Question for Skywest pilots
 

Be honest now. Don't exagerate.

What are RJ upgrade times running?
Do you expect an MKE domicile?

How many awac FO's are leaving for skywest? My guess is quite a few in the coming months. It's just a better company with more vision. Sometimes I kick myself for turning down the walk-in that my friend was gonna do....

I am too close to the upgrade at AWAC to just up and leave. But it is definitely on my mind.

Just looking for honest answers.

But if somebody has some commentary (objective please) about the good and less good points of being at Skywest I would love to hear it.

You're both senior to me...good luck!:D

When I was at SYX, the talk around campus was Midwest wanted to greatly increase flying from MCI. I'm confident MKE and MCI will become domiciles due to how Midwest operates. Everything, and I do mean everything, that Midwest flies goes through MKE.

Under the new contract, Skywest can fly up to 25 planes in Midwest livery. I would expect Skyway 1900's to be retired once the EAS contracts are fufilled and the DoJets to replace them. The Skywest CRJ's would be used for new city-pairs and to replace the DoJets on their current routes.

I guess time will tell what truly happens.

You should be more concerned that "senior" FO's are leaving to be "junior" FO's at the bottom of another 121 carriers list...

If senior FO's really want to chase an upgrade elsewhere, more power to them. I, for one, will not be going anywhere. The grass is not always greener on the other side. I think its sad that we decide on who the "good" regionals are based solely on who at this moment has the 6month upgrade. That can, and WILL change. The doom and gloom about us not winning any RFP's , while dissapointing, is NOT THE END OF THE WORLD. There will be more, we are NOT losing ANY flying, and there will be more RFP's. Also remember that everything major that has happened here has NOT been rumored, not even one bit. So for you guys that think Skywest is the holy grail....SEEYA, have fun chasing that elusive upgrade!

Wake up and smell the roses. I'm not talking about chasing an upgrade. I'm talking about working for a company with a larger overall "picture" of where they want to be in 5, 10, 20 years. AWAC is a private company (for now, who knows how long it will stay that way) with a different agenda then Skywest, Republic, etc. If AWAC can't win an RFP in their own state, do you honestly think that they can win others? I don't. They need to adapt, and look for other ways to increase their flying, either freight, charter, etc and they don't seem to be doing that. They are doing well with ground handling, I just wish they would have the same success with the flying side of their operations.

Most people at SKW came for geography or QOL...the current upgrade time is more of a bonus. Remember the folks who are upgrading right now arrived at SKW when DAL was roaring headlong into bankruptcy, and there were legitimate fears that they were loosing money so fast that they would blow right through ch.11 and into ch.7 liquidation...lots of uncertainty then. And nobody had heard of midwest, NWA was not BK, USAir was talking merger with cactus so there weren't obvious growth opportunities yet.

To answer the original question CRJ upgrade is about 1y8m, and could go under a year in 2007. You need 2500 TT, 1000 turbine crew, and ICAO ATP mins so only folks with previous experience will qualify for the quick upgrade. Note: There will be many folks senior to you who do not have the hours or chose not to upgrade right away for QOL reasons...you will get the pay and the PIC, but you will stay low relative seniority for a good while as people trickle in on top of you down the line. MKE would be a very junior base though.

I am very comfortable with my present QOL and will not make a lateral move in hopes of chasing a fast upgrade. Six months ago if I could have been hired by RAH and based in IND or SDF (near home), I'd have jumped on it...now is a much different situation for me.

I cannot understand why any FO at AWAC with more than a year seniority would be willing to go to the bottom of a 2600 pilot seniority list unless it was strictly for QOL purposes. If that's the way you are leaning, more power to you and I wish you well...my crystal ball is broken and I'm not much of a gambler, but always remember past results are not indicative of future performance.