Hello,

I hope to get some candid feedback from some Skywest pilots. I am in my commercial flight training and would consider Skywest as my first choice of regionals. I live in SLC and would like to stay here and base here. I would also consider a base of Boise as i have a place to stay there too.

A few questions, how is life at Skywest for a new hire? How long would a new pilot be on reserve typically? Are Salt lake and Boise likely starting bases for new hire FOs?

And finally, what is a realistic annual income for a FO, the first two years? From my research it seems a lot of the other regionals are more generous in pay or bonuses....and i wonder if that is keeping some people from coming to Skywest.

Thanks for your comments.

 

Go here and click on the seniority tab. That’s Will answer your time frame and where questions. http://www.skywest.com/skywest-airli...#/career-guide

Boise is relatively junior but it’s not likely you’ll get it in my opinion. You have a lot of FOs in ORD that want westbound.. a lot in front of you. What other airlines are options for you for commuting out of SLC? You’ll be commuting If you want to stay.

 

You are probably close to two years from getting your time to come to the regionals. Maybe more, maybe less. A lot will change in that time. Focus on training and getting your time. By the time you are close to interviewing, take another look. The regionals will look different. Right now, SkyWest is a good place to be. When I got hired, pay was $24 an hour and that was on par with everyone else. Then pay went up to $30, then $36.50, all in my first year. In my first three years, they closed the SBP domicile, and they opened DTW, BOI, SAN, ATL, LGA.

Anyhow, pay can vary wildly. I was talking with a friend from new hire class and we had a $20,000 difference in gross pay (second year), mainly because he didn't work as hard/work the system as much as me. Pay can vary wildly depending on reserve or lineholder, domicile, equipment, and how much you pick up trips and trade, etc.

First two years combined, you could make as low as $60,000 gross or as much as $110,000 at current rates.

 

As Zondracer said, things will be different in two or three years. Hopefully you can avoid the dog and pony show regionals altogether and go to somewhere like spirit, JetBlue or even southwest right off the get go on your way to a major. But depending on how bad the next recession is and how many wars we start, it will be a different landscape.

 

What? Why would you get a newbie’s hopes up like that? This is so incredibly unrealistic.

 

Southwest yes unrealistic. Any of the LCC’s very possible in a few years. Considering I doubt regionals hardly exist in 3 years.

 

I would say ULCC's may well be hiring CFI's in three years. That will be the end of any regional which does not have a very solid flow program.

 

I agree, if you are still under 250 hours, there will be a lot of changes in the industry before you're eligible for an ATP.

SLC is OO's most senior base easily. If I had to predict anything 3 years out, it's that SLC will still be very senior. Pretty sure we're the only show in town there, and lots of folks here want to be there. Some new FOs volunteer to be ground school instructors on the CRJ to get there fast, so that's a possibility for you. You give up most of your flying/career progression though.

BOI isn't too long of a wait on the ERJ side right now, but it's anyone's guess what that'll be like in 2+ years. You'll have to wait and see.

I'm not sure how senior SLC is for Delta, but if I were you, I'd reconcile myself to commuting for 10+ years if you want to live in SLC and move past FO at SkyWest. FO pay right now is mid 30s. As someone else said, if you are willing to give up a lot of your days off and try to work the system, you can make a bit more. Of course, in 2 years, pay throughout the regional industry is likely to be very different than it is today.

 

Regionals will still exist in 3 years.

 

I bet there’s less then half the amount we currently have.