Regional hiring preferences
 

Okay,
Here's another set of questions on regional airline hiring from a new member to the forum. I'm currently a military helo pilot with about 3 years left on my initial contract and am working on building multi-time. I have the Rotary Commercial/Instrument tags with about 1000 hoursTT and some fixed wing time (about 80 hrs T-34 and 70 hrs 172). I've been reading the posts on this site and it seems to have a lot of good info as well as a variety of insights, but I have a few questions that I can't get straight answers on:

1) Does ANY multi-eng time count or does it have to be PIC?

2) Do regionals prefer formal "glass" training/certification or is my current platform, that is glass, sufficient.

3) a. Does being an instructor have any weight/impact on hiring? b. Does that instructor time have to be formal as in an instructor tour or does being an aircraft commander suffice since it is in an instructor capacity getting the co-pilots their quals?

4) Do I have to get my fixed wing SEL rating first, and then get a MEL rating or can I just get my fixed wing rating AND MEL rating all in a multi-eng aircraft? (Hope that made sense).

5) Which airline would be a good starting point given the above, and assuming I meet or exceed the multi-minimums at that point?

I am trying to get a better sense of the regional airline world since that's what I'd probably be qualified for initially once I get my multi-eng time. Any information you all may have would be very helpful in determining my next tour as well as gain insight to regional hiring preferences.
Thanks for your time and effort. Hope I can answer questions others may have in the future also.

Sierra - I've been out of the regional game a while but I do know that you will need some more fixed wing time. Your PIC helo should help and you can get your ATP MEL (or Comm) MEL without ever getting a SEL rating. Try and beg some C 12 time somewhere if that's possible. Helos are cool and I know they take a lot of skill to fly but they have never had the respect with the airlines that they deserve. I used to have a lot of ex-army CWOs flying with me at the regional to build some f/w time.

SkyWest uses a conversion factor for the rotor time which would allow a pilot to get hired with as little as 250 hours fixed wing time. I believe it allows a credit of 3/1 or 4/1 for the rotor time in order to meet the 1000 hour minimum. Ie 1800 hours of rotor would equate to 600 hours of fixed wing. I don't believe they'll accept anything other than fixed wing for the 100 hours multi. The multi time doesn't need to be PIC, so the time that you use towards either the ATP or Comm MEL counts. Though I don't have any experience with them you may want to check with a school like ATP. Do you have to do anything extra for the instrument rating?

Don't about "glass training" or instructor time. Many of the regional new hires haven't seen anything more sophisticated that a 30 year old Cessna or Piper.

1. At the regional level multi time is just multi time.

2. Regionals usually get pilots coming from "six-packs" if you have any glass experience they might like ya.

3. I wouldnt say so.

4. Yes you can get your MEL first but look up the regs and do the math. Im not sure but Im betting if you get SEL first it could be cheaper.

5. Your guess is as good as mine. One week its this airline the next week its another. If you have the time you might want to check out a level higher than the regionals.

Jumpstarting my career
 

:confused: Hello everybody, I know that maybe this post is not the most appropriate for this thread, but didn’t know where else to put it. I’m an air traffic controller with the army close to getting my college diploma and I’m a new pilot, hoping to start a career in aviation as a pilot. I have logged close to 200 hours on single eng so far, now my question is, from this point on what would be my best choice to continue my career. To be honest I’ve been giving the delta connections academy a lot of thought, but have no input on the academy. is this a right choice, or is there a better one? What would you experienced pilots out there recommend in order for me to hopefully jumpstart my career and get a decent job? I would really appreciate any advices and comments.:confused:

Thank you,


Jose Velasco
SGT, USA

Reuters
Judge rejects Comair motion on voiding union pact
Wed Apr 26, 2006 9:43 PM ET

NEW YORK, April 26 (Reuters) - A U.S. bankruptcy court judge on Wednesday rejected a motion by regional carrier Comair to void its contract with its flight attendants union, and ordered the two sides to resume negotiations.

Comair, a subsidiary of bankrupt Delta Air Lines Inc. (DALRQ.PK: Quote, Profile, Research), did not bargain in good faith in contract negotiations with its 970 flight attendants, as required by U.S. bankruptcy laws, Judge Adlai Hardin wrote in his ruling.

Comair, which like Delta is operating under bankruptcy protection from creditors, said it asked the flight attendants to concede $8.9 million as part of the company's $42 million cost-cutting program.

Hardin noted that Comair called this amount "non-negotiable."

"With rare exceptions not present here, true negotiation necessarily requires compromise in each side's bargaining positions," he wrote. "When one side presents a non-negotiable, take-it-or-leave-it proposal, negotiation stalls because there is nothing of substance to bargain for when one side must bid against itself."

The order jeopardizes Comair's survival, President Fred Buttrell wrote in a memo to employees.

"Without an agreement from our flight attendants, our restructuring plan and flying operation are likely to fail," he wrote.

Comair filed for bankruptcy along with Delta in September. The company has agreements with its pilots' and mechanics' unions and has said deals with the other two unions are contingent upon an agreement with the flight attendants.

The flight attendants' union has argued that the airline's demands for cuts are not justified and place too large a burden on its members.

The ruling "shows that the court agrees that we were being asked to shoulder onerous and unreasonable cuts," said Connie Slayback, president of Teamsters Local 513 in Cincinnati.

"We are still willing to do our fair share in response to the Delta Comair bankruptcy and will return to the bargaining table when the company agrees to bargain in good faith," Slayback said.
~~~

Interesting. Forgive my ignorance, but has a judge stepped up like this to a company trying to void its contracts in Ch. 11 before? If more do, will companies become any more reluctant to use bankruptcy as a means of forcing concessions from their employees?

It depends what ratings you have already or not. If you got most of them then Id finnish up at a local FBO for reasonable prices then instruct at a 141 school. If you need to gett everything still then I would think baout a flight school. I would be worried about going to DCA since its owned by delta and their near future isnt exactly certain.

PUNKPILOT48, thank you so much for the reply. Here is what I got, I have a commercial w instrument rating but is foreign....so I applied for the FAA certificate and got PPL. Now I got to work up to what I had. My idea was to fly in korea C-172 at Osan AFB for as long as I was stationed here, so I can build hours, after that go back to the states and probably get into a flight school or FBO, Now anybody knows of any good ones in the Dallas, Texas area? Im kind of new in the area...hehehe....or anywhere else for that matter, just any suggestions would be greatly apreciated.

cactusmike and Utah,

Thanks for the replys. They were very helpful. I'll definitely look into C-12s.

I know I still have a few years to build the multi-time, but I want to be in a good position re: hours/mins when the time comes instead of being behind the power curve.