VegasChris

So I know two people that just accepted conditional job offers with SkyWest that do not start until June and July.

Is it normal to sign that far out ?

I am low time with a wet commercial and could be at my R-ATP minimums in 8 months if I fly a lot in my airplane and teach.

Should I be looking at SkyWest this early ?

Excargodog

Typically CJOs are good for a six month window. Actual class availability is generally sooner, depending on equipment. And pop up openings on short notice aren’t infrequent, as people already with CJOs get CJOs from other regionals where they may be able to live in base without movingly for other personal reasons would prefer another regional. Getting the ball rolling early is never a bad idea.

Fernweh

I was hired on Jan 26 and put into the first available CRJ class of May 28. ERJ was later but not sure how long - CRJ works better for me given bases available. About a week later they called to see if I could go into a May 10 class. I already have my ATP and was told to not be surprised to get called for an even sooner class.

Varsity

Wet commercial?

Focus on building time and experience.

Washing out of a 121 program should be a much bigger concern than getting there a couple months early.

Erj135dude

I interviewed at 1200h and got a May 28th class. It already feels like it was a bit too soon, but I got that advice.

Recruiter told me that now they work more with a 3-4 window instead of 6 months as they used to. If that's true, I don't know.....

VegasChris

I can build time at 100 hours per month (or more) if I really want to pay for it myself in my plane. I am just over 250tt and I qualify for R-ATP at 1000 hours. I also have my CFI checkride scheduled so I am not sure if I am going to teach as well to "build time and experience"

Doing the math (at 100 hours a month) means I could be eligible for hire at 7.5 months. Sooner if I fly more to build "time and experience" Longer if I should decide to teach and gain hours at 50 a month. My career has a schedule that allows me to fly up to 18 days a month and I live in Vegas so I am not really hampered by weather too much.

That is the reason for the question asking if I should be doing something right now after talking with people that are signing CJOs that start 6 months from now. It would not be good to be in the position of having a R-ATP and no job for 6 months because I did not do something 6 months prior as simple as filling out an application.

CWOMaddog

Received my CJO from SkyWest yesterday (07 Feb 19). My class date is for CRJs on 26 Jul 19. I asked for a July class due to having to sell a house, fly the rest of my fixed-wing PIC hours (RTP), and handle some other minor details prior to my career change. My HR rep is great, and he made it seem as if there was no problem at all with my request! Just FYI.

rswitz

Who knows what things will look like in 6 months. I probably wouldn't commit to anything that early.

SkyWest has been good to me though.

Varsity

No offense, but flying around in your own airplane from 250-1000 hours is absolutely the last person any airline is looking to hire. You will be perceived as a substantial training risk (though I'm sure a regional somewhere is desperate enough to hire you) and probably lying about your flight time. Regional airlines like Envoy, PSA, Horizon and Endeavor wouldn't hire you.

word302

While I agree that it isn't the best way to build time, theses types are getting hired literally everywhere.