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Instructing vs. Regionals

Old 06-22-2013, 08:17 AM
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Originally Posted by BrewCity View Post
If you found the only air ambulance job willing to hire you with less than 4,000 hours I suggest you take it, but the fact that you're comparing an air ambulance job to entry-level turbine jobs like regional airlines and Ameriflight demonstrates a lack of understanding of how this industry works.
Lack of understanding of how this industry works? I wonder why they made me captain 7 years ago?

The fact is no regional will touch you without ATP minimums now. Part 135 though is a different ball game. Why not take a freight gig and get that PIC turbine?

I mentioned in a previous post that I personally know several people who skipped the regionals and are now in the left seat at Allegiant and the right seat at Jet Blue and SouthWest. A buddy of mine just got hired at Atlas. never flew a day at the regionals.

Part 135 flying opens the door to opportunities flying corporate and charter too. Fractionals prefer part 135 pilots over regional guys, and the majors have no problem hiring Citation, Lear, and Falcon drivers.
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Old 06-22-2013, 08:17 AM
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Originally Posted by SongMan View Post
Is the Regional life that much better than CFIing?

or is regional only better because it's a necessary path to major?
After your first year you will work less for more money at a regional airline. QOL is generally much better, except that you are home every day as a CFI.
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Old 06-22-2013, 08:26 AM
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Originally Posted by SongMan View Post
Is the Regional life that much better than CFIing?

or is regional only better because it's a necessary path to major?
As a CFI I could have made 30-35k/year for the rest of my life. Unfortunately that's all I would have made. No pay raises, no career advancement, nothing. Going to the regionals gave me a pay cut down to 20k for one year, but 2nd year pay had me back up around 30k which was about the same as what I made as a CFI. First year captains are making 50k+.

CFI jobs are just dead end jobs. You'll never get a pay raise and you'll never have opportunity to advance your career. People who say they can't take the pay cut to go to the regionals are nuts. By year 2 you'll get the same paycheck you're used to and by year 3 you'll be making more money. It's a good way to advance your career and paycheck.
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Old 06-22-2013, 09:34 AM
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Originally Posted by Ultralight View Post
Lack of understanding of how this industry works? I wonder why they made me captain 7 years ago?
Captain of what?

No one has said that wha you propose is impossible, just less likely compared to just going to the regionals. If you don't want to go, then don't.
Part 135 flying opens the door to opportunities flying corporate and charter too. Fractionals prefer part 135 pilots over regional guys, and the majors have no problem hiring Citation, Lear, and Falcon drivers.
So if you want to go to a fractional or corporate, then go do that. As to your second point I'd be interested to know what the actual percentages are of regional vs corp pilots getting hired.

It also bears mentioning that we've left out the different at getting hired at Allegiant, Spirit, etc, vs getting hired at United, Delta, etc. two totally different animals with totally different income expectations over a career. I guarantee you that the vast majority of pilots at the legacy carriers are going to be well connected regional pilots, with a good portion of those being check airman and instructors.

Not a single pilot King Air guy, which by the way there is nothing with being if that's what you want to be. But if that's what you're flying while waiting for Delta to call, you're doing it wrong.
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Old 06-22-2013, 10:13 AM
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Originally Posted by TallFlyer View Post
Captain of what?

Not a single pilot King Air guy, which by the way there is nothing with being if that's what you want to be. But if that's what you're flying while waiting for Delta to call, you're doing it wrong.
I have 6,000 hours, mostly part 121 and 2 type ratings. I also know lots of people on both sides, 135 and 121.
King Air guys get connected with other part 135 operators flying Lears, Falcons, Gulfstreams, Challengers etc, who in turn will most certainly be entertained by the likes of Delta.

Most people do go the regional route which is fine, but its not the only way. Turbine PIC is turbine PIC. You can wait 5 years to get it at a regional, or you can get hired at a 135 gig before you even have your ATP and get it right away.

Not trying to re-write the rule book here. I think the regionals suck and they take advantage of the general mentality that every pilot must do their time with them before they go on to bigger and better things.
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Old 06-22-2013, 10:18 AM
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Originally Posted by Ultralight View Post
Lack of understanding of how this industry works? I wonder why they made me captain 7 years ago?
If you think a guy can get hired at Ameriflight with 1,200 hours, work there for a year or two, and then get hired as an Air Ambulance PIC with 1,900 hours or so, then yes, you certainly demonstrate a lack of understanding.
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Old 06-22-2013, 10:27 AM
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Originally Posted by Ultralight View Post
I have 6,000 hours, mostly part 121 and 2 type ratings. I also know lots of people on both sides, 135 and 121.
King Air guys get connected with other part 135 operators flying Lears, Falcons, Gulfstreams, Challengers etc, who in turn will most certainly be entertained by the likes of Delta.

Most people do go the regional route which is fine, but its not the only way. Turbine PIC is turbine PIC. You can wait 5 years to get it at a regional, or you can get hired at a 135 gig before you even have your ATP and get it right away.

Not trying to re-write the rule book here. I think the regionals suck and they take advantage of the general mentality that every pilot must do their time with them before they go on to bigger and better things.
What do you mean tubine pic is turbine pic? Are you suggesting that having 1k pic in a caravan makes you eligible for delta, united, FedEx etc? When they say turbine pic they mean an airplane which requires a captain and an fo, of which youre the captain. King air "pic" time would be sketchy even since it can be flown single pilot.
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Old 06-22-2013, 10:27 AM
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Originally Posted by BrewCity View Post
If you think a guy can get hired at Ameriflight with 1,200 hours, work there for a year or two, and then get hired as an Air Ambulance PIC with 1,900 hours or so, then yes, you certainly demonstrate a lack of understanding.
The Air Ambulance gig I refereed to requires a minimum 3,000 hours of which 500 is single pilot IFR. (Like Amerflight if my lack of understanding isn't getting in the way again.)

$72,000 plus benefits starting pay. 7 days on 7 days off. I think someone could get there after 2 or 3 years at Amflight.

Could you get $72,000 plus turbine PIC and 7 days off at a time after 2 or 3 years at a regional? My lack of understanding tells me no. Maybe I'm wrong.
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Old 06-22-2013, 10:30 AM
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Originally Posted by fullflank View Post
What do you mean tubine pic is turbine pic? Are you suggesting that having 1k pic in a caravan makes you eligible for delta, united, FedEx etc? When they say turbine pic they mean an airplane which requires a captain and an fo, of which youre the captain. King air "pic" time would be sketchy even since it can be flown single pilot.
No. Amflight doesn't fly caravans.

I agree for turbine PIC to be worth something it has to be multi engine though.
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Old 06-22-2013, 10:41 AM
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If this is a conversation about what helps you get to a major rather than what is technically considered turbine pic its simple. All you need to do is read some major threads on here and see who is getting called. You will find that overwhelmingly its regional captains and military pilots. Yes I too have heard of a guy flying some 135 cj get hired, but thats 1 out of 100.
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