I have recently been doing some shopping in the market for a flying job that isn't flight instructing. Of the many airlines that have recently lowered thier minimums I have been trying to decide which route would be the most benefical in the long term. Chautauqua seemed to be one of the better choices that I have come across. There are a few things however that I am unsure about. First of all it says their pilot contract is up for negotiation in October. Would this be a really bad time to go there because of this or will it end up being a non event. Also I noticed on pilot centrals site under Republic that US Airways is recalling all jets for jobs pilots... I'm not even really sure what that means. Any information that anyone can offer about this airline would be amazing. I have been flight instructing and building hours way too long to go somewhere and end up realizing that I should be employed by someone else.

 

TT/ME/Location??

 

1. Our contract is up in October. Negotiations started back in April. They've been going like all negotiations have been going...I'm sure we'll see a TA in 2 years. Who knows, management has indicated they want to get this thing wrapped up quickly but we've all heard that before. It won't mean much to you, just that you'll work under the current contract like the rest of us until we get a new one. The feeling I get from most people is if it's not industry leading, they won't be voting yes. We do have some pretty good leverage with the company being as profitable as they are.

2. Jets for Jobs guys (J4J) are US Airways furloughees we took on as CA's and FO's while they were on furlough. US Air wants them all back. That's a good thing for us as it frees up Captain slots for more upgrades. It also means we're going to lose about 80+ guys that all have seniority numbers higher than yours would be, so it's pretty much a win for you.

3. You can do a search of these forums and get some good info on RAH. See if you can find the "Beyond Hourly Payscale" thread...it pretty much lists all the pro's and con's. I'm happy I made the jump here after several years of flight instructing. I've recommended several friends and haven't heard too many complaints other than the stuff you hear about from every other pilot at every other carrier. There's growth and movement, the chance for about a 2-3 year upgrade and the work rules are decent. The pro's are no junior manning, block or better per leg, airtight scope clause (NO alter-ego carrier). The con's are DH pay, the 170 FO scale, and cancellation pay (it exists, but it's pretty limited).

 

I have about 1100 hours and around 275 multi. I'm currently instructing for Flight Safety in Vero Beach. Thanks for the info it's been a huge help. You hear so many rumors and other things it's good to hear from people that are living it on a daily basis.

 

Fax them a resume. Dont rely on the website. I faxed a resume in and with in a couple hours got called for an interview.

 

You certainly don't need to worry about airlines lowering their minimums in this market with your current times. You meet every regional out there's mins easily. If you want to work for any of the RAH classes, you have a pretty good chance unless you have a negative history or are a tool. Just be aware of how the RAH assignments work. If you are looking for CHQ, you might not get it. The growth is in the 170s right now and that is where most of the new hires seem to be going. If you've only been flight instructing, be prepared for a steep learning curve. You'll probably be fine in ground school and sims, but IOE is an eye opener if you haven't done any 135 or 121 operations before. Good luck!

 

Research several regionals before you hone in on one. Talk to people face to face about the airline they fly for. Get all the scoop before making up your mind. Doesn't hurt to interview with several, though. I applied to about 4 or 5 after doing some research and interviewed with all of them before making my decision.

 

And expect to make mistakes along the way.

Worked for a major international carrier at the gate and check-in before I began flying - it was then that I decided a long time ago that I wanted to fly for Eagle and nobody else. That changed real quick. Then it was Horizon...again, that changed real quick. Then it was any Jet operator (besides SkyWest because they were not union). I even sent my App into Mesa (no way to GoJet - I stood tall). Worked on the ramp for another regional and saw myself flying for them after my time as a CSA was served - that changed in a hurry as well when I was treated like dirt for three months before walking out.

Ended up getting on with Trans States...it wasn't my top choice, but at 500 TT and before the real-low-time hiring began, it was my ONLY choice. I was happy there for exactly two months on the Line and decided I couldn't possibly survive this life without getting on with RAH right away.

And now here I am at SkyWest wondering how the crap I could ever possibly make any sense of the journey it took getting here. End result: nothing is Perfect, even the venerable SKW, but I'm about as close to perfect (for my particular situation!) as I can get for the Regional-world.

Of course, your results may vary...it's one helluva winding road but just remember you'll get where you're going sooner rather than later ;-P

 

I have been changing my mind over and over for the past year or so. At first I hit 600 hours and all I could think about was flying a jet now that I had some hours. Then I actually started reading some things and realizing that some of these places are really shady. I started looking at comair then moved over to skywest realizing they don't really have any bases that I want. Thought about express jet for awhile but slowly talked myself out of that one. Then I thought about eagle and came to the realization that at some point I would like to be a captain. This week it's RAH and hopefully it will stay that way. So I have just kind of been hanging back trying to take as much as I can from flight instructing while trying to do things that will make myself more marketable. Currently I'm studying for my ATP written which I am about as motivated to finish as I am to send my resume to go jet. It's tough studying for something when you really don't know when you are going to get to use it.

 

Dude - are you kidding us?! You must know better than to post that here?!?! Didn't you just say you'd were looking at RAH?