SkyWest JET upgrade time drops to LESS THAN ONE YEAR!
 

That's right folks! Latest CRJ captain award was given to an ORD FO with just under 1 year on property. He probably had some prior 121 time since there is no way he built 1000 hours during his time at SKW, but I still think it's a remarkable event. Less than 12 months seniority upgrading to the jet....
Brasilia upgrade still stable at around 10 months (although it had dropped lower earlier in the year).


I just thought I'd hare this info since I know there are a lot of guys job hunting and this info might be valuable. Of course, past performance is no guarantee of future results, YMMV, don't chase the upgrade, yadda yadda yadda

It's been like this for a while--in early july a 7/06 hire was given ORD CRJ. I'd bet it's going to continue like this for a while, because there's a lack of FO's with the time now who are willing to sit reserve in ORD. I've got the time and am senior to the guy who just got it, but I don't want to sit reserve while more senior folks stack up ahead of me. But you're right, it's amazing how quick the upgrades have gotten.

Yeah, I don't see this continuing. However, the VP of flt ops was in my captain's recurrent class and said they expect us to get caught up after November. He also said that he has been saying that for five years now. A guy who was junior to me at Trans States, junior to me here is now upgrading on the Bro. Crazy sht!!!

yeah, a few of us are 7/31/06 hires, and we're in the 8/27/07 class. very exciting. oh, and haven't you talked to new captains lately in ord? they're not sitting reserve. lines right away. i hope that's still the case a few months from now, but either way, i personally would rather be a captain on reserve than an fo with a line. that's just my personal situation.

What's yall's opinion of someone jumping ship to come over to SKW? Is SKW's upgrade time based more on seniority, or TT? Also, what's the chance on getting the Bro?

TUS upgrades
 

Anyone happen to know the upgrade times at SKW for TUS?

Most junior capt in TUS - 4/04

Upgrade is based on senority IF you meet the minimums. 2500 TT, 1000 Crew

I was in the 7/31/06 class as well...it's good to hear no one is sitting reserve in ORD. Although I don't want to give up my 15 days off, 94hr line that's commutable both ends quite yet...

It's pretty sporadic--there will be months without movement, then a couple of CA's will leave and open up a few spots. The most junior TUS CA has been here well over three years, I believe.

Is that 1000 Crew on a SKW aircraft, or just in general? Also, do they ask you which aircraft you prefer in the interview? --- from my last questions...I'm looking @ the Bro...

Thanks

Is ORD junior for F/O's, too? I.E., can it be held right out of the box or soon after? Would SKW look at someone w/ 2500TT and 1200 ME? I have heard some regionals are avoiding mid-time pilots, but a quick upgrade at at good company sounds good. Also, do you have to go to a group interview? Thanx...

a quick upgrade at a good company sounds terrible....almost as bad (but not quite) as a quick upgrade at a bad company...imagine getting hired, finishing training, upgrading, and then, spending the indefinite future sitting on reserve while all those people senior to you finally get the time, upgrade, and move right infront of you, even though you've been a captain for a year +.

netjets is good, make roughly 55K first year FO, enough hilton hotel and airline points for a couple of free 2 week long vacations a year anywhere.

You need:
2500 TT
1000 Turbine Crew Time...this means exactly what it says so prior 121, prior military (non-fighter), prior 135, prior 91 time all counts as long as the airplane (or operation) required two pilots and burned kerosene.

Usually folks with that kind of experience get the CRJ, but you could certainly ask for and might get the bro. If you get the bro I would recomend doing FO for a few months then upgrade. Equipment lock is one year, but they will normally waive for that upgrades (ie CRJ FO to EMB CA).

damn I have more than that, will they hire me as a street CA :p

Saab how far are you from upgrade?

Well as you know anything can change but I would venture to say maybe 2 years, 1.5 optimistically?

Whoa, ok. Good luck man, wish you all the best.

Thanks boss................

Saab how long have you been at Expressjet

There is no seat lock for newhires upgrading. Seat locks only apply for transition and after you transition or upgrade.

