Is your friend going to the RJ?

What do you think upgrade to the RJ is right now?

Nope, emb...fat...

RJ upgrade is just over three years right now...ORD...with a transfer out at some point.

mookie

I just received an interview date of April 6th. They are running interviews on three dates in March and several in April. I have several friends that fly for SkyWest; they are saying that SW is set to hire 300-500 pilots in 2006. This is only hearsay, but reliable hearsay. I also know that several fellow instructors at my school were hired last year and most have a class date of April 3rd. They all are going into the EMB-120. Which if you get an interview you will probably get the EMB. You also have a better chance of getting a line sooner on the Emb than the CRJ. One of my good friends has been sitting reserve for 5 months on the RJ and he is hopeing to hold a line in 1-2 more months. Plus, you are guaranteed 80 hrs on the EMB and only 75 on the RJ. Check it out, but one thing that all of my friends agree upon this that your quality of life, the first year will be better on the EMB. Fly your seat lock out and then move to the RJ, you’ll hold a line ASAP. This is actually the reason why people who get the RJ, after being hired, are sitting reserve for so long. You think your sonority can hold a line and then another EMB FO moves over and you just lost your line. Good luck and I hope this helps.

Is Skywest still sticking hard and fast to their minimums? I believe their posted mins are 1000TT/100ME. Right now I am sitting 940TT/140ME and am wondering if I should bother applying at SKW right now or would my resume get automatically discarded due to my times. To add to the confusion, I just got hired by XJT and start class at the end of the month. But I'm a west coast kid and would love to get back. Any comments from the peanut gallery?

I work for "the other regional"..not Mesa, so take my post for it's .02cents.

1.You can go form RJ FO to TurboProp Capt. at SkyWest..not at Mesa.

2.If you are actually going to have a 4+ hr scheduled break, SkyWest will get you a hotel..I don't think Mesa does. (middle of the night in Edmonton..yikes)

3.CrewSchduling will actually work with you (not that you get what you want) but they will try. There are thousands of times this is important. Like deadheading to a trip from out of base..or if your last flight mechanicals and you just want to jumpseat home,or your wife is having a baby...or...

4. SkyW doesn't hire 250hr pilots.

5. SkyW gives a lot of time in the RJ sim. Some call it overkill. But by the time you are ready for your Checkride and IOE most guys feel very prepared. I'm not sure how Mesa does it, but I'm betting its 1/4 to 1/3 less time in the sim.

There really is a very long list of differences...few of which are because of the aircraft. It's QOL. And after the honeymoon with the RJ is over then you will know what I mean.

Finally, there is a reason there are hundreds of X-Mesa pilots at SkyWest..not the other way around.

1. True

2. False. Mesa gets hotels for 4 hour layovers, sometime even shorter ones if they're redeyes.

3. Mesa CT will release you if it makes sense. Sometimes during peak travel periods they will go to a temporary no-release policy. The CP on duty can always release you for a family issue. SKW is probably more helpful.

4. I belive they hire DCA PFT pilots, but probably only because DAL requires them to, so they are few and far-between.

5. RJ: 32 Hours SIM, 4 Hour checkride, 4 hour LOFT, 25 hours IOE.

There are lots of ex-mesa FO's at SKW. They have a better QOL and recently they have had a fast upgrade window, so why not?

"I belive they hire DCA PFT pilots"

With all due respect, and I'm no fan of DCA, but it's not PFT. If they stay long enough to get the guaranteed interview, they have over Mesa street mins. As far as I can tell, Skywest isn't a big player in the DCA guaranteed interview scam.

If you are speaking of 250 hour pilots, you may be thinking of Flight Safety Academy direct track. Most of those guys go to ASA. They don't meet Skywest mins. As an aside, Skywest won't hire guys with "timebuilding" multi-time unless they have "good" PIC time to meet the mins. This is what I've been told directly from a line pilot who does interviews at Skywest.

DCA does require some CFI work to qualify for the interview, which is good. But the times are actually below Mesa street mins, 700 DCA vs. 1000 Mesa. And Mesa normally doesn't hire off the street unless you have ATP times.

SKW does hire a few low time DCA types, but I suspect they only do it because it's a required part of the package deal with Delta. I applaud SKW for holding the line on their standards, as much as they can. Mesa also has to take some DCA folks now that they do Delta.

"SKW does hire a few low time DCA types, but I suspect they only do it because it's a required part of the package deal with Delta"

I think your wrong. I'll check with my source.

Here is something he posted a couple of weeks ago at JC, I've asked him to come here and comment. This is a line guy who does interviews at Skywest.

"Rumor has it... There's to be a small newhire class in March, then possibly interviews April-May timeframe...

The 1000/100/100 minimums are hard minimums and will not be compromised"

It would be nice if that is the case.