Interesting Times, Bitterness, & Success
 

2 1/2 years off the street, currently at a regional, accepted offer at a Legacy carrier. Times are amazing compared to 10 years ago, the 90's, and even the 80's. Wasn't long ago you had to put in 10 to 15 years and 5000 hours at a regional to move up to a Legacy. Now, seeing many of us with just 2 years in the industry, committing a year or two in at a regional, and moving up to the majors with job offers.


Anyone else seeing similar cockpit social-industry behavior lately such as: 7 to 15 year captains at regional with chip on their shoulder after being turned down by major and are "stuck". Some don't have 4-year degrees and a few have 'a record' or 'history', but got hired on with a regional in the late 90's, or early 2000's. 10 to 15 years (some 20+) at a regional, and are hoping for that break they've waited for all their life. But now, new-hire FO's in the right seat, with 4-year degrees, positive attitudes, are moving on to the majors.


It has to be bitter-sweet for the guys at the majors as well knowing what they sacrificed years ago to get to where they are. But now witnessing first-hand 2-year regional FO's flowing to the majors. Not long ago, when flying turboprops at Mesaba, Great Lakes, ASA, Comair, etc, for $15,000 a year. Pay-For-Training was rampant. I grossed $103,000 as a new hire regional FO last year. Amazing.


Is it just me? Or, anyone seeing similar socioeconomic behavior out in the field? Interesting Times, Bitterness, & Success.

sure, underscored by newbies so smart they misspell a word in a screen name......twice

If you're going to take the time to post a childish ad hominem reaction, you should probably make sure you're correct.

Ey and y at the end of whiskey is interchangable.

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As evidenced by a bottle of George Dickel.

Who's the smart one now? See, that 4-year degree goes a long ways for you Regional Lifers.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/joemica.../#71754eb67561

As an 8 year RJ guy with a degree I think you probably networked hard and got a little lucky. Instead of coming on here and writing this post how about pay it forward and try to drag as many qualified friends, acquaintances, and co-workers with you by writing letters of recommendation.

Congratulations... but what’s really the point of this post? I’m sure you worked hard to get that offer but understand that timing is everything in this industry. Be humble and grateful for that opportunity. It’s shows a lack of character to talk down on other pilots in this industry but unfortunately you’ll fit right in with some mainline pilots with that attitude.

A smarmy ********* humble bragging about getting lucky?

"Quick! Pull up the ladder!"

How about a little humility? Those bitter, stagnant captains each represent one more open seat at mainline for the child prodigies like yourself.
good times indeed but no need to rub salt in the wounds

What a weird thread.

A quick look at your post history reveals you have been flying professionally for over two decades. You also state you have over 5000 hours and type ratings in multiple business jets.

Here is your quote from April 19’ for reference.
”That's a pretty narrow-minded statement. I know a lot of guys, including myself, that logged very little 121 time prior to 9-11, then switched to Part 91 flying. 5000 hours later in Citations and Gulfstreams, I have several majors interested with interviews. I want to be sure my 'low enough' 121 time is accurate.”

You make it seem like you just started flying 2 1/2 years ago.

It looks like it took you 20 plus years to reach a legacy. Congrats?

The times are interesting, no doubt. For me, the current situation makes me recall that timing is everything. Some generations get dealt a hand that is tougher than others and every generation has its snowy hill to walk up and down.

Snowy hill? We would’ve given everything to have only a snowy hill. We would get up an hour before we went to sleep, walking miles in a blizzard, uphill both ways, returning to our homes in a cardboard box under a park bench.

But, you tell that to kids today, and they don’t believe you!

um. Whisky is a proper spelling for the word. Some argue it’s the ORIGINAL spelling.

I believe the "original" spelling would be uisge beatha :)

A cardboard box? You were lucky.....:D

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1by0-nkKOTs

Ironically, I know some regional dudes who’ve got the attitude of “the times are so good, I don’t have to hustle as hard as a pilot used to” to make the next step up. With that mindset they’re picking a regional for cozy QOL reasons and not career advancement opportunity reasons. Bypassing upgrade to wait until a CA vacancy becomes available in their base of choice. Refusing the option to lateral if times get bleak. And the dumbest I know: They’re “too busy” to volunteer or get involved in their community on their days off to spice up their applications.

It’s like they don’t realize this is still a sprint to the finish line. Especially now that seniority lists are being added to at their fastest pace in 20 years. Each month they fart around being “too busy” to hustle hard is potentially costing them 100 seniority numbers at each of the Big 3 (with more and more of those 100 pilots hired being younger than you)

That mindset of “times are good therefore don’t gotta hustle” among some regional pilots in 2019/2020 is something I’m observing lately.

https://e.lvme.me/2b02ewx.jpg

No it is spelled incorrectly twice.
There are many ways to write today’s date. There is one correct way with the FAA.

What's the point of this post? To rub it in the face of all the "bitter lifers" out there? Stay classy man, I can see why you got hired.

I remember sledding down the hill on a shovel, using the handle in front to us like holding onto the reigns of a horse. Of course, that was after shoveling out the manure in the barn, with that same shovel.

We grabbed breakfast at the door from our mother, which we ate as we walked to school, uphill in the snow.

Once we got into the schoolhouse, we took off our coats, but left our boots on. After a half an hour, that coal fired pot belly stove started heating up the one room. The manure started to melt off our boots, and stayed with us all day long. We thought that is the way book learning is supported to smell.

It's weird that you sit and ponder about this stuff, enough that you come on here and make a post? It must be those long quiet transcons? Are you one of those who have trouble carrying conversations for more then five minutes?

Some are bitter, some are living comfy with 150K, some don't want to start over, some have a wife pulling down another 150K, Some don't have four years, some priorities change after 10-15 years, everyone has a story.

you can be wrong if you like. It’s ok.

In high school I shoveled horse poop from one pile to another to pay for my PPL. Thing is, it just made it all that sweeter when I got to where I am today.

My training back then was paid with human poop and pee dripping down my arm underneath the APUs of Challengers and Gulfstreams.

Apparently playing with poop is how you become a pilot.