When I hear these new guys excited about Mesa and Psa because of a promised 1 or 2 year upgrade I can't help but to laugh .These recruiters have one job and that is to get asses in classes lol and they will tell you anything in order to get you to show up.If you believe all the bs most of them are selling I feel sorry for you.Never pick a regional based on a promise of quick upgrade. Most of us out here have seen people who have tried to upgrade just because they had the time and couldn't cut the mustard and were shown the door.It happens all the time.It takes more skill and knowledge to sit in that left seat than most of you will ever know.Im not questioning anyone's skill set or abilities but in my opinion unless you have at least 6 or 7 thousand hours min and at least 3 years in the Plane you shouldn't even think of upgrade, just my opinion. Just because you meet the minimum requirements dosent mean you're ready for the responsibility.
Pick a regional that offers you the best quality of life with little or no commute.When you have to commute to work on mainly full airplanes, constantly getting bumped out of the jumpseat by mainline guys (unless you're fortunate enough to commute on your own metal), having to get a crash pad, pay for your food and transportation to and from the crash pad all while making peanuts, it's no fun.Not to mention commuting to or from work on your off days.Alot of these guys don't know what they are getting themselves into.No commute is the way to go.Mesa and Psa are promising quick upgrades but have the worst contracts along with Gojet and RAH.Skywest and Expressjet have better contracts and working conditions compared to those mentioned but upgrade times are longer, even though it will probably go down later on.Pick a regional that will give you better working conditions and lifestyle just in case that 1 year upgrade turns into 4 or 5 years , as it often does,you won't be stuck with sub par pay and work rules.The only thing that's certain to happen in this business is the exact opposite of what you think will happen.Throw in the fact that Mainline owns alot of these aircraft where the upgrade is promised, I would be a little leary. Mainline always finds loopholes in contracts in order to move planes around to suit their needs and always will.Please keep that in mind.Also I would think twice about a carrier like Air Wis or Trans States that fly 100% fifty seaters with no definite fleet replacement plan in place.Everyone knows the fifty seaters are on the way out so that would concern me.If someone is willing to throw you into a million dollar jet that easy , it should tell you something. Choose wisely. Very Wisely

 

I'd spend less time telling people they aren't good enough and more time on writing coherent sentences.

 

6 or 7 thousand hours? If it takes you that long to cut it, you got problems.

 

Good advice.

One I was a chief pilot of a small airline operating 19 seaters and a low time FO came to me and said he got a job at a regional to fly a Saab 340 (30+ seater).

I told him he wasn't ready and should stick around, build some time, upgrade, and then move on to an even better job later. At that time regionals didn't hesitate to wash out substandard performers.

Sure enough he thought I was just giving him a line of BS to keep him around. He went, washed out of training, and came back to me all apologetic. I couldn't hire him back but I wrote a good letter for him and he found another job. He went to a place that furloughed him in a year. I lost track of him after that.

Decent guy and I hope he did well but my point is that the OP is absolutely correct that jumping the gun can hurt you sometimes more than it helps. A failed checkride follows your career these days. Think out your moves carefully.

 

edit: And....it's a fact that the regionals have dumbed down their performance standards to reduce failures. i.e. No circling restrictions

Flying a glass cockpit jet is a lot easier to qualify in than a turboprop with steam gauges and no autopilot. Just because you can pass a PC check after a couple thousand hours total flight time doesn't mean you are ready to be a captain.

 

While I agree with some of the sentiments here, I think you are wrong in respect to the finite numbers you are suggesting (three years), that measure if someone is ready for the left seat.
I don't know your background, but you could be projecting the amount of time that you personally felt comfortable transitioning. Obviously some people may catch on earlier than you and some may never at all...
To my second point- are you saying that if you can 'hack' it in the left seat after two or three years as an FO that these kinds of moves are beneficial?

Seems like you are making more of a dispositional argument here.
(Other than the warning against commuting- that is a practical tip I agree with completely)

 

Pretty sure in this market you can chase a quick upgrade then, if it doesn't work out, go find QOL elsewhere.

Better go tell all those Part 91 corporate pilots out there that they don't actually have enough hours to be captains.

 

What regional can I work for since you say Expressjet and Skywest are the only quality ones to work at. Neither of those give me good commuting options, and you say every other regional out there is bad to work for.

 

Really good advice. It's blunt and it's the truth. There's these guys on the right seat that are adding up their total time for upgrade that can't even talk on the radios yet. But with a shortage of qualified guys I'm sure companies will push guys through and there's going to be more and more on the job training with paying pax in the back.

 

Most airlines require 3000-3500 total time to upgrade. If your a cfi with 1500 hours that will take two years min at a 121 airline.

A two year proposed upgrade right now......well two years ago things were well completely opposite of his they are now in the regional sector.