regional job on furlough?
 

I am currently furloughed from a cargo airline. There is a possibility of recall in the future. Could happen soon. Probably happen within two years. Might not happen at all.

I would like to keep flying if I can, and the regional airlines are picking up pilots left an right. I am not marketable to places like Atlas or Spirit (apps are in though) so the regionals are my only option.

Are there pilots out there that do this? Are there regional airlines out there that welcome furloughed pilots knowing that they may return someday? Is this generally frowned upon? I have interviews set up with ExpressJet and Eagle. Does anyone have any specifics on these two carriers?

Thanks

You can pretty much always count on getting hired by a regional as a last resort. If one is'nt hiring at the moment just try another,you just need to account for the low pay but it will keep you in the air and current. Alot of people say just go with Jetblue or Spirit, but they actually not that easy to get on with at the current time. And when they do open application windows they get flooded with resumes.

Wouldn't you have to give up your seniority at your current cargo company?

If he's getting furloughed, I'm doubting he has much seniority to worry about. I'm furloughed as well, and have already had interviews at one regional and one Part 135 carrier, neither cared about the furlough. Just don't go there and say, "I think my company will be calling us back very soon and I can't wait to get the call, then I'm so outta here!"

SKW says that you have to be willing to resign your seniority at your previous employer but I don't now that they enforce it. They never followed up with me...but I had a mesa number, they might be more stringent with someone who has a number they might actually want to return to. Our UAL furloughs keep their number, but that's part of the contract with UAL.

I think he means not just give up seniority, but resign and give up the recall rights. Yes, some will require you to do this, and you may also be held to a training contract, sometimes up to 2-years. If you can find a regional that doesn't have the training contract and will not require you to give up your recall rights, you'd probably be set. Well, as long as you are willing to work for peanut wages and terrible work rules, of course. When recalled, it is that airlines job to get your current, so it only matters if you trying to stay current for a better job or just really really want to be in the air.

Head on over to TSA

They're hiring and honestly don't care if you're headed elsewhere. It's a decent place to chill out and collect a check while flying.

Make sure you bid IAD since it's the only base worth commuting to.

Hope that helps bro!

If you don't mind me asking, who are you furloughed from?

apply to any regional that is hiring, one will call for sure.

The airlines know you will leave as soon as you get called back, so they know they're going to pay you miserable commuter-airline F/O wages for the next 2 or 3 years, then you'll leave. You're not going to stick around for a captain spot and make a little more money....

and you stay current

everybody wins, I'm sure a couple will call you

Why would you tell them you are on furlough instead of saying you simply left? This moronic question pops up here weekly. First of all, there is no way for a future employer HR department to get more info other than employment dates and in aviation, safety related records. Second of all, it blows my mind the one-way courtesy which flows from pilots to regional airlines.