Ok no problem. We can agree to disagree. I don't think there's a correlation between the time it took for someone to finish IOE to the quality of pilot they are or will be.
SkyWest used to be a more difficult place to get an interview, relative to other regionals, before everyone started getting desperate for pilots.
Used to be you'd come here from another 121 carrier. Obviously since that has changed you will see IOE times increase. Doesn't mean you're getting bad pilots.
Btw this is coming from a transplant from a previous 121 before Skywest.

I guess I could have been more clear in my response. I'm simply making a generalization, not an absolute statement. There are a few reasons other than shortcomings as a pilot that IOE can take more time. I've even heard of people requesting more IOE simply to finish a month without having to sit reserve for the pro-rated days. That alone could mean an additional 25-50 hours.

But its a bit of a tough subject, because we must take ourselves and training very seriously. Right or not, training records are our only real gauge of the quality of a pilot. Someone who takes a lot of additional training, or has multiple failures in the past presents a big red flag to me (think Marvin Renslow). Sure, there are extenuating circumstances that could explain some of that stuff, but in general, multiple training failures, and excessive extra IOE can point to a pretty obvious conclusion of one's pilot abilities.

Not necessarily true, occasionally some people take more time, it can be attributed to multiple things such as time between sim and IOE, there was a time not long ago that that was over a month wait. Furthermore people are flying trips with senior LCA, it's easy to do 2 4 days that make up 50 hours, if then a candidate still isn't up to scratch, , sometimes it's say visual approaches because they haven't done much of those on their trips (easy to do with a lot of trips with arrivals to approaches)and they do one more trip suddenly they are at 75.

I think our training department does a great job, so I'm willing to say more often than not there is more to the story.

Question about counting hours
 

I am currently a CFI/MEI @ around 850 hrs, I just wrapped up an interview with a part 135 operator flying SIC in a KingAir350. At the end of the interview and job offer the HR guy made some confusing statements. Looking for some clarity before I accept. He said that their OP Specs did not require an SIC but their insurance did. According to the FARs 61.51 I can't log that time as SIC even with a type rating because the KA350 is certificated under single pilot operations. My next question to him is then how do I build time? He said most of their pilots were MEI's and that I could log PIC as the sole manipulator of the controls. Then I asked if any of their captains had the "Need an SIC" endorsement on their certificates, he said no.

My question, will Skywest or any 121 operator allow me to count that total time and dual received towards an ATP? I get that it is multi turbine time but I have a super sweet CFI job that I dont want to leave if I'm just going to have to make up all of those hours that wont be counted.

How comfortable do feel about telling a hiring board about how you were getting "not really" dual. Not a judgement or suggestion, just a future ghost you will visit so think about it now.

Sounds like an SIC is required. Sounds like the plane won't fly without one. (But I dumped all this crud)

It's not as much a question for SkyWest or any airline as it is the FAA. The resulting answer has always been a mixed bag of responses depending on who you talk to. The whole dual received schtick usually flies if it's something like 20-30 hours, could legitimately call that learning a new aircraft. Anything significantly over that and people start questioning whether or not it was actually "training". Alternatively, if they have a 200 or a 90 or if they gave you a PIC type on the 350 I believe you could log sole manipulator PIC at least on repo/part 91 legs.

But that's just my understanding of it.

Thanks for the info. Yeah, the whole dual received thing does sound shady. I'll have to do more research to find out what I can and cannot log. It sounds great for experience building but not for building hours. I'll have to clarify with company as to whether or not I'm getting the actual type rating or just company training. I'm gonna guess it's the latter since there is no training contract.

Interviewing with Skywest this month. I am a current CL-65 FO at another regional. Few questions to you current SW drivers.

Bases LAX, PHX, ORD, DTW

1) How long would it take to get one of the following bases?
2) How long will it take to hold a line?
3) How long is upgrade?
4) Which aircraft are flown and for which major?

Thanks for your help.

If you could do it part-time for 20-30hrs I'd say do it.
Everybody in the hiring depts. knows what it is so your not really going to gain by going there.
I'd stick it out at the CFI gig, you'll be getting called soon.

1) ORD and DTW right out of training or by being done with IOE, LAX junior FO is 8/4 hire date, PHX 8/12.

2) DTW a month or two, the rest would vary a lot. But with upgrades at 2 years 2 months everything is attainable pretty quick.

3) answered above

4) Alaska just switched to all 175s the rest is a mix I believe