Speedbird, be careful with jumping ship. Here's a true story.

I was hired @ AWAC in the summer of 2005. Hiring was fast and furious until the winter, when it suddenly stopped. Attrition was slow and I stopped moving up the list at all. I was a junior FO and it didn't look so good, so I started looking around. I considered a street CA position @ Gulfstream, I had everything lined up, but just when I was about to jump things started picking up again in the spring of '06. Midwest looked like a lock with Rankin coming on board. We hired a lot for that flying that never materialized.

Winter of 2006/2007 I started looking around again, after we lost the Midwest RFP as I was losing hope in viability of AWAC as an airline. Upgrade was nowhere in sight and I was getting frustrated with the majors picking up people left and right. Skywest and Republics upgrade were down to 1 year or less. I found Bigsky was hiring street CA's. I considered it but after further review didn't want to pursue it any further. During this time I was also looking over various 135 jobs, from Ameriflight to USA Jet to you name it. I didn't want to be the 4 year FO.

Then the list started moving again. I hung on, and it hasn't stopped moving since. I got my type at 2.5 years. This while the company lost 20% of it's fleet. I guess what I'm trying to say is while things look scary now you could end up jumping to the next Bigsky. Looking back had I left for any of the places I had considered I'd either be unemployed (there are a large amount of Bigsky folks in our new hire classes now), in the left seat making less than I did as an FO, or in the on-demand industry while we enter a recession.

Also, keep in mind AWAC only has 50 seat CRJ's. The majors don't want these aircraft anymore. They are parking them in droves. They want the EMB products or big turboprops. I think that is where you will see the growth. If you're going to make the jump, consider the companies that operate those aircraft first IMO.

Above all, don't do anything drastic.

 

Thanks all for the advice. It's certainly not something I'm taking lightly, it's just thoughts for now, but it's something I'd rather do sooner than later having not moved far at all up the seniority list here...been here 8 mos now and a line not even in sight. That plus losing hours all the time and apparently parking planes it seems I'm seeing the couch in the crew room or at the crashpad way more than the front seat of the plane. And DAL announced more cutbacks just the other day, I don't see any miracles here any time soon. Believe me I hate the idea of jumping around at the regional level but things are pretty frustrating at the moment and are not improving. Again, appreciate the info and the advice.

PS The Juice I love the avatar haha

 

Just because US Airways hasn't announced cutbacks (that I know of) doesn't mean they aren't coming. DAL is a pretty strong carrier and is expanding it's international network much more than US Airways. If I had my choice I think I'd rather be with a DAL express than US Airways, just my $0.02.

 

If there are cuts, they will be at a carrier other than AWAC. Our contract is not amendable unilaterally by US Airways.

 

umm, we're all sub-contractors anyways, it doesn't matter really. If big Moma DAL wants to cut, they will; conversely if US airways does the same, AWAC is protected, I mean afterall we gave them $136 million.

 

I'd imagine that having a seat on the US Airways Board of Directors, and owning 13% of the new company counts for something as well.

 

Your right, not that it's a great company to own, but hey I guess you have to do what you have to do. Seems kinda strange that we can't go out and get flying, we have to buy flying, but what is normal in this industry.

 

I suppose you could call it buying flying, but it was more like an investment. Paid off nicely for the owners of the company, who earned several hundred million in short order.

 

Or take this advice, of my friends who thought any grass was greener than comair, jumped ship to Xjet bc it was SO GREAT, one of the last classes, and now will probably be furloughed... guess comair doesnt look that bad now..... or the other friends of mine who jumped ship to skywest and now have almost ZERO people under them on the CRJ bc they were the last CLASS......... stop complaining, things get better....... suck it up, i did (not to say that I didnt complain along the way)

and ps if you think AWAC is going to be that much better I and pretty sure you are mistaken.... I know a lot of people there who are not very happy either

and PSS a lot of the delta cuts are comming from freedom and chq

 

Who cares, you have a job and can put food on the table because they "bought" their flying. I for one am thankful that they did so. As much as the "senior" 146 and RJ guys complain about having to commute at least they still have the option to continue working. Had the owners not done what they did every single pilot @ AWAC would have been unemployed, that's a 100% paycut.