Depends. The FAA has held in the past that logged time can be considered compensation and used as the basis for various violations (commercial flying with no CPL, flight time limits, part 135 violations, etc) in the case of pilots who have an obvious time-building need.

If you're a gainfully employed turbine pilot with an ATP I suspect they wouldn't bother since you don't really need any more piston time, but a low-time professional pilot could get burned.

I think some occasional CFI work could be considered as recreational if you're not in time building mode. But it should probably be "ad hoc" with friends/family, as opposed to standing around the FBO offering free instruction to all comers...

It wasn't stated as a rhetorical question Im curious which chief would actually allow it because I know the west coast chief pilot would never allow it. It's been in the PPM the 8 years I've been at OO. Plus the company is busy enough tracking time in regards to 121 time why would they also ever want to have to track time outside of the 121 world. From a common sense company standpoint their are many reason why outside flying is not allowed. BTW I don't like it but I see why the rule is there.

Back to topic of this thread: I use to work at eagle left and came to Skywest, if you live on the west coast OO should be your number 1 choice.

Thanks for all the great info everybody! I filled out the airline apps info a couple days ago, submitted to a few places, and have already been asked to interview at Eagle. At this point, and given my specific situation, I'd only consider Skywest. I hope they give me the chance to interview. Any idea on how long they take after receiving the application to offer an interview?

Unfortunately, I haven't done my ATP written (in the painful process of scheduling it at Travis... But free). I know it's a requirement, but then again, it was for Eagle and they offered me an interview. Oh well, as soon as I get it done, I'll update my app. In the mean time, does HR have a contact #? Would it be a bad idea to call and see if they received my app?

Talk to me about that free written!

Travis AFB offers FAA tests free at the base education center. Not a bad deal!

Go to Eagle.......

Can you provide anything on why they'd be better? Seeing how the pay for both pretty much sucks, what would motivate me to pick them over Skywest..… serious question.

FAT / SFO as junior base is pretty much the main selling point for me! Not to mention, I haven't heard anything bad about them and they seem to treat military guys good!

If you just want to stay on the west coast go to Skywest...

Now, Eagle it will be in a interesting position in the next six months. Why???

Flow thru will resume soon, and once AA starts hiring there are 824 pilots with preferential hiring. After those 824 goes, all the pilots hired before Oct 11, 2011 have also preferential hiring.

So, if they want to hire 2,500 in the next 5 years like they said last month, 1,250 of those pilots have to be from American Eagle. We have 3,100 pilots in our seniority list, so I guess that our upgrade time will go down quickly in the next 5 years. Also you have to consider those pilots that will leave to somewhere else in the next couple of years.

In my personal opinion, I just started my 3rd year at Eagle and I'm very happy here. I started around being #2900 in out seniority list, and right now I'm in the 2400ish. That's a lot of movement in 2 years, considering we've been in Ch 11 for one whole year.

First year sucks wherever regional you go.

I am on the same boat at Eagle, been here for 2 years and I am in the high 2,400s. If I was at SKW, RAH or most other regionals I wouldn't be as high on the seniority list. We have our issues at Eagle but taking the management out is a good company. With the movement we should have in the coming months we should see good things for the folks who been here 2-3 years as schedules improve and that upgrade start looking attainable, the question is how are going to be able to staff the airline and how many airframes we will have. Now if eagle management makes some positive announcements and we flow guys to AA we will see more applicants. Now with that said go to SKW, don't commute to ORD or DFW for eagle stay out west as your QOL will be much better specially since you are military and probably will be aircraft commander before captain at eagle or SKW

If I were looking for a regional right now I'd be looking at Compass. They'll replace half their pilot list by the middle of 2015. That's less than a 3 year upgrade.