My top ten reasons why I like flying the bro:
1. It is old school cool!
2. It is fun to fly.....speed isn't everything
3. It takes skill to be smooth with it and give a good ride
4. It can kill you if you become complacent
5. It is a stable a/c when in trim, it can be very heavy when out of trim
6. You can always challenge yourself in this a/c.
7. It is forgiving within reason
8. If something isn't working it just needs to warm up
9. If your bored flying the Bro, just add water
10. There is nothing quite like the sound of deep reverse thrust

Hey Swat. Are you with skywest and if so, how was the training.

Yes. It was very thorough. Yes the systems are complex. You will get two three inch binders for the A/C and one two inch binder for indoc. Plus a training cd with all the lecture presentations and flows on it. The instructors are very good. They are there to help you succeed and will spend extra time with you if you ask. The exams are geared to the application level and are challenging. It is not just reguritation. It, like all 121 ground schools, are like learning to drink from a fire hose. It takes a concerted effort and more than the time in class to pass. When they recommend you have all the emergency procedures and limitations memorized before class, do it. This stuff will be in the Pre-Study packet. It's no joke that you have to have 161 limitations, 10 QRC items and 4 emergency checklists memorized because you are tested on them at the end of the second week. If you have to spend time memorizing the above stuff during class you will be overwhelmed. I saw a few classmates trying to do it, some were successful, some not. Plan on not going home for the duration of training, unless you are local to Salt Lake. The weekend is a good time to catch up and review with your classmates. It is also a good time to learn the flows. Some of them are long and the earlier you get started on them the easier the last week of ground school will be. After ground school is FTD, then sim. I would go straight thru all of it if you have the option. It is senority based, so if your in the back of the class, make a friend at the front of the class to get the schedule you both want. I hope this helps. I am happy to answer any other questions to help with your decision. Senority is everything and the Bro will make you a better pilot.

Hold out at Mesa until the last minute, when you have to sign the contract, then leave........

The way most contracts work is that you can actually finishing up through your sim ride with mesa and even start IOE. Typically the contract starts at the completion of training so if you do your first two days of IOE and than leave than you never completed training and should not be obligated to the contract. Think of how far ahead you will be with 4.3 of SIC jet time! At least this way you can get an SIC type out of the deal and a completed training evolution and the checkride experience and even get a chance to fly the jet so you will never wonder what it would have been like. You can tell war stories of flying in outerspace at FL310 to your brasillia friends.

seniority is everything

I'm not sure(check with other MAG guys), but most training contracts aren't in force until you complete your first PC. Leave before the sim, no repayment.

I've always heard that you have to pay it as soon as you pass the checkride. I'm at Mesa too and not as lucky because I have 4 months left on my training contract. So I'm gonna hold out for the CRJ to reduce it as much as possible. The good news is I'm on the Freedom side, and with no flying it looks like it will be a paid vacation till I leave. Hold out until they give you a sim schedule. I had 2 months of pay with travel benefits in between Ground school and the sim. Not sure if everything is that backed up still but it was the only nice thing about working here so far.

Rolling on the floor man...rolling on the floor!! :D

Swat, don't worry about it. You'll find that the systems are very similar to the RJ’s. The Pneumatic systems are extremely similar, all turbine engines are roughly the same, a props a prop, and the EMB's DC system is very similar to the RJ's DC system. Just remove the automation and remember that systems are all basically the same, they’ve just been slightly improved upon over time. I guess to say there is no automation in the EMB would be a lie……………………………..there is the FO. LOL!

Know the limitations and emergency procedures and you'll do just fine. Believe me when I say.............once you leave Mesa and start with SKW......day one...........you'll never look back. Period!