Lakers normally move on to the majors. SWA has hired a bunch of them in the past.

It took me 16 months to upgrade at Lakes due to furloughs and that was a looooooong time in comparison. If you're considering it then make sure your skills are sharp, guys bust out every class and the first time pass rate for upgrade was always below 50% when I was there. If a quick grand PIC is what you want then I would do it. Trust me, you will never do anything the rest of your career that is that much fun. Think Bob Hoover in a 1900 instead of a Commander. :D

And if you think having flight attendants is an advantage then you've obviously not been in airplanes with FAs for very long.;)

Oh, there's certainly been a few bail to jet regionals such as SkyWest, Horizon, and AWAC. However, those that stick it out lately have been going to SWA, AirTran, and Alaska, off the top of my head, with a smattering of FedEx hires that happened before I got here. There's also a few at Kalitta, I know.

Why not?
 

Some do. In many cases they get 1000 TPIC at Lakes. They then move to a jet regional for better pay and QOL, and to wait out the major gig while gaining what they don't have, jet and/or glass. It's actually been proven a very succesful strategy for most guys.

Great picture on your screen name ! Is that a mighty Twin C doing cloud base hail suppression ? I have a few hours doing that stuff, fun at the time.

J/C What does the upgrade consist of? As in Rechecking, ADM, Systems, Etc?

Pretty much standard 121 upgrade. Few days of systems, written test, few sims, oral, few flights in the airplane (maybe), then check ride. Much like initial training yet shorter duration, higher standards and more required information.

Actually it's a picture taken from a Comanche 250 single...one of my buddies took it. I was working on the same storm, but was in a Baron 55, and I don't have a digital camera (someday...). It was a pretty impressive "mini supercell" that was a good example of how my summer went.:D

I also forgot some obvious places that GLA guys are going in my above post...a great deal of our guys have been going to Frontier of late, and several have had offers at CitationShares, as well as various corporate gigs.

Rode SWA today with fmr lakes captain who has been around only a couple of months.

Seemed like a great guy, and flew a great airplane.

Pretty sure I know who you're talking about. He will represent us well, I am sure.