Honesty time- any regional lifers?
01-30-2015 | 03:14 AM
#51
Line Holder
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 1,755
Likes: 6
Sitting on 10K+ hours and 6k+ TPIC isn't helpful. I don't think anyone goes to a regional intending to stay, but if the phone doesn't ring, then the phone doesn't ring. You do everything you can think of but sometimes the calls don't come.
If you came into this a bit late in the came and came from another system (I did) and you don't have those contacts from early on it's very hard to get them.
There are tons of folks I know getting hired who have the contacts from UND and ERAU and their military contacts, etc.
I just wish I could get an interview, let alone an offer. The thing working in the favor of the involuntary lifers (like myself) is that attrition at major airlines will grow to unsustainable levels over the next few years.
Nobody wants to be a lifer. It just happens.
If you came into this a bit late in the came and came from another system (I did) and you don't have those contacts from early on it's very hard to get them.
There are tons of folks I know getting hired who have the contacts from UND and ERAU and their military contacts, etc.
I just wish I could get an interview, let alone an offer. The thing working in the favor of the involuntary lifers (like myself) is that attrition at major airlines will grow to unsustainable levels over the next few years.
Nobody wants to be a lifer. It just happens.
01-30-2015 | 06:35 AM
#52
Banned
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 236
Likes: 0
The comment about the "hobbyist" being the new backbone of a regional is the absolute dumbest thing I ever heard on this forum. Most of the ones I know make at least 5x as much on the side than what the regional pays. The second that crew track gives them something they don't want, they quit. They quit when the fun wanes. If you want to retain them, well.. Your better off retaining all of your pilots with a higher QOL, and all that it entails.
01-30-2015 | 07:54 AM
#54
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 718
Likes: 0
From: ERJ, CA
The comment about the "hobbyist" being the new backbone of a regional is the absolute dumbest thing I ever heard on this forum. Most of the ones I know make at least 5x as much on the side than what the regional pays. The second that crew track gives them something they don't want, they quit. They quit when the fun wanes. If you want to retain them, well.. Your better off retaining all of your pilots with a higher QOL, and all that it entails.
01-30-2015 | 09:16 AM
#55
Prime Minister/Moderator
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 45,144
Likes: 801
From: Engines Turn or People Swim
The plain truth of the matter is that the regional airline business model is broken. The fleets for the regional airlines are shrinking and the economics do not line up. They have to bid on flying from each mainline partner and those RFPs are usually long term contracts. After about 4-5, years pilots start becoming a financial liability rather than an asset. This has been stated many times from the likes of J.O. and others. I was told that when I was at Great Lakes from the President of the Company. Add to that, we that came from regional backgrounds are going to try and reclaim as much flying back to mainline as possible. In a perfect world there would be no regional airlines. All of that flying would be at mainline!
As far as mainline management is concerned, the regional system has never worked better. Despite an impending shortage regional pilots are falling all over themselves to take paycuts. In the eyes of management we're all commodity-widgets, no product differentiation at all (Ok well there was that whole colgan thing), so why not just buy the cheapest widgets?
01-30-2015 | 09:40 AM
#56
Line Holder
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 97
Likes: 0
The comment about the "hobbyist" being the new backbone of a regional is the absolute dumbest thing I ever heard on this forum. Most of the ones I know make at least 5x as much on the side than what the regional pays. The second that crew track gives them something they don't want, they quit. They quit when the fun wanes. If you want to retain them, well.. Your better off retaining all of your pilots with a higher QOL, and all that it entails.
01-30-2015 | 10:22 AM
#57
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 718
Likes: 0
From: ERJ, CA
I've known guys running trucking business, tax preparing, pool cleaning, car customizing and real estate. One of these guys was on his phone as soon as we dropped the brake to close the door. Another worked on his laptop the whole time we were airborne (this was before, overflew crew). it was great for new FO, because I got to fly every leg. SHTF when the gear didn't come down---and he was still doing paper work!
01-30-2015 | 10:35 AM
#58
Banned
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 2,137
Likes: 0
01-30-2015 | 05:33 PM
#59
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 1,054
Likes: 0
So it seems that in today's threads in regards to regionals...its a...get in...do the time and get out kind of thing with everyone. Obviously more money is a nice thing too by going to the big leagues...but how many regional pilots just love flying and are totally content with making a full career with a regional only?
01-30-2015 | 07:33 PM
#60
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 2,035
Likes: 0
Regionals were always suppliers to their major partners. The only difference between now and then was that 2002-2006 was the boom of the regional airline industry. 12-24 month upgrades everywhere (except Eagle due to flowbacks). Your check airman friend was enjoying all of that in 2006 at a 100% expense of furloughed mainline pilots. Now that the tables have turned...
Regional/commuters were not "always suppliers to their major partners", apparently you're just to new to the industry to know any better.
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