Do you know your base and equipment before beginning class? I would be interested in Mercury in ATL. I'm with 9E but a side move is always a possibility, specially with the whole strike and me being in probation. Also I think things are really going to start slowing down this year and the next one, and there's a chance I get stuck in the right seat much longer than I would like, so I figure if I'm going to be stuck in the right seat, I better be in a decent company. I propably would kill myself if I'm going to be stuck in the right seat in 9E for years.....

you know the certificate the moment they call you to offer the job. base is not usually assigned until middle of sim or so.

getting any of the bases shouldn't take more than a few months. about half of my class wanted ATL, and after we came online in sept. most had it by Dec. at the latest.

i've been here 6 months now, and love it. i now live in domicile, and even though i have early shows & late returns, it's far & away better than the last place. the super senior captains here actually like coming to work, as opposed to TSA, and i'm getting to enjoy the 15+ days off i get a month.

CHQ and S5 currently have CMH bases. RW will open CMH in a month or two. You could go to any certificate and live in base. iflyjets4food is CHQ.

Not true your seatlock is up in 2yrs and if an FO position is available then you have the right to bid for it. Right now that doesn't make much sense with upgrades the way they are but should things stall people could do it to move into base etc.

Can you bid for anything your seniority will allow? Example, if you bid a base change at 2 years and you are eligible for upgrade when a captain slot opens, does one override the other or can you bid on everything at once. Do you only get so many bids?

How does the seatlock work? Does it pertain to your aircraft and certificate? Or just as an FO? I'm confused...

When the company hires you they have to pay for your training. Because of the cost of training, and a few other factors, they require you to stay in your current aircraft for 2yrs as an FO, unless upgrading, that way they can get their money's worth. Has nothing to do with certificates. If they pay to train me in the 145 then I'm stuck as an FO in the 145 until upgrade or until my seatlock is up, whichever comes first.

Gotcha. Thanks for the reply

An FO for CHQ cannot become an FO at RW or S5. As an FO, you ARE seatlocked until you upgrade. Whatever certificate and airplane you get hired on will be the one you work on until you upgrade. The two year thing only applies to CA's (i.e. a 145 CA must stay that way for 2 years before moving up to the 170).

I'm gonna throw the B.S. flag on this one. According to our contract, right now you must move to a seat of higher pay.
The only way around this right now is for the company to do what is not required(see above), or for the fleet you are on to be disposed of, allowing you to bid via displacement.