Hello all long time reader first time poster. I am getting close to obtaining the ATP minimums and will be beginning to apply at regionals shortly. With all of the hiring going on what is the importance of PIC time for the majors? If I get my time as SIC do I still have a shot? I live in the Northeast and really don’t want to commute for a regional unless I have too.

 

This thread will be closed soon lol. But I personally think the PIC time will be a great asset on a resume especially when you'll be going against guys with thousands of SIC time. The guys at regionals that will never see the left seat take comfort in the few that have gotten to the majors with no PIC time.

 

Great question! Put it this way: PIC is NOT necessary if you are well-Connected, are a minority(sorry, but it's true), network well(LOTS and LOTS of a$$ kissing, or have extremely dumb luck.

 

This is pretty much the truth...no PIC needed for women, certain minorities, and the connected children of legacy employees. I've personally observed multiple data points confirming this first hand in the last few months...so it's still alive and well.

Average white guy...better look for an upgrade, and check-airman status.

 

121 Jet Time is much more valuable than PIC time in a turboprop or a small corporate jet. Sorry, but it is true. There are thousands of regional pilots with a couple thousand PIC 121 time in jets that are applying to the majors. They will get called before someone with PIC in a king air.

Currently, you have almost NO chance of getting hired with a major unless you have 121 jet time (PIC or SIC), or substantial military experience. I recently talked to a check airman that is on the hiring committee at a major, and he said that they would hire a FO at a regional if he had significant experience. His thought was that a major airline FO is going to be an FO for at least 8-10 years. They are going to train that FO to be a Captain the way that they want to. They don't care about how you did it at the regionals, they want you to do it their way.

 

@rick how many times have you flown with a black pilot or a woman? If you can count that on two hands I will be surprised. Tons of average white guys with no PIC are getting hired..... That's a fact as well

 

You absolutely do not have to have prior 121/military experience to get hired at a major. A friend of mine recently had some jet PIC flying a corporate jet with zero airline experience and got hired at USAirways. I will not disagree with the fact that having some 121 time with PIC helps.

 

LIES!

They are not interviewing without prior 121 time - haven't for more than a year.

 

Yeah, because 95% of the people in the cockpit of a major airline 757 are not two old white guys...

 

Here's the deal, pilots are convinced their resumes and applications are only going to be read over by Chuck Yeager and Buzz Aldrin, they don't realize that it goes to HR and these companies have formalized processes these days for hiring, rather than a dart-board or picking CPT America. So while PIC will help, there are plenty of other things that do, like being a check-pilot and anything else that will get you additional aviation experience or show that you are an all-around good guy for the company. If you do nothing but fly for a regional and have nothing but your 4 year degree, then yes, you might need a lot of PIC time.