Time frame of becoming a captain?
 

Once hired by a regional, what is a realistic timeframe from the time you are hired as a FO to when you upgrade to captain? Also, how long do most pilots fly for a regional before they are hired by a major, given that that was their plan all along, Regional>major. ? thanks for the info

Did regionals for 13 years. Good degree and never a scratch, but still waiting for the big boys to call. Upgrade results may vary, depending on airline and state of the industry. If I were to guess, I'd say we are on an upswing for hiring, meaning more movement. However, world events could very easily bring that to a halt. Plan for the worst, and get a side gig outside of the biz.

CA upgrade can be anywhere from 1 year to a decade, depending on which regional and which airplane. Several are hovering at 2 yr upgrade right now, Republic, Express Jet, to name a few

This is an age old question that many people here wonder themselves. If this is an industry you want to get into, you will find out that it is very unpredictable. Point being, upgrade times to CA vary from airline to airline and can change at any minute. I know that's a vague answer but that is the reality. Right now if you were hired, there are places that advertise upgrade times at anything from around 2 to 6 years. And that's a real rough estimate. Again, that could all change tomorrow. Try searching around the forum, do as much research as you can; you may find that upgrade times might not be the most important part of picking an airline also, some people go for Quality of Life (pay, living in base, etc etc) over upgrading.

Hope that helps, good luck with your search.

Typical upgrades right now...

Low-tier turboprop operator: 6-12 months
Jet regional: 2-3 years (occasionally as low as 1 year)

A few regionals are longer, even 10 years on some aircraft. You definately need to research a prospective employer and understand their geography, pay, work rules(MOST IMPORTANT!), expected growth, upgrade, and company culture. Make sure it matches your needs...you are in the very unusual and fortunate position of being able to be somewhat picky. Historically most of us had to take the first job offer we could get. But don't work for Mesa or Gojet...ESPECIALLY gojet.


Getting called by a Major...total crapshoot. It can take anywhere from 18 months as a regional FO to never. The most important factors in order of importance:

1) Military flight experience.
2) Knowing someone on the inside. Actually this is #1 but military guys always know somebody anyway.
3) Having an affirmative action affiliation.
4) Turbine PIC time, 1000+ hours
5) Larger aircraft time (737 or better)
6) 121 time
7) Turbojet Time
8) Glass cockpit time
9) Masters Degree

Great post Rick...spot on.

Nicely put.

As always! He has over 3000 posts and all of them comprehensive and concise!

9) Masters Degree

a masters degree are you for real

Delta's always been big on advance degrees. Not so much the others.