sargeanb

Alot of the Capt's I fly with here at CHQ talk about not wanting to move on to a major, due to being back at the bottom of the seniority list, getting a large pay cut 1st year, and general decrease in job security and QOL that would occur initially on the jump to a major. There seems to be two distinct camps on this subject, one group with the opinion above, the other, myself included, thinking that the temporary decrease in QOL and job security will be worth it long-term. There is also a small group that wants to get out of the business altogether. With all the money and time I've put into this, that's not really an option for me. Though I've only been on with a regional for about 7 months, and I'm thinking more about getting through my first recurrent and upgrading more than anything else, the next step is always in the back of my mind. Just wondering what you all think about this.

HercDriver130

I think everyone is different and has this or any job for different motivations. Age and family situation play a huge part in this decision. I have flown with both, guys ready to leave and those who have been here 9 years.....and not looking to leave. The capt I am flying with now is looking to leave.... it really is not a black and white answer to this question. The fact is that not everyone at a "jet" ( regional ) carrier is hireable at the major level for one reason or another. EVERY company has a group who will stay... and those that will leave....... to use a blanket premise that RAH or SKW or XJT or ASA or whomever should ONLY be used as a stepping stone just doesnt hold water.

145Driver

This is true...a lot of regionals don't require a college degree, while most majors do, I believe. Just one example...

atpwannabe

I've thought about from this time to time being that I'm 46 and just starting my flight training. When and if the opportunity comes to go to a Major, I'll just have to see what's going on in me and my family's life at the time. Staying at a regional though for older guys isn't such a bad idea.

Just my .02.


atp

rickair7777

It always depends on the individual and his particular situation, but the biggest factors are probably:

- What are giving up to make the move? A ten year regional CA with a 6-figure income and good QOL has more to lose by making a move than a junior regional CA or FO.

- What do you expect to gain from the move? Key factors are your age, the compensation package of the new employer, and the age of the pilot group (which translates into your upward mobility).

- Family disruption. A single person can always afford the paycut and move wherever, a family might preclude this.

- Regional Stability. A regional can lose its contracts and/or move domiciles with about 30 days notice...and being 55 years old with 30 years seniority won't help you one bit. Majors are less likely to experience such disruptions, and you will see it coming in advance in most cases.

IMHO, most regional FO's and junior CA's (less than 8 years or so) have no excuse not to make the move unless they are unqualified (degree, DUI, etc) or are too old (40-50+ IM0).

There are exceptions...a lot of LDS folks at SKW for example start large families early and want max QOL without disruptions, so they plan on staying put. Ultimately it is up to you...

SmoothOnTop

just remember if you don't get hired by the major airline with the fastest upgrade, there's no way you can qualify for your dream job of flying b1900s for a commuter airline!

fosters

Wait till you're making $75K/yr after struggling as a CFI and FO. Capts who stay are probably sick of barely scraping by and want some time to "catch up". They most likely live in domicile or with an easy commute.

I'm of the camp that says use the regionals to get up and out but I can see why people would want to stay, especially at companies like SkyWest and Republic. However there are quite a few regionals I would not want to stay at, mostly due to lack of vision and being unable to grow the company.

Chances are that major pay won't ever recover to where it used to be, we're probably looking at a realistic top out of about $150k in todays dollars going forward. To make $50k/yr more at a major at the top-end but have to sit years of reserve making $60k-$80k as junior FO probably isn't worth it in their eyes. Plus, they might do other things with their 16-18 days off a month to more than make up for the eventual inequality of pay.

UnlimitedAkro

If you have a family its simple: The longer you stay at a regional, the harder it is to leave and start over on pay and seniority.

CloudPilot57

I would also say even if you don't have a family. The longer you are at a regional, the more you get accustomed to a cushy schedule and better pay which is hard to give up to move on. However, with a family it is much harder.

Flyby1206

This CHQ situation has happened before with a different regional- American Eagle. Years ago pilots were getting hired to fly B1900s, Shorts 360s, Saabs, etc and upgraded in a year or two. The industry hiring boom hit and many pilots stayed put at AE because it wasnt a bad gig. They are still at the company today and have been CA for 20+ yrs. I really think this will be the same thing that happens with CHQ in the next 10-15 yrs. The major airlines arent really that attractive when you could stay at CHQ and make an easy 100k as CA in another year or two.