Hey guy I am currently work for a small corporate flight department and make about 100K/year, gone 18 days a month (17-18 nights away) I am considering Regional Airlines as I want to work for the legacy Airlines as soon as possible.

Would you guys leave in my situation and take a pay cut for some time and apply at the legacy airlines or stay put and slowly built hours. We fly about 400 hours/year

I am a First officer
2000 hours TT
500 jet time
Live and fly out of OKC
Have small kids

I have considered Skywest or Envoy. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

You're gonna be gone about the same amount of time if not more because of commuting and cut your pay in half if you go to the regionals. If you can stomach that to get the flight time, go for it.

You can hold DFW at SkyWest pretty quick these days on the FO side.

Thank you Hawk21 for reply, yes that would be the hardest decision to make, almost 50% pay cut. Specially with family.

If your goal is a legacy (or any major) I’d go to the regionals. It’s not impossible to get hired at a major with zero 121 time, but it’s certainly more difficult. Not to mention it’s going to take forever for you to double your current flight time if you’re only flying 400hrs/yr.

What he said. Regional CA will pay will get to 100K soon enough. With bonuses some regional FO's make as much as 80K, and by the time the bonuses run out they've upgraded.

Given your relatively high overnight tempo ( for corporate aviation) it shouldn't be too hard of a decision. If you can move to an airline base, even better.

FWIW, you would hold DEN out of training at TSA. With bonuses and quick upgrade you would be close to current pay after a year. The bonus situation seems to always be changing quickly though, so make sure you have it in writing. Commuter hotels make the commute easier to stomach, and currently we fly to OKC from DEN on our own planes which also can make it easier...