If you fly the Bro as a Captain, is it possible to transition to the RJ later on?

So at skywest people are supporting being bypassed?

Yes once you aren't seatlocked in it anymore. Meaning after you are trained for it you are required to stay in it for a certain period of time before moving on. What is it 1yr or is that just for the FO side?

You can transition after your seat lock is up. The seatlock is 1 year starting on the first day of training.

Do Skywest Captains need the ICAO 2500 hours minimum for upgrade or is that being waived? Just curious about the path to upgrade if a pilot was hired in the current rush with low time and had the opportunity (by seniority) to upgrade 10 months later.

Is the FAA granting waivers?

Sounds like there's a lot of movement at Skywest!

What would you Skywest folks say are currently the best domaciles for upgrade in the CRJ? How about the EMB?

To which airframe are most new hires going?

I'm going to guess Fresno for the EM2. Milwaukee and Chicago for the hottub bubble maker. :p

The company is not waiving the 2500 hours, but they are reducing the crew time for the EMB.

Lower-time pilots (usually hired out of a CFI job) cannot upgrade without the 2500 TT / 1000 Crew/turbine. Many are getting bypassed every month. This is why CRJ upgrades run slightly under 12 months...but only for those who had prior turbine experience.

Of course those who take the fast upgrade will be junior CA's for a long time...the lower-time pilots will eventually upgrade on top of the people who took the quick upgrade.

Rick is there any issue with guys being bypassed that qualified for the spot? ie Bro fo wanting to upgrade to CRJ capt?

I’m not quite sure you understand how it works. No one can upgrade (anywhere) unless you have the 2500/1000 (or whatever their mins maybe) and when you achieve those numbers you can't upgrade until you're seniority number can hold it. Currently there are a lot of low timers at SKW who can't upgrade seeing they don’t meet the mins; they aren't being bypassed because they’re not eligible. Once eligible it’s strictly based up seniority.

My question to you is; what other way is there to do it? I assure you no one at SKW feels the current system is cheating them.

No, if you're not seat locked and you meet the mins then it's based up seniority ONLY! No one is being bypassed if their illegible.

Now if you're seat locked then yes, you can have a bid in (as EMB CA) for CRJ CA and be bypassed for a Jr pilot. You agreed to the EMB upgrade so you're stuck there until your seat lock us up.

this is pretty much how it is everywhere. we have guys here at pinnacle getting hired with 5000tt and 2500 or so turbine pic (a couple of us air guys joined the ranks). they upgraded right after initial because there weren't enough people bidding for captain spots, so it just went straight down the seniority list of who was eligible and who wanted the spot. the good thing for these guys is they will get captain pay straight out of new hire training. the bad news is they will be on reserve for about 4 years.

So if you upgrade quickly at SkyWest, another FO that has been there longer can bid above you once he/she upgrades?

Their seniority position doesn't change as their position changes. If an FO who is Jr to you upgrades, he/she is still Jr to you regardless of the position he/she holds and when you upgrade you will bid higher than him/her seeing you’re more Sr.

A captain I flew with brought up an interesting point. Might be better to take the quickest upgrade regardless of aircraft in case something happens and the quick upgrades stop.

that's right on both accounts...if you get hired in aug, and have 1000 hrs, and another guy gets hired in nov. and has 2500 hrs of total time, and there's no one left to upgrade, then the guy w/ 2500 hrs can upgrade. but...because you were at the company first, when you finally do upgrade to captain, you'll jump infront of that individual in line because you're more senior.

Getting the upgrade as quickly as possible is very important, especially when you consider if there's another halt in the industry...you might be stuck in the seat your in for quite a while, just like what happened a few years back.

I'm really hoping for a relatively quick upgrade, really can't live on FO pay forever.

I can.
$22.50 an hour is a huge sum!

Thanks Burt - so if I had the upgrade mins upon getting hired, I could possibly upgrade quickly, but unlikely to find myself in TUS for awhile?