Commute from DTW
 

Coming up on my RATP hours, RAH is looking like one of my first choices as a regional airline with EDV not hiring for a while. New to the regional game and nervous about the bad rep commuting gets, which I completely understand why. I would be commuting from DTW and just wondering if that would make issues too complex to make it work. Looks like new hires are getting CMH but correct me if I am wrong.

Thanks!

CMH is a not a good base to commute to as a junior FO. The vast majority of the trips start early and end late, which loses you a day at home on both ends. Somewhere east coast would be better.

Most of the flights DTW-EWR are Republic UAX flights so you’ll have priority unless you’re up against another Republic pilot, which there are a few commuting to DTW. I think people say most trips are commutable only on one end in EWR. I don’t bid for commutability.

How commutable are the LGA trips? Any idea on reserve time at LGA

LGA's a little better. LGA and EWR are commuter bases with their quirks. LGA tends to have a bit less commutable schedule from what I hear. EWR is delayed so freakin' often that your chances of missing an otherwise feasible commute are surprisingly high. Both are decent choices for a commuter.

Any LGA FOs chime in on reserve time?

What would be the best base for commuting too, meaning getting in on a early flight to your base then flying in the afternoon? Any base better than another for commuters?

ORD has been great to me. All commutable trips in my schedule unless I specifically ask for something else. I bid top third of the FO list though so YMMV.

You have three regionals with domiciles in Detroit and you want to commute?

There is a wait till fall or longer for EDV and my friends at skywest are leaving for other regionals.

It's funny how fast Skywest has fallen. You get worked to death there with the lowest pay in the industry. But hey, at least you can say you work at SkyWest.

EDV is an interesting case where if you wern't in the initial wave of applicants you were put on a rare Regional wait-list in this day and age. Getting to part 121 and starting building those hours is way more important then waiting for EDV pay at this moment.

From DTW you will have a few good options to commute. ORD, CMH, IND, PIT, PHL, LGA, EWR. If you are a commuter your first concern is finding a base where you will hold a line the soonest which will cut down on the time you would need to rent a crashpad.