Hey there everyone, new guy here in the forums. Quick question for anyone at Eagle...

Does anyone know the current scoop with American Eagle's hiring?
I'm seeing on their website that they want 500TT/100ME, but are accepting applications with 400TT/50ME.
Have they been known to reduce total time requirements for higher multi time or an RJ standards course? I'm in ATP's programme, finishing in about a month with around 250TT/135ME, plus the CRJ-200 standards course, ATP written, FCC license, etc.. Might that count for anything?

Thanks for the help!

Not hiring right now at all...

There are rumors of hiring into a pool soon with no palpable timeline as to when classes might start. Those who were hired with lower than 500TT/100ME were hired when Eagle was disparate for applicants and was willing to pay for RJ courses and such to get people on property. Right now, I would be willing to say with some confidence that minimums will be much higher when hiring does occur.

My sense is that once hiring does continue (February/March is a VERY optimistic timeframe) that competitive minimums will be more around 1000 with so many regionals furloughing and last year's class of pilots having had a year to fly outside 121. That being said, if Eagle is hiring, chances are that the rest of the industry would be recovering as well so who really knows. I have heard from checkairmen and schoolhouse folks that the RJ program was good but that newhires with no real-world experience (having only ever flown under the 'training' umbrella, $100 hamburgers and such are real-world) had a lot of difficulty with actual line flying.

Hate to burst your bubble but I think about the only airlines hiring are Pinnacle and Mesaba but even those I'm not sure about (but I am sure somebody will correct me ). Cheers.

It will allow you to be all set up for some time instructing. You would have been hard presses to find a job with 250TT before the fall out, now there is no chance. Even the places that are hiring want 1000TT min and those are just the minumums. There are furloughed pilots with 2000+TT with real CRJ 200 time, not just a standards course.

Seriously, no chance...sorry to be the bearer of bad news. Not to be a jerk but I do have to say as well, with 250 hours you should be more concerned with developing your pilot skills as an instructor and realize you have a lot to learn before hopping into a jet.

Thanks for the input, guys. I appreciate it. Time to start looking for CFI jobs!

Hey Juice,

They got internet in prison???

Commercial gigs might not be a bad idea either, until a steady CFI job comes around.
Traffic reporting is a great way to build time quickly.

Thanks DeadHead. It's funny I was just having this conversation with a friend. He smugly asked "So you thought you wouldn't have to CFI, eh?" to which I responded, "Well I always knew it was a distinct possibility, but I've been trying to avoid it like the plague." I know it's probably going to be the best route to a regional. The big attraction with Eagle is that it brings me back to Chicago, where I was based when I was a f/a for UAL. I'd love to do a commercial gig, but I wouldn't even know where to start looking.

There are better ways to get to ORD...SKW or Republic.

If Republic was hiring....

As others have said there is a HUGE possibility that you will need to instruct. Not only will you need to instruct but you will need to instruct for a while. I think for the average regional if and when they start hiring 1000+TT with 200+ multi will be the absolute bare mins to be considered and even then to get hired you would probably need some good internal recs. Competitive will probably be closer to 2000TT with 500-1000ME and 500+turbine. There are many furloughed 121 guys looking for jobs including many guys at the majors.

It is a good thing and in a sense it restores the balance back to aviation. Pilots will instruct for 1000 or so dual given and flight school will keep their instructors and students will not have their CFIs bail out when they get their first gig. Secondly, planes and operations that probably should have a few thousand hours to be there will now have pilots with a few thousand hours doing the job. Instructing was a great time which I really enjoyed and was paid much better than I am now. The satisfaction of seeing my students grasp a concept because of something I did was very rewarding. I can tell when I fly with someone who did not instruct.