(Mods: feel free to move this thread if it belongs somewhere else)

In thinking about the latest wave of regional hiring, I got to thinking about the following question:

"Over the past decades, what have the average competitive requirements been for a new-hire FO at a regional airline?"

I graduated college in '94, and if I remember correctly, the regionals wanted 3000TT and 500ME as a minimum before they'd even talk to you. Ideally, 5000TT and 1000ME. Which was why I didn't take that route.

I recall in the hiring boom of '04--'07 they were taking guys with 250 hours. Then from '08--'11 almost nobody hired anyone. At least, that is my memory. And of course now everyone is hiring, but with 1500TT, 50--100ME as the min requirement.

So I'm interested...who can remember, as far back as possible, how the hiring minima have changed at the regionals over the years?

Looks like you just summarized it pretty well.

You got it. When hiring did pick up again in 2010 and 11, mins were in the 2000/200ME range but gradually fell off to 1000/100 then 500/50. However, leading up to August 2nd 2013 (ATP regs), airlines had to increase their mins again so they didnt hire a whole bunch of people who turned into pumpkins on the 2nd (there were a few cases).

But also remember there was a time when people had to pay for their training at the airlines. What a entitlement era we live in nowadays.

Ask around at the majors. A lot of pilots got hired after just having 2500 hrs in the 90's.
Now plenty of 10,000hr RJ captains hoping to move up.
Times are a changing

In the late 80's and early 90's, the regionals (we called them "the commuters") typically didn't look at anybody with less than an ATP and 2000 total time, and 500 multi-engine. I was the lowest time guy in my class in '91 with 2100 total time and 330 multi time, along with the ATP. This was for a Bae32 Jetstream class - 19 seats, 16,204 pound max gross takeoff weight airplane that AE operated under part 135 regs.

Yeah, in '94 that's about what I recall. Just out of curiosity:

• What was it like in the 60s, 70s, and 80s?
• How about the late 90s up through 9/11? Were they hiring 250-hour guys on September 10, 2001?
• And as I recall, 2001--2004 was a total disaster with zero hires and plenty of furloughs, so 'min quals' were kind of irrelevant.

Did I get that right?

These are the reasons I find it laughable the RAA is complaining about the new ATP requirement. What has changed so drastically in the past 20 years? Movement to the majors, quality of life, and of course pay.

Just out of curiosity, what was the typical amount of time a pilot would spend at a commuter before being hired on at a major?

Really? I don't recall ever hearing of that (besides those Gulfstream Air/ Eagle Jet Int'l guys.) What was the story?

For sure. Good buddy of mine flew Metroliners for Eagle in the late '80s. I believe his salary was the same as regional FOs make today...except that this was in the late 80s, and in real terms, that means wages today are 50% lower (yes, half) what they were in the late 80s.

There were also guys hired by legacy carriers with 250-300 hours, but now think regional pilots are not good enough for that job. I was on ones Jumpseat last month.