Outlook for flying helos, at least at PHI or other similar operations:

Better money out of the gate. Tipover point is about 2-5 years where the guys at a major catch up, depending on how bad 1st year pay is at the major.

Regionals, if you go there, and never go major, probably about the same 10 year earnings, if you make Captain at the 4-6 year mark.

Yeah, you need a butt-ton of Turbine Helo time to have a fighting chance at getting on with PHI or similar. I'm in the weird spot where I have borderline mins for both.

@Ski, every major or decent regional does the "helo hours don't count" or "helo hours not good beyond x hours, or discounted at x rate" so it's kind of a battle across the board for guys with substantial helo time.

For those not familiar, last I saw for the percentages military pilots of each branch that is helos is about:
Navy 55%
USMC 67% (includes tiltrotor)
USCG 75%
USAF 5% (included tiltrotor)

So there are a bunch of guys with a ton of military time, that unless they got a training command or station pilot tour, are boxed out of the majors without massive civil time building.

I'm not sure on the Army percentage, but I'd be shocked if it was under 80% helos.

I'm glad someone "might" agree with this.

SkyWest Airlines is more than likely, net, losing planes this year.

Over the next few years, 100+ airplanes are scheduled to leave the airline. Of course, they could find homes for these, but doubtful it will be every single airframe. SkyWest is at its most pilots it will ever be, so when SkyWest shrinks, upgrade becomes non existent.

The only way this airline changes if they blow up the current system and changes the "way its always been done". Many ways to do this, but none will fly with the senior group dampening the company as a whole.

It may shrink, but in the long term it may also grow. Right now looking at about 326 aircraft. Park all the 50 seaters and you're down to about 180 frames. Now toss in 100 175 and you're right back up to 280, with another 100 175-e2 in the pipeline, 200 options, and the 100MRJ. Now all these aircraft on order may never come to fruition but it certainly is possible growth is on the horizon, especially as the smaller regionals start to fold.

Hate when that happens..

I hope a bunch go over. Nothing like a little competitive pressure to drive up compensation and benefits. Unless of course you're from the strange dimension that PSA and Pinnacle, err, Endeavor hail from. The laws of free market economics evidently don't apply there. ;)

They'll never see that many aircraft. The amount of 70 seaters will soon be maxed out at delta and united and the only way for that to change would be a change of scope. There's no way that is happening in the next decade without some sort of financial meltdown.

SKW no swiping!

Swiper No Swiping - YouTube

Jet = True!
Bro = Back in July, you're right but not anymore. Was in September 2nd class and still waiting for PDX on the BRO with one ahead of me. Though that could change any time, but for the time being, PDX is a tough one.

....said every pilot in the last decade

Excellent point

True, but I'm betting on the fact that mainline pilots have learned from their past mistakes, as you saw with united and delta restricting scope in new cotracts. With the amount of retirements creating steady movement, I see (and hope) scope going the other way.

Which I agree with. However, I don't think the regionals will see a shrinkage in larger aircraft.

SKW trying to swipe pilots from RAH
 

I received a response from Jeremy. The email was legitimate.