I was wondering if anyone knows if Cape Air is hiring qualified individuals as street captains. Also, if anyone wants to chime in, how are things going for Cape right now?

Considering a majority of the 402's are operated as single pilot, I would say yes, from looking at the operation from the outside.

Cape Air has always hired street captains, as long as you meet the requirements to be one.


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Cape Air is always hiring street captains, for the 402, assuming you have an ATP or are ATP qualified. You'll have to build some seniority before getting on the ATR though. I have no major complaints about Cape Air as a company really. You work hard, do a lot of legs (6-12 per day), have passengers breathing down your neck, and fly old airplanes with crappy heaters and no A/C, at low altitude in the wx. But your IFR and stick and rudder skills will improve doing this flying. The company does a decent job of taking care of the employees, pay is ok, we have good union representation, and you're home every night.

The biggest complaints would be:
-Lack of career progression (flying a twin piston, no turbine)
-pay (better than most regionals first year but you'll have a hard time breaking six figures here unless you have 15 years seniority and work 6 days a week)
-Bases: you can be home every night, but Cape Air has like 30 domiciles, and you have to re-bid for a base every 6 months until you are senior enough to stay put, which may take a couple years. Also, new hire captains can almost count on going to Billings, or MAYBE one of the junior bases in the midwest or northeast

What are people hearing about the new airplane they have (or will) ordered: the Tecnam P2012 Traveller? How soon will they start to arrive?

According to Tecnam in November '15:

"Roll-out of this next generation, 11-seats, twin piston engine aircraft is due in February 2016, and its first flight is scheduled for June 2016."

I can't think of any new aircraft schedule that hasn't had some slippage, but they seem to be serious about this plane, designed very closely with Cape Air. Definitely not your father's Cessna 402!

Take a look: P2012 Traveller | the next commuter

-Bases: you can be home every night, but Cape Air has like 30 domiciles, and you have to re-bid for a base every 6 months until you are senior enough to stay put, which may take a couple years. Also, new hire captains can almost count on going to Billings, or MAYBE one of the junior bases in the midwest or northeast.


Where are the junior bases in the midwest and northeast? Thanks.

They will hire you as a Captain if you meet the full ATP qualifications. Just show up in training ready to go. A lot of the street Captains they have hired in the past year didn't make it through training. They give you the tools and the training but you have to apply yourself.


It really depends on who's there and when. OWB used to be super senior, held by 2 guys in the top 10 in the company until they both retired. Now it's more junior. UIN, IRK, TBN, and MWA all had 3-5 year guys a while back until they left or went part time. Now they're all more junior. It fluctuates.

New England is the same way.

In the Midwest right now the most Jr bases are almost all of them. Like someone else mentioned it fluctuates. It used to be senior in the Midwest and now you have a good shot at being based in the Midwest. In the Northeast the Jr bases tend to be the new York ones in the middle of nowhere. I got Rutland and ive been here over a year and a half and I just barely got it. You just never know what's gonna be open. Bid what you want!

Cape Air was and is a great place to work. Flying the 402 requires good skills to start with, and you only get better with the experience. When I started there, almost a decade ago(!) It was a pretty good pay bump from the right seat of an RJ. In today's labor market I just don't know if that is still true.

If you are looking to move on to a major, it may be of some benefit to spend some time in a 135 operation to complement 121 time. At United at least checking every box on the Airlineapps seems to add value. And while the 402 isn't TPIC, it is still PIC, and that's not nothing.

At the worst if it doesn't build your resume, it certainly makes you a much better pilot. You know you're a better pilot for it. And almost everyone has a great time working there. (Except maybe the ATR FOs).