I would think hiring should start happening in middle of 09. The majors will soon be needing pilot with massive retirements schedule over the next couple of years. I would bet by 2012 the majors will be running a windmill hiring operation. But whose to say, the economy will dictate the future of most of us. If that happens the regionals will go through a shortage like they did this past year. I also think some are fed up and leaving the industry all together.
keep your head up because better days are about 1 year away. But if one majors falls then forget it, then it will be time to look for a new career.

 

I'm trying to peace out, I don't feel as if Comair is going to survive, I got furloughed just after a year, and don't want to sit and wait for a "maybe" recall at best.

Good luck to all. I will miss it.

 

Currently I'm flight instructing again, I plan on staying with the flight school for a while, they're in the process of getting a 135 op certified too. When the industry comes around again, I'll see who is hiring and who isn't and go from there to determine which company looks best for me. Another factor is where all the dust will settle post merger and what the economy is doing. The recall is always there, but I'm not putting all my eggs in the Comair basket.

 

Where you workin?

 

My plan was to wait for recall for the summer schedule...but in light of the recent additional furloughs, I am sending out resumes now.

 

I not sure what I'm going to do yet. I applied at several places, no luck yet.

 

I am trying to get a new flying job which will allow me to hold on my senority number....I have interviews soon. if I get recalled cool, if not.... I have a new job (if I get it) I have always worked part time at the family bus, and will continue to.........Ideally I Would like to get recalled whether it is in summer or two years...but I am not counting on it at this point........ no more regionals for me. Onto bigger and better things.... with more stability

 

I am moving on. For some reason, I just dont see Comair surviving this post merger environment as well as the other DCI carriers. Even if Comair survives the merger, we wont see much if any growth... They are already stripping away at us, all the while Mesaba is getting our last 900. Actions speak louder than words. But hey, look on the bright side, our ground handling and MX rules.

 

On the bright side, I kinda feel like Comair did me a favor. They effectively saved me from working there for 10 years and possibly wasting my time. I feel bad for the 7-8 year guys that have to go back to the right seat with indefinite upgrade times now, and then if Comair goes under, thats 8 years at a regional wasted. I feel like the furlough saved me from wasting another year at Comair to just get kicked to the curb when they close the doors.

Clearly, I don't think Comair will be able to bounce back after this. To me it looks like they are slowly liquidating the airline, until no one will notice when they just pull the plug.

I'm going to look at applying to Mesaba or Compass (since they're the only other regionals hiring), and possibly flight instructing again, or if I'm lucky a descent corporate job, or move onto a different career all together, maybe ATC.

But giving up on the airlines is easier said then done. I recently did my recurrent MV/LOE and during it I realized how much I love the job. The company and the career kinda suck, but I really like job. I hope I can find something else that will make me just as happy.

Maybe I should change my name from HopefulHarry to DownerDebbie lol.

 

I think most of you have really good ideas. I like the idea of landing another job while holding on to your seniority number. It's probably useless, but you never know. Think of it this way, you are now ahead of the rest of the pilots at Comair in searching for a new job. Once this place tanks pickins are going to be extremely thin.