Pick a job
 

OK guys, which would you choose? (Assume wife with good job, no kids left at home).

1. Regional airline job. Upgrade to CA within 3 months. Domicile about an hour from my current home.

2. Right seat of a Lear. Combination of Part 135/91 corporate stuff. Schedule 14 on, 7 off. Requires move of 300 miles, or commute weekly and don't see the wife for 14 days at a time. Salary upper 40's. Upgrade in 1.5-2 years, about $60K.

Decision time is close!!!! Thanks for your input!

You don't give too many details on the regional job. Is it a good regional or a crap regional? Jet regional or turboprop? Upgrade in 3 months, really?

Where do you want to be in 5 years? Airline or corporate? That may answer your question right there.

Which regional? And how do you know upgrade will be within 3 months?

Without knowing, it still looks like the regional gig is the way to go in terms of QOL, career progression, and in the long term, I'm guessing the pay would be better. Again, hard to know without knowing which regional you're talking about. Sounds like not the best corporate gig to me. Good luck.

What model Lear ?

take the regional job, and make the wife work. :) The Lear is to fast, so not much time added to the ol' log book.

Do you get to use the "company jet" to go on trips when it's not being used or can she go with you if she were off work on some long haul trips?

At least at the regional you have flight passes (assuming you can get on the oversold flight) to go places, since you and the wife don't have kids, you could enjoy a weekend here or there...etc... plus it's at home.....

3 month upgrade has got to be a crap regional

I'd probably say regional...fast upgrade and hopefully better pay, but that depends on how bad the regional is. You'll be on reserve forever, but you can sit reserve at home if you're only an hour away.

If it's mesa you have other issues...you'll be a new CA flying with low-time FO's who have been rejected by the rest of the airline industry... you could easily lose your certificate or your life. Gojet could be a career-ending decision, depending on how lucky you are.

that sounds like 9E.

9e?............

Pinnacle, could be Mesa as well.

More details
 

1. Regional in Pinnacle. I've got enough time to bid CA right out of the box. DTW base. Yup, reserve forever.

2. Lear 35. No opportunity for the wife to come along. About 500 hours a year estimate. Upgrade in 18-24 months (as needed) about $60K from then on.

Thanks.

I'd vote Pinnacle. You always go back to 91/135 flying later in life if 121 doesn't work out.

Pinnacle...no doubt about it. Go for it!

Good luck to you
 

Pinnacle, keep your wife. One of the best "retirement plans" out there:D Keeping the wife, that is;)
fbh

Are they really letting people upgrade in a rj in 3 months? Dont know what your backround is but I would not put my family on any of those flights.

I'd say since he's got "navajo" he's probably coming from a freight job. I'd say flip a coin, both have pro's and con's that you are the one that has to weigh them out. Honestly I like jobs where I can be home at night, but that's just my preference. Some people love the 7-day breaks, but you're working 14 on/7 off, most are 7on/7off. That's something to really consider seeing how you are married(I am also), and the wife probably isn't going to appreciate that over the long run.

i dont know, that Lear45 job sounds nice, i may not have a career in aviation, but the Lear job sounds nice..... however, i would choose the Reg. because, i just like that type of excitement, the terminal, the people, the heavy ATC....

I dont know, this seems like a personal decision to me.... :cool:

I get really tired of hearing this comment on these forums. So do you actually follow through on this, and ask the gate how long the captain has been with the airline before you and your family get on every time? Sure, more experience is better, but there's no reason to pass judgment on someone you don't even know.

And you're probably one of those guys who waited to go to a regional because you didn't "feel ready." Then didn't upgrade because you wanted "more experience."

C'mon man, you fly an A320, are you really going to tell me that an experienced pilot can't upgrade quick because it's the Barbie Super-Challenger.

For the starter of this forum: Congrats, go regional, keep the wife, upgrade fast, get the jet PIC and get out. Many more perks for travel, i.e. jumpseating/pass benefits, experience in the 121 environment, and probably more job security (depending on what kind of corporate operation it is).