XJT... Hands down. So far down, we have nowhere to go but up!

If you want to end up at SWA or any other major, try to stay away from 91/135 flying. Like you I want to get a job with a good major airline.
In 2008, I was FO at RAH and after furlough chose not to take recall, instead I was already in left seat flying a Jetstream 32 for a 135 company. At that time 1000TPIC was important, so I thought I was chasing the right carrot. Fast forward a decade and in a job fair I heard from swa recruiter that regional FO is more attractive to them then turboprop guy with several thousand of TPIC 135. I chose wrong. They can choose whichever way they see fit - you can't, so regionals are safer bet. Also, think of it this way, in 121 you will build a network of connections that potentially will help you with your dream job. 91/135 you will also be building connections but they rarely lead to 121 majors. Just my humble .02. Good luck with your ratings and future employment.

Yeah, any 91/135 flying I do would be purely in aid of getting to a regional. I figure having some turbine time mixed in with my CFI hours might help me land that first 121 job, but if it adds six months to the process because I'm not flying as much, it won't be worth it.

Still a lot of open questions that won't really be answered until I get there, but I feel like the industry is flexible enough right now that I don't necessarily have to commit to a specific path yet.

Gotta disagree with 121>135. PIC is PIC. 121 guys in my class had more total time than the 3 corporate guys so I would say 135>121 but let’s just say it’s equal. I believe being all 91/135 helped me stand out at the interview since they seemed interested in my unique experiences. There is no doubt the 121 guys have the easiest transition but after a year on the line it’s all the same. This belief is pretty popular even a SWA recruiter told me to apply at Sky West to be competitive. That was the worst advise I’ve been given in my professional career. Quit my 150k job for an FO position at a regional. A year later I was hired. The gravy 91 job may not be the best route since some guys fly <200hrs year and get lazy sitting around. Many of my friends have this problem.

Not sure I agree. I know many pilots flying for swa/majors without any 121 experience, myself included.

I had flown 121 pre 9/11. For most of the decade prior to getting hired at SW though, it was all part 91 in a light jet. Although the flight time totals were relatively low, the recruiters loved the stories of unique challenges and customer service “saves” that are the corporate pilot’s bread and butter.

I think that in the sea of blue suits and red ties all with identical RJ pilot background, a corporate pilot can stand out from the crowd - especially at an airline like SWA that puts such a heavy emphasis on customer service.


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Has SWA actually hired anyone (yet) with 0 TPIC time?

Yes. I was the only one in my class without but I know several here without pic time.

That's great! Congrats! How were you able to get in? Internal recs? Job fair?

I was flying a 737 with my previous airline and attended OBAP last August. I think the previous experience helped tip the scale but from my understanding face time is key.