One big factor in the success or failure of a DEC is aircraft type. If a person has been flying one type of aircraft for several years for company A, then moves to company B to upgrade on the same plane, then I would say the success chance is very high as all they really have to do is adapt to the new company's procedures. It is more difficult (although many people have done it successfully) to move from one type of airplane as an FO and upgrade on a completely different type. Probably the most difficult is moving from prop to jet or vice versa. In that case I'd say it'd be highly beneficial to get some right seat time first just to learn the new plane.

Guys at mainline do this all the time. You can be right seat of an airbus for years then upgrade to the -88 or 737 or some other completely different airplane and have no problems. Granted the company procedures will all be the same, just various nuances for different aircraft types.

 

You realize you just negated your original argument. I will concede that as a DEC it is WAY easier if you've been a CA on that model A/C.

 

Opinion rant
ALPA national did exactly that in the summer of 2013. Sent a proclamation of no whipsaw and no B scale.
Then a few months later national signed the whipsaw concessionary B scale TA at PSA and all the other pilot groups that had voted no - some several times - had to play the game again since national backed out on their promise

 

Not completely because they are staying with the same company as far as general philosophy for policies and procedures so that eases the jump between aircraft. One of the issues that DEC's had coming through at PSA was trying to dump their "other airline" habits, callouts, etc. Most guys were sharp and worked through it fine, while others had the mentality that their old way was best and they struggled much more.

 

In my experience changing planes and changing airlines is not that difficult as long as you put in the time to read the manuals and study hard during training. I went from being an ATR Captain at one airline to a 737 FO (my first jet) at another to a direct entry Captain at yet another airline. It was a little intimidating having my first flight in the aircraft in the left seat out of DCA departing from runway 01, but I did it and was signed off right at the minimum 25 hr required.

I would normally not support DEC hiring but the airline I'm currently working for grew so quickly that they needed Captains and didn't have FO's that wanted to upgrade or that were qualified. Recently there have been rumors, most likely unfounded, that they may hire DEC's again, this time because they need Captains but don't want to upgrade because they can't hire FO's. This is absolutely wrong and I don't support DEC's bypassing eligible FO's that want to upgrade.

The ALPA is bad argument is probably best for another thread as it doesn't relate directly to DEC's. However, I will voice my opinion. ALPA representing the regionals and the majors is a definite conflict of interest. There really should be one union that represents only the regionals and pushes for a standard contract across all regional airlines. With that said I'd like to see the demise of the regional industry as a whole. CRJ-700/900 and EMB-170/175's should be mainline birds. It really upsets me seeing single type certificate aircraft like the 170/190 being flown with one at the regional airlines and one at mainline.

 

Didn't United and/or DAL have a CRJ-700 payscale at some point? Of course, nobody voted to bring the aircraft on property. I can't see too many major guys (plenty of whom just came from the regionals) voting to go back to the Climb Restricted Jet* anytime soon.


*Admittedly, this does not apply to the -700. Saw 5,100 fpm this morning out of SFO

 

There are guys out there with prior (and extremely recent) CA 121 time jumping to another regional with different AC, bidding CA, and failing out.

All I can say is that if I were in that situation, I would make damn sure I was ready before updating my permanent bid

 

Its all a god damn gamble, from the first day you start your private pilots license until your last check ride or medical.

 

Staying in shape, knowing your BP, knowing material before an oral/checkride is hardly a gamble.

 

Knew a guy who went in for a medical and found out his kidneys were failing. Medical pulled, put on the transplant list, and out of a job, not to mention found out his life was in danger all within a week. Rough.