Well...SkyWest has both PHX and DFW bases on the CRJ, but you aren't very likely to get either one right out of training. Right now it's around 5-6 months. And training is 2 months right there, even if you did get one right out training. Plus, if you're looking for nothing but locals and 2 days, that's likely going to take you at least a couple years of seniority and probably at least 3 before you get a schedule like that at SkyWest. And then you'll have to stay an FO instead of upgrading and getting those TPIC hours to move on to a major.


Honestly, if you are concerned about your wife and newborn in the short term, and need to provide personal assistance to your wife, I'd keep whatever job you have now, or if you don't have one, get one as a CFI. Any 121 training program is not going to be conducive to taking care of a newborn at home. At all. I can't stress that enough. No way you want to be getting up in the middle of the night helping with a newborn while going through training. You don't even want to be helping with dinner or dishes or putting the baby to bed in the evening when going through training. As a CFI you'll be home every night and can help your wife out in this difficult time. Then when your child is 6 months or a year old and is sleeping through the night, and old enough for day care, then look to take the next step in your career.


If you are more worried about being able to put food on the table and buy diapers right now on a CFI salary and worried about the long term, then get on with a good regional with a junior base (for both FO and CA) in a lower cost-of-living city, move there, and provide the financial security your family needs even if you spend 2 months away from them and then 10 or 12 nights per month in a hotel somewhere for awhile. In this case, SkyWest in DTW, ORD, COS, or DEN might be a decent choice, though there are others as well.


If you try to split the difference with a really low paying regional I don't think you're going to end up getting anything that you're hoping for.

 

Junior guys on the CRJ in SLC with SkyWest hold standups and locals. Junior pilot has been here 5 months or so. 80%+ of the trips on the CRJ in SLC are standups and locals.

 

Must be nice...

 

That's a big change. I might have stayed if I could have lived in SLC, skied days and dozed for dollars at night.

But what's CA seniority these days?

 

20 years is middle of the pack, and it won't hold standups a lot of the time. Management has cut the pay on the standups as well. 5:30 a night has turned into 4:45. Even the guys that have been here 30+ years are lucky to get 6 hours a night.

 

Not an issue at G4 but not sure about NK or F9. We have quite a few former Silver guys here, some that have never done overnights. I met one that never even had to move or commute, flight school/CFI then Silver then G4 all in the same city in FL. Good luck to you.

 

And yet, in some bases we can't get locals or even 2 days with 30+ years(only lots of 3 and 4 day trips most don't want).

 

OK, I made the right call then.

 

Nature of the beast... regionals usually cover the last pm connector from hub to outstation, and first connector to the hub in the am. If the timing doesn't work for standups, then it's a 4-day.

 

Yeah the trip mix/pairing quality in some bases is terribly bad.

I've given serious consideration to moving to another domicile where I wouldn't be middle of the pack and would bid in the top 10-15%, (if not #1 or #2) thinking my QOL would go up but looking at the trips and transparency report prove that wrong in a lot of cases.