently toxic at worst. That one CA that everyone bid avoids? You can be stuck in a cubicle in direct line of sight from his office for 50 hours/week. And he's the boss.

By age 50 they are looking to get rid of you and get in "fresher" and "relevant" workers (ie younger and cheaper). You're stale, boring and pretty expensive at that point. Good luck getting a new job at that age, unless you can take a big pay cut in fast food or something.

They ONLY way to have job security after age 50 is to be at the top of the heap (ie VP+), have a very vital niche technical skill (ex top-performing outside sales), or own the business. I have many friends getting their walking papers these days. My brother in law works in a somewhat brutal environment but he's worked himself into a (non-management) niche and appears to be secure. My friends who own businesses are all doing well (paid their dues of course). This is not hyperbole, we have three friends joining us today for family Easter dinner because Dad got laid off and they'll have a nicer dinner with us than at home. Very sharp contrast between white collar and airline seniority worlds at this point in life... I just have to stay healthy, and even then we have decent LT disability.

And that's in a good economy. In a bad economy, pretty much everyone is on notice at all times. Some of you have never known a bad economy as working adults.

The grass isn't always greener on the other side my friend. I've had that "cushy" desk job for many years now...