So you've had job offers from majors?

 

Looks like you followed my lead. H-46s to 46/C-12 at NTD. TAR at VR-48/56 then airline and SAR at VR-61. Double dipping airline/Navy pension checks. Life is good!


Not commuting is the best. Commuted my entire airline career. Now flying home based 121 supplemental cargo.

 

Just saw a co-pilot gig in San Diego in Lears for L-3.. Probably towing drones, and doing attack profiles on the ships.. also.. QualComm was looking.. https://jobs.qualcomm.com/public/job...381&src=indeed

 

I had a friend or two at United that were pretty high up.. They offered to hand carry a resume into the CP, but then followed up by saying they hated their job?? So I want to do a turn at home, not commute, and see what happens with a corporate gig or two that may come up. The right corporate deal is great..

 

The point was, NOT until one has a CJO from an employer are they an "option".

Until that point comes, you're simply an option to THEM, one of thousands. And keep in mind, there's a metric crap-ton of dudes that know people, high up people, STILL waiting on a call/email.

Commuting, I'm on a decade and a half of it. Once one gets past the initial reserve stint, community at a major/legacy ISN'T like commuting at a regional.

Even reserve at a major/legacy isn't "that bad" if they've got a decent long call provision and staffing. Equating to an additional 2-3-4 days a month at home, depending. I knew some JFK 75 FO's that flew on a average 5-6 days a month. Spent the rest of if at home on long call. Rarely, if ever converted to SC. Is that the norm? Nope, buts possible depending on base/seat/category.

A regional can often entail 5 commutes in a single bid period, with 19-20 working days. Sometimes with only 2 days off between trips. OR 3, but sometimes not one (or TWO) end commutable.

It's not an "absolute", but usually even a junior line at a major/legacy can have 14-15 days off. And if one can hold the higher credit trips/IDs/pairings/patterns/sequences, it can mean only 3 commutes in a bid period.

As mentioned, once one embraces the suck of commuting, 3 (sometimes 4 depending) commutes in a bid period is manageable.

 

Yeah John.. I got you.. Nothing is certain.. this one kind of was.. The point I was making, was that at 47, I have no desire for the majors... How that applies to this thread, is that the regionals serve as a great tool, or later career option for an older pilot, and not everyone has to have their sights set on Delta or United like the younger crowd rushing through..

 

To the poster that mentioned commuting out of MEM, myself along with about 20 other guys of every airline tail out there regularly commute out of Memphis to about every base you can think of!!! I had the same thought as you, you never realize how many other airline pilots live near you till you start commuting. Plus, anything out of Memphis is usually full or weight restricted, that place is a ghost town with the only few flights always packed. Come join the party!!!

 

Are you guys checking the FedEx flights as well?

 

Are you trying to get a ride on company metal? Im looking at PSA and I think they handle a lot of the flights to where I need to go. Hoping the jumpseating prioroty would help out.

 

ALWAYS an option. But keep in mind, FedEx has a crapton of commuters themselves. Certain places can their JS's full of their own people, or simply the offline that booked first, whatever.