Congrats on Billings!

SIC is allowed to be logged so long as there is the completion of a 135.293 checkride. Some EAS cities put in their contracts with 135 operators serving them that the aircraft will be flown with two pilots. There are a few places out there like Seaport and uh... Pac... Pac... *takes a shot of whiskey* Pacific Wings that'll hire with 400-500 hours TT as SIC. One thing about the single pilot plane SIC time, as I myself have a logbook full of it, that time is worthless without proof of the 135.293 paperwork and checkride. There have been instances in the past of pilots showing up to interviews with their logbooks and no proof the time logged was legal and being sent home.

Cape Air has bridge programs with universities to get hired as an SIC/Intern but I know from conversations (not fact just conversation) with my friends flying out of STL that the mins to to get hired now are solid at 1000TT for everyone else.

FO's at Cape don't take away seats from paying passengers unless they're required for the flight. Otherwise they're positive space. If the flights full the FO gets bumped not the pax.

SIC's are required in our 135 op specs, with the autopilot making an exemption to the rule. Therefore SIC can be logged regardless of the autopilot.

They've hired people with real low time in the past but it's not the norm. The Gateway program with jetBlue is probably the best way to go if your son went to an AABI school and did his training there.

I don't think you understand what positive space means. I know they get bumped, hence the "glorified non-rev" remark. Does wonders for ones self-esteem as a professional pilot to get left behind in Ogdensburg, NY because they had to squeeze on a runner.

I have very mixed feelings about the JetBlue gateway program. Suffice it to say it's a good thing for management of both companies. In today's hiring environment, there are certainly other options for aspiring pilots.

Positive space would be closest analogy to how the FO's work. They're scheduled a seat on the flight, if a paying passenger shows up they get bumped, if a non-rev shows up they don't.

I was simply addressing your comment about not hiring too many of them as it would "take away seats from passengers" which is not the case.

There's lots of paths people can take, but the jetBlue gateway gets pilots into a major a lot faster than most regionals sitting with 6+ year upgrades.

Been reading through the responses. I start in November. Any up-to-date info on the training, IOE, etc? I've been told expect 4-6 weeks for everything. Saw the 5 min youtube vid on how they train....seemed interesting...just not too in depth.

Also, wondering if sharing apts/etc to keep costs down after the intial transition to your first base is common among the pilot group? With the new Montana service starting Dec 1 AND the Islanders joining the fleet for the additional Carribbean destinations, I'm guessing my first base could be a complete crap shoot....

4-6 Weeks to fly a C402? That could be pared down to about 5-6 days.

When did you interview for the Nov class?

Granted there is a lot of down time during training, but I wouldn't want anybody flying my family single pilot in the northeast winters with only 5-6 days of training in type. It's not as easy of a job as you think it is, let me tell you.

Correct me if I'm wrong 9k, but don't all new Captains fly with a FO for their first 50 or 100 hours anyway? That seems like a good cushion that would pad a reduced training track. I'm not going to disagree with you on the NE winters though...