I'd been here at ASA for a year now and I know there is about 300+ behind me. I had been wondering the same about where you could feel somewhat safe. I'm marketable in other fields and have all sorts of safety nets so Im not too worried about it. Something I had mentioned in another thread which helps to let me sleep a little better is that ASA to the best of my knowledge has never since they started service in 1979 furloughed a pilot. They also have had a pretty good record when it comes to financial reporting in which the first year in service was the only year they had ever come up short. I believe there is something to be said about that as Im not really sure where they stand in comparison to other regionals when it comes to that sort of thing. Granted times are significantly different now and we all expect some interesting changes this year I think ASA will be one of the regionals left standing with minimal damage when the dust settles. But what do I know Im still just a rookie.

 

Do you want to fly for ASA for the rest of your life??


If the answer is yes, you should stay right where you are. Oil prices are out of control, but I think being NOT at the bottom of a seniority list is the best place to be.


If you aspire to fly for the majors one day (which you may have to seeing the rate that regionals are cutting flights), then you should go to college and get your four year college degree. The odds of getting hired at a major airline without a four year college degree are near zero.

 

Yea I have a degree in Aviation Science (mistake). But I minored in business management, so if poop hits the fan it wouldnt take me very long to get another bachelor's in management.

 

Well if they offer LOA's, I'd be all over it. Take that time to become super-marketable in something else!

 

If they offer LOA's I won't be one of the ones accepting it. If they don't cancel my upgrade class (so short on EMB CA's there's basically no shot in ........., I think there are only around 15 or 20 reserve CA’s in the entire system and most of them will get soft lines) there are over 75 CA's JR to me that will be displaced back to FO before me. By the time they get to me it will be months after I've been on line and by then I'll be around my 1000PIC (seeing I already have some TPIC time) mark and will be fine with the bump back to FO. That just means I'll be home more.

Then when the push turns for the good I’ll be sitting in a good place. At least this is my plan, if it doesn’t happen then I’ll just stay as a decently senior FO who is in no threat of being furloughed (something list 140+ a/c would have to be parked before I'd start to sweat, but it could happen, if it did then we ALL IN TROUBLE) and I’ll continue getting my 16-18 days off all while being home every day. Hmmmmmmm, what to do?

As for the original poster, only you can decide what’s best for you but I’m optimistically pessimistic about the future. In other words I believe it won’t be anywhere near as bad as most are saying but it won’t be anywhere near as good as it has been.

 

ASA is not going top stop hiring, but will slow way down. Thats the latest...

 

ASA's a good company but with 108 CR2's flying DAL routes, I wouldn't be surprised if they start pooling with new hire classes being put on the back burner until oil prices start to fall............considerably. But, I don't see furloughing, Jerry and friends are really good at have decent foresight.

 

I am glad I am working for a Prop shop with some decent senority, makes me feel a little better

 

I'm going to start a company that offsets the "carbon footprint" of the airlines, and lobby for legislation that locks them into years of lucrative contracts where I promise to plant trees and educate people on "living green". Oh wait, my name isn't Al Gore.

 

The above statement is one of the smartest things i've read on this forum, because that's exactly what I did and i've never looked back. Medical business is BOOMING, and I fly a Pitts for fun. Pi$$ on the airlines.