Yet..... Wouldn't be surprised if SkyWest was flying the 175 in DFW in 2014.

 

Ameriflight has a big operation there. It's not 121 but if you can get into the 1900 or Metro then the pay isn't too bad and I hear the DFW reserve guy has a pretty cake sched. May not work for you but something to look into.

 

You say a base swap, that sounds like it's just up to chance that an FO would want to trade. Are there not monthly bids where you can bid for any base and it would be awarded by seniority?
Also, I'm in my mid 40's, and I'm assuming seniority in newhire classes is determined by age. What is the average age at the regionals? Thanks!
Maybe I'll get to choose my base if I'm the most senior in my class.

 

Chances of getting dfw as a new hire at AMF are pretty low.

 

Apply to spirit! Dfw is their junior base!

 

I have already

 

I love the 727. Hate to see them all disappear.

I would try Eagle despite what some people on here are saying that no regional will touch you since you're overqualified. I disagree with that. I just recently interviewed at Eagle with a guy who was furloughed from a cargo operator (probably in his mid 40's too) with a 747 type and MD11 type and he was offered the job. I also wouldn't try and read between the lines about what's going on at Eagle right now. No one has a crystal ball and knows for sure if Eagle will disappear in the near future or what will happen for that matter. You need a job that doesn't require you to commute and it appears DFW is a good possibility with Eagle. Worst case scenario - Eagle disappears in a couple of years then you can make a lateral move to another regional or to a legacy given your experience. From what I gather at the interview, it seems that chances of getting DFW are very good (or any base that Eagle has for that matter).

 

Chances of getting DFW if you go to American Eagle are very good.

You may not get it right away but you'll be able to get it in a few months.

Assignment choices are by seniority in class which would be oldest to youngest. If DFW is not available to your new hire class you'll need to make sure to chose any Embraer equipment as it's just a simple base transfer to DFW when the appropriate vacancy bid comes out. If you chose Canadair or JFK CRJ is the only equipment offered to your class it becomes more complicated and will take a displacement bid (to switch from CRJ to EMB) and possibly a separate vacancy bid to get to DFW. Displacement bids don't come out often. I think three or four times in the last seven years.

And of course you can read the Eagle threads for the other issues. But the above hopefully addresses trying to get to DFW.

 

Eagle has the most uncertainty out of all the regional at this time but all regionals have uncertainty. It's called whipsaw and the regional that seems good today might not be tomorrow. With that said, currently AE has a DFW base and it's the largest in the system and you could hold it as a junior pilot in a short amount of time if not right away. With that said, ORD used to be AE's biggest base and will likely be the smallest by years end so things aren't guaranteed.

With this deal management is shooting for the moon but there is one thing that they are trying to establish and that is a 12/4 year pay scale and cut the 401k match for the senior folks. In the proposal the company presented to Eagle it was stated that this isn't a take it or leave it deal but the 401k and the 12/4 pay scale were not negotiable. Many of the things they are asking on the proposal are worse than PSA and Pinnacle but management is very confident that they will get a deal done.

Currently Eagle has a furlough protection and if there is an excess of Pilots at AE then they will hold 60% of classes at AA. And no AAG can't just grow the US Air side and not hire at AA as the MOU that The unions at AA signed describes how the flying will be broken down. For those that say that management can just violate those clauses well they can just violate the new clauses they are offering you.

Another aspect it's the current state of the industry and availability of pilots. Can Eagle be shut down, absolutely but it will take years due to furlough protection and the flow agreements but more importantly the current market has regional airlines short staffed. If you think that RAH will be able to grow its pilot group you are sadly mistaken, SKW has Ejets coming in line but that will be at the expense of 50 seaters and we have to see what happens when Delta comes knocking on the door in 2015. It will be a struggle to grow Mesa and PSA overnight. Remember that besides United US Airways, a few at JetBlue and Spirit most of the other airlines are only conducting interviews for the most part, in the next few weeks we will see Delta, American and Southwest open their hiring doors while Frontier also continues to hire and the cargo boys likely to open their doors. A good portion of military guys have been hired and the 2014 hiring will likely be 2-3 more than this past year. Don't forget that regionals will suffer retirements as well, AE alone will have around 20 guys hit 65 in 2014.

I believe AE will end up with a 12/4 pay scale, less vacation for the senior guy and less 401k for the senior guys as well. The number of guaranteed airplanes will be larger than 60 as well.

Every regional has it's problems we happen to be on the spotlight the longest but we are just the tip of the iceberg, below us are other that are threading water well.

 

Go to your local Home Depot, apply, will probably get the job. Get into their management training program. My buddy lost his medical a few years back, went this route, and is now a regional store manager making really good money and great benefits. He also got to fly in the back of their corporate jet a few times to Atlanta for meetings.