Never, ever, ever waste your time at a regional. That was the biggest mistake of my career! You will not make captain in any thing that burns Jet A at a regional in less than 5 years. Ameriflight pilots go from Chiefton to 99 in 6 months and Metro or 1900 in another 6 months.

Majors and Fractionals don't give a rip about the size of equipment you fly. The biggest concern they have is PIC time. You will not get that at a regional unless you devote years and years of your life to them.

Now...as for AMF...here is the skinny. Health insurance is not great, but better than nothing. Pay, you know. Work 4,5 or 6 days a week, mostly nights (some day runs). Two, 3 and 4 leg days depending on run. Mx is generally good, but the a/c are still really old with lots of cycles so they will have problems. Not mx's fault, just a fact of life when flying old a/c. No gadgets either.

Don't let Burbank strong arm you into an aircraft or city you don't like. I turned down the job 3 times in one hour before they called me back with the right city and aircraft for me. If you meet the 99 minimums, keep declining the job until they offer you the 99, if you want Billings don't say yes until you get Billings. When you accept the offer be sure to ask very politely for an offer letter with the city pairing and equipment stated in the offer. They like to tell you one thing and do another.

Oh, and BTW, to the numbnuts that thinks no one from AMF goes to majors, I personally know of 2 people that went to SWA, 1 to UPS. I left for FlexJet as well as another, 2 left for NJA and all of that is out of the two easterly bases in the last year. Don't be that looser that thinks his RJ experience is king. You are an RJ pilot, as such you still have a lot to do to earn my respect. As far as I'm concerned, that is a detriment to you, not a plus.

You have a lot of good points but frankly if you were to go to a place like AirMidwest with 1200 hours you will be captain in a BE1900 in 3-4 months flying 121. If you can hold an ATP you'll be in the next upgrade class if not hired off the street as a captain. Yeah it's Mesa, yeah it sucks/blows and any other four letter word you can use to descibe something that draws the blood and thirst for a flying job from your veins, but it beats somethings. ie: paying for a seat in anything.

Not putting down Ameriflight, don't know much about it frankly. Just offering an option.

If i was mangment for any airline, I would pull the AMF pilots resume before anyone else's, and for a very good reason. Everyone knows that AMF pilots hand fly those IFR's every night. They fly the old A/C but they get it done, by hand. Not saying a guy from skywest isnt anymore of a pilot then someone from AMF, but I would have complete confidence when the soup hits the deck, the AMF wouldnt even flinch.

bluebravo,

Nice to hear encouraging words from someone outside of the freight dog community. I just got home into KBUR after fighting 30 knot headwinds just so that I get to hand fly an approach to 500 ft above mins. I've had pilots from Northrop Grumman monitor the tower frequency at destination airports to see is AMF gets in, if we do, then NG attempts the approach. I've had good friends take a year or two at AMF and gain valuable experience and are able to write their own ticket and go any where they want to go in the industry.

Fly safe,
freightdog

You know you're a freight dog if...The other airlines hold to see if you get in.

You're right what do I know about making $$ at a 135 or 121 op........ or for that matter 61 141 or 91 as well.

Ziggman my apologies if it appears that I took a dump in your house. I guess I just have an axe to grind with bernstein. (no I didn't fail an interiew or ride if that's what you are thinking.) Best of luck to you all.

Did wildcat call me numbnuts......That's classic that'll teach me. As for the fact that I fly an RJ now..... settle down freight dogs I did the 135 IFR single pilot thing too, And learned a ton from it. But when you transition to glass in a jet you will see what I'm talking about, it's just different not harder or easier just different.

what a change from the regional forums where the attitude is bend over and take whatever they give you cause this is aviation

This post isn't directed to anyone personally, but.

What's the big deal with EFIS time, or crew time? I have flown both. I've flow all-glass, 5 and 4 tube EFIS, and just the straight 6 pack (steam). I've also flown single and dual crew. Personally, I prefer dual.
I find flying all-glass, dual crew the easiest. Almost all the math is done for you, if you know how to program the system. (just don't let your skills wither away incase the system decides to take a vacation.)

Share your opinion.

nothing about how major airlines hire makes sense, a 1900 pilot can fly circles around most RJ guys anywhere anyday, but for some reason there slowly.....slowly...becoming less valuable in a major airlines opinion

As far as crew time goes, it's pretty important to show that you can play nice with others. You might be able to fly the space shuttle blindfolded by yourself, but it you can't work with a crew, an airline doesn't want you. You might have outscored the Red Baron but happen to be a prick, why would anyone else want you in the cockpit? That's why CRM is so hammered these days. BTW I'm not saying you're a prick, just figurative speech.

I personally think steam gauges make you a better pilot, but if you can't learn glass it won't help you in the planes that are total glass. At FDX the 727s are all steam gauges, so managment/HR doesn't really care about your glass time unless you're going straight to the MD11 as a nuggett.