Can I make 150k at a regional?
 

Hello all, I have an opportunity for early retirement at my foreign legacy airline, and am considering ending my career the same way it began, low and slow as a commuter pilot. How feasible would it be to be based in Chicago, and earn 150k or more, relatively soon in my new situation? Sorry if that's a ridiculous amount, it's just that that would be about the salary that I would need to make it worth my while, combined with my pension, and I'm totally clueless as to what you all make these days.

If you were a DEC at envoy you could.

Thanks, I appreciate it. I assume that if you're hired as a DEC you can be bumped back to FO at any time?

Theoretically you could, but not likely UNLESS we have another black swan event (Covid/terrorist attack/full blown collapse of the US economy). If you have 950+ hours of qualifying 121 time, year 1 DEC pay at envoy could be 250k+. It will fall off a little the next few years Bc a huge bonus is included in year 1 pay. But after about 3-4 years at Envoy, you could pretty easily make $150k+ if you’re a line holder and pick up just a few OT trips.

Starting on 1/1/23 year 1 CA pay is $150.00 per hour.

150x75=11,250 x 12= $135,000. That’s the MINIMUM guarantee.

Just beware that as a DEC, you’ll constantly have senior FOs upgrading on top of you, so you’ll see the bottom of the reserve list for a while. It would probably be 3 years before you stop having so many pile on top of you and keep you down. Really about the time you see new hire FOs in your new hire class upgrade, then you’ll see the light at the end of the reserve tunnel

Ask around at specific regionals that have ORD bases.

$150K should be achievable as a DEC with current bonuses at many or most regionals. The bonuses may dry up eventually but by that time you should be in the $150K ballpark with just base pay. I'm sure you could be a LCA too, more money there, especially if they think you won't leave for the majors.

But have you applied to the majors? UA and AA have insane hiring, a reasonably clean record and extensive 121 experience will probably get you into class within a few months.

Thanks Rick;
I haven't applied anywhere yet, only thinking about it for the time being. Maybe I'm just being nostalgic, but the thought of seeing some smaller cities, and flying with young men and ladies just starting out on their careers seems more appealing to me than flying red eyes, and listening to guys talk about their lawnmowers and boats. I've got about seven years left before mandatory retirement, and at this point seniority would be more important than $$. I remember how hard I worked back then, though.

I’m younger (33), and I have a lawnmower and a boat 😁 Lol just kidding, I don’t have a boat, but I do have a riding lawnmower. I don’t talk about it, well, only in cruise I do.

You're being a bit nostalgic. Over the next seven years, all regional CA's will be flying with a lot of noobs... any FO with 1,000 hours in 121 will ether upgrade or go straight to a LCC.

That was a big part of why I left the regionals a number of years ago, even back then it was turning into every day was IOE and it was a lot of work. If you're cool with single pilot in a 121 jet, then sure. Might as well be a LCA and get paid for it, because you're going to be doing it.

I get the sentiment though, the flying back then was more interesting than ILS's to the same six airports.


Also even if an airline isn't hiring DECs, you should be able to upgrade immediately anyway in this climate.

Good point that I hadn't considered, thanks.

What counts as qualifying 121 time though? Do PIC hours flown with a foreign carrier as he puts it count towards that?


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