Erj135dude

Hi everyone, I'd like to know what you guys out there think about my situation.

I may upgrade right at ATP mins with my company, flying an Erj 135. But I'm wondering if it'd be the right choice.

I know 121 has more weight in any application compared to part 135 (in general), but since I'm flying a regional jet, I'm not sure what the best option would be.
Long term goal - - - >Majors.

Upgrade times at most regionals is low enough I guess, so that helps.

Any thoughts?

rickair7777

121 is going to carry more weight.

But 135 is better than 91.

Things may (likely) change as hiring ramps up, but as of right now you'd probably progress faster by going toa regional and taking the first available upgrade.

JohnBurke

I disagree.

There's insufficient information given. More "weight" with whom, or with what?

If you're suggesting that gaining PIC experience is less valuable, then it's less valuable to whom? It certainly carries no less "weight" with any regional, and it's dubious that PIC experience would have less value to a major than F/O experience.

SIC experience is only worth something if it leads to a PIC position.

If your goal is to get on with an airline, your goal is to get on with them early, get a seniority number, and then move along. If you only intend to use that airline as a hopping experience, and you can gain the PIC experience faster, elsewhere, then you may be best off doing it elsewhere.

There's the question of 1,000 hours of experience under 91K/121/135, if you intend to seek a captain position under 121. If you're going to be operating under 135, then that may not matter; it may be a wash.

The rate at which you'll gain experience may matter to you. If you are a charter captain but fly very little, you'll not gain the experience quickly, and this may impact your ultimate (undeclared) final goal.

All things being equal (rate of experience flown, salary, satisfaction, etc), I'd take the PIC job. If you're lacking in total time or certificate experience (135, 121, etc), then the 121 job may get you down the road faster, and the ERJ is more of regional-type experience anyway. In most cases, you'll be gaining more flying experience as the 121 SIC, where you'll work your tail off.

121 flying is fairly mindless, with considerably less required of the crew than the 135 operation in which you're getting your own weather, planning your own performance and flight, and often arranging everything from papers to catering to every other aspect of the flight, ordering vehicles, and so forth. In the end, which proves more valuable to you is largely up to you.

Long ago I was told that 135 experience was better than 91. Not true. I was told that 121 was better than 135. Not true. Some say 121 is better than 91. Not true. Get the experience that you need, that will serve you best, that will allow you to live as you wish, that will pay what you need, that will allow you to be where you want to be.

captkdobbs

I would say PIC in a regional jet under 135 is at least as valuable as SIC in a regional jet under 121.

A lot depends on the type of flying you're doing. Are you flying 10 hours per month or 100? What type of support are you getting from the company? (i.e. do you have a 'dispatch-style-flight-follower' or are you making ALL the decisions about flight planning/fuel/alternates/filing flight plans--you can use this as 'experience credit' in an interview)

If you are accumulating TPIC in an ERJ at a decent rate, you can sell that very well as equivalent to, or maybe better than 121 experience.

There are many variables in the equation, but one possible track to a major could be 1000 hours of experience in your 135 PIC position, and depending on the rest of your application, straight to a major. If you have weaknesses in your application, a couple years as a 121 SIC with a LLC or with a regional should make you marketable to a major since you proved your PIC mettle with your 135 job. 1000 TPIC isn't the silver bullet it used to be, but I think it might minimize the need for 121 experience, particularly in todays hiring environment.

dera

Plenty of people go from 135 jet jobs straight to legacies. But you'll need one hell of a resume outside the flying if you want that to happen.

rickair7777

For clarity, yes TPIC is still the ticket for most of us (for now). Not suggesting camp out in the right seat at a regional.

But with previous 135, you can upgrade fast and get 121 PIC... that would accumulate faster, and be weighted more by the bigs, than 135 PIC.

Erj135dude

Thanks for all the opinions

We do take care of our flight planning, no flight dispatcher. And right now we fly around 35h/month, possibly up to 60h or so in the coming months after added destinations.

To be 100% honest my resume is not "awesome". I mean, nothing too special. Still working on my degree, and 1100h at this point.

To define a bit more my goal, I was talking about AA, UA, DL, SW and of course Fedex/Ups. But that's more of a long term goal. I know it will take years to get there, and I'll possibly work for other 121 carriers before. So my question is oriented to that first transition. Either PIC at my company and then may be Kalitta, Atkas, Spirit, Allegiant.... Or regional right at 1500h.

I know for a fact that I'd fly a 40% more at any regional, so I'd log faster for sure. Hence my question.

Jet Jockey 00

regional upgrade time is very quick right now 1000 121 time. You can get that in under two years. Then you can build 75-80 hours of 121 pic time a month. If you want UAL go with a CPP regional with quick movement. AA go with a WO and getting hired outside of these programs will require 121 PIC hours so might as well get yourself lined up with a 121 job. You can already check the 135 box. If upgrades were at 6 years at the 121 level that is another story.

Sliceback

Plenty of people? It’s a small sub group. I’m not sure if the number getting hired isless than their overall share of the population but I’d guess it’s a lower probability path.

Sliceback

No degree? 1100hrs TT? At 35 hrs a month it’s over 9 yrs to get to 5,000 hrs which is about the lower edge of the avg TT of civilian new hires.

At 60 hrs a month you’re over 5 yrs from 5,000 hrs. If you avg 35-60 hrs it’s 7 yrs.

At 75 hrs a month (900 yr) it’s just over 4 yrs to 5,000 hrs. At 800 hrs a year it’s just under 5 years to 5,000.

A 1,000 hrs TPIC is also a good box to check. That’s maybe 3.5 - 5.5 yrs after getting 1500 hrs and a regional job.