Stay in charter or go to a regional?
06-16-2013, 02:48 PM
#1
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Joined APC: Jun 2013
Posts: 13
Stay in charter or go to a regional?
Situation. Currently in a good paying charter job in a non type rated aircraft building TPIC. Have well over the 1000 TPIC, plus a 4 year degree and passed multiple 135 training events without any CR failures.
Problem. The pay and starting over. Being that bills are covered and I'm able to support my wife and kids currently, going to a regional would make that a very tight stretch. My wife does side work which would help a little, but that's not guaranteed.
Question. If I went to a regional and dealt with that horrendous first year pay, then stuck around for a few years, would I be that much more marketable to most of the majors?
Problem. The pay and starting over. Being that bills are covered and I'm able to support my wife and kids currently, going to a regional would make that a very tight stretch. My wife does side work which would help a little, but that's not guaranteed.
Question. If I went to a regional and dealt with that horrendous first year pay, then stuck around for a few years, would I be that much more marketable to most of the majors?
06-16-2013, 03:37 PM
#2
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Joined APC: Mar 2009
Posts: 1,822
Situation. Currently in a good paying charter job in a non type rated aircraft building TPIC. Have well over the 1000 TPIC, plus a 4 year degree and passed multiple 135 training events without any CR failures.
Problem. The pay and starting over. Being that bills are covered and I'm able to support my wife and kids currently, going to a regional would make that a very tight stretch. My wife does side work which would help a little, but that's not guaranteed.
Question. If I went to a regional and dealt with that horrendous first year pay, then stuck around for a few years, would I be that much more marketable to most of the majors?
Problem. The pay and starting over. Being that bills are covered and I'm able to support my wife and kids currently, going to a regional would make that a very tight stretch. My wife does side work which would help a little, but that's not guaranteed.
Question. If I went to a regional and dealt with that horrendous first year pay, then stuck around for a few years, would I be that much more marketable to most of the majors?
06-16-2013, 06:12 PM
#4
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Joined APC: Jan 2006
Position: Engines Turn Or People Swim
Posts: 40,158
Glass/ME Turbofan/Heavier (>30-50K+) time will weigh more in your favor than smaller, less sophisticated turboprop time.
ASEL TPIC is pretty useless unless you got it in an F-16, AV-8B, or F-35.
Majors might start hiring anybody with any turbine time eventually, but you have to consider whether you'll be at the front, middle, or back of the wave. The latter is of course furlough fodder.
ASEL TPIC is pretty useless unless you got it in an F-16, AV-8B, or F-35.
Majors might start hiring anybody with any turbine time eventually, but you have to consider whether you'll be at the front, middle, or back of the wave. The latter is of course furlough fodder.
06-16-2013, 06:59 PM
#5
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Glass/ME Turbofan/Heavier (>30-50K+) time will weigh more in your favor than smaller, less sophisticated turboprop time.
ASEL TPIC is pretty useless unless you got it in an F-16, AV-8B, or F-35.
Majors might start hiring anybody with any turbine time eventually, but you have to consider whether you'll be at the front, middle, or back of the wave. The latter is of course furlough fodder.
ASEL TPIC is pretty useless unless you got it in an F-16, AV-8B, or F-35.
Majors might start hiring anybody with any turbine time eventually, but you have to consider whether you'll be at the front, middle, or back of the wave. The latter is of course furlough fodder.
I would like to hope that I could stick around for a few years and some majors or LLCs will call. But that seems like it will happen after they have gone 1st with all the well connected/check airmen/etc guys at a regional. Then the line PICs and some SICs. Then last 135 guys etc. So years down the road.
With my current times and experience, and the trending hiring in the coming years, how long would a stint be like at a regional would you think?
06-16-2013, 07:27 PM
#6
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Joined APC: Jan 2006
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I would think that with 1000 TPIC already in the bag, that 1-2 years and 1000 hours in a glass 121 jet would do the trick, or maybe even sooner but I'm just guessing. They like TPIC, check airman, CP, glass, jet, 121, heavier-the-better but it doesn't all have to be in the same plane at the same time.
06-16-2013, 08:14 PM
#8
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Joined APC: Nov 2011
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Posts: 4,025
If there really is a pilot shortage, they'd hire you in a heartbeat with turbine experience. Why go to a 121 regional and fight it out there? If there is NOT a pilot shortage, regional captains will get a real shot at he majors and you will be "stuck" still, if going to the "majors" is your goal in life.
06-16-2013, 09:40 PM
#9
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Joined APC: Apr 2005
Posts: 1,483
I think the problem for the op is that it is a small a/c if there is no type rating. I would say that yes you need to fly something bigger to be marketable to a legacy. Hopefully JB or Spirit or someone other than a regional would hire you, but if you are flying something under 12.5 lbs, I think most of the big guys want large a/c or 121 time at least to fill a box on the application.
06-17-2013, 10:58 AM
#10
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I do like my current job, but it's not something I want to do long term. There really isn't a chance to get a type rating or even jet time. My rational for going to a regional is to hopefully be at the beginning of the hiring wave not the end. I would really like it if a LCC or national would pick me up with current times but sadly I have gotten the thanks, no thanks, letters from a couple. Me thinks that the recruiters or hiring matrix looks for:
4 year degree? Yes
1000 TPIC? Yes
Checkride busts? No
Turbine experience? Yes
Type rating? No
121 time? No
Jet time? No
Changing those last three to YES would leave me to think I would be in a much better position then I am now. I gather that most majors/LCCs like to hire guys from regionals because they have been able to demonstrate working in that 121 environment.
IF there was a pilot shortage, then I would probably stay because like JamesNoBrakes says, they would hire me in heartbeat. But I don't think there will be because there are plenty of guys waiting for there chance. I would like to think that with the 1000tpic in the bag, going and checking off the 121/jet/type would put me well ahead in the running of some of the FOs.
Not going for the SJS thing, just trying to set my family long term to be in a good position.
4 year degree? Yes
1000 TPIC? Yes
Checkride busts? No
Turbine experience? Yes
Type rating? No
121 time? No
Jet time? No
Changing those last three to YES would leave me to think I would be in a much better position then I am now. I gather that most majors/LCCs like to hire guys from regionals because they have been able to demonstrate working in that 121 environment.
IF there was a pilot shortage, then I would probably stay because like JamesNoBrakes says, they would hire me in heartbeat. But I don't think there will be because there are plenty of guys waiting for there chance. I would like to think that with the 1000tpic in the bag, going and checking off the 121/jet/type would put me well ahead in the running of some of the FOs.
Not going for the SJS thing, just trying to set my family long term to be in a good position.
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