Aviatrx

Like 5.5 years ago relates to the current environment in any way. At least he has more historical perspective

daOldMan

My reference is more in lines with the hiring that has happened in the last 18 months. If he or she hasn't found something better than regional FO at Envoy in the last 18 months, and is now still just a 5.5 year FO at Envoy, then he or she might not be the best person to give advice.

There are people that entered flight school 5.5 years ago, were hired by a regional 4 years ago that have upgraded to Captain, and then moved up to a LCC already. With an Airbus or 737 type at a LCC and a couple thousand hours, they will move to the majors much faster than a CRJ FO, or even captain, and make much more money while doing so. That would be career progression and someone that you should talk to.

Get a college degree. Get TPIC. Get your applications out. Get your butt to a few job fairs. Get the he77 out of the regionals!

Don't be stagnant.

ag386

I'll give the guy the benefit of the doubt when it comes to getting hired elsewhere. It's tough sometimes, even if you are highly qualified.

Where I can't figure this guy out is his defense of Envoy AFTER being there 5.5 years. That's more than enough time to figure this place out and one should have their head examined if they are defending Envoy after being there that length of time.

go skers

Congrats on figuring out how to attach photos within a post. It takes effort for someone in their fifties to learn new tricks like that. Being underemployed with a bunch of screen names to practice on helps though.

ag386

You're a little low. Try sixties.

Aviatrx

These LCC Captains you speak of are the exception and certainly not the rule. Most people that make laterals to "get ahead" end up delaying upgrades/better jobs. There are success storie, but not the norm. In my near decade in the industry, there is a lot of luck in the cards you are drawn.
In the end of the career, envoys 5.5 year guy COULD end up with much greater progression and income at WO to AAG than any LCC or any other legacy. It's any bodies guess what will really happen though. I certainly don't think his choice to work at Eagle 5.5 years ago is a bad one. I hope that AAG/Envoy make our airline a more appealing option going forward. It will certainly be a big job righting our ship.

PilotJ3

Maybe because I'm not a scab, jumping from place to place to be captain? That's 1...

2. I don't give a thing about LCCs at this point. This is not a sprint race, I'm looking at my long term gains.

3. I've been networking and going to job fairs to get hired by a Legacy, not a LCC.

4. I tried to get hired at a LCC. Allegiant sent 4 TNT letter from 2011 to 2013. Now they are desperate and a accident waiting to happen. Spirit increised their minimums everytime I reached them (first it was 3,000 TT, then 4,000 and at the end 500 TPIC just to talk to them), now they dropped the minimums for a reason. Frontier, after talking to them in a JobFair, IS NOT WORTH IT!!!. JetBlue gave me an interview last year, I was sick as hell and of course I didn't got hired because I wasn't on my 100% game. Their pilot group is too young and it will take forever to be in the top of the seniority.

Long term I will make more money staying here for a flow, or getting hired of the street by United, Delta or AA (which is my goal).

5. I got 3 United internal Recommendations, not a word. Two different Delta Recruiters told me I'm a Tier 1 applicant, they haven't call. I have a internal Rec from a AA hiring board pilot, haven't got a call. The 3 of them told me that they like loyal employees like me, that we are there in the good and bad times.

I have more than 5000 TT, a 5yr degree done in 4 with a high GPA, 1300 PIC, current volunteer in my county and no failures.

I'm close to upgrade here. If I had left for a place to be CA I would be making 60-70k a year. When I upgrade here I will be in step 7 CA making more money than a 2yr PSA/TSA/Compass/Mesa/GoJet/Commutair captain. Maybe with 1,000 TPIC 121 but the same challenges Im having right now.

I get my first to third choice while bidding every month for the past year, I'm making around 60k and average from 13-15 days a month off. I can pick OT if I want, I get 3 weeks vacations.

If I wait or get hired in AA, I could retired with full benefits at 43 and if things goes bad and have to go to another legacy or major. Keeping my flight benefits...

But these are things people with short term view in their lives don't realize. Is not all about getting there "fast", because when they get stuck someplace then it's all ***** and whine. Yes, we had some very rough times and I was miserable for about two year. I was supposed to be CA two years ago, that's why I despite PSA. With my seniority number, I should had being a line holder captain. I lost already 80k with all this AAG BS.

But I learned to look at my life differently, to care about the present and plan for the future. To think more about my personals goals and not what other think it should be done. I'm happy, I can really say that being a CA is not my priority because IM HAPPY and my QOL will decrease exponentially for at least 1.5 yrs. It will get here when it gets here and that everything happens for a reason.

Worst case scenario, I would go to AA in my low/mid 30s. Which the average people getting hired in the legacies now are in that same age range. I'm not a woman, black or asian.

So, I would be a clear example of things happening in life that won't let you progress career wise. I probably will be an example of the average pilot that will have to use the flow to move into a legacy because nobody called him. But I'm happy, I own a house, I have a lovely wife and an awesome dog. My life couldn't be better, for real. I don't need a 737 or a Airbus type to feel I accomplished something in my life, like most pilots.

Life is much more than flying and planes. This is my job and my passion, but my time off is what makes my life rich and what marks me as a person.

So forgive me if I wanted to give advise to an aspiring pilot, because it doesn't fit your "standards".

Mikec

That's what I'm talking about! Good for you.

Eaglepilot84

Excellent post! And the funny thing is, this is the mentality of the majority of envoy pilots who have stuck through the bad times. The negativity you see comes from those who don't work here and never did, those who left when times were tough (or flowed and are bitter) and those who will likely never be happy no matter what (majority of eagle lounge posters.) Yes, it's been a rough few years with this AAG bankruptcy/merger but there's a reason why those who stayed are still here. We're content and happy. Sure I didn't upgrade the second I hit my required flight time, but I've also had a pretty good career so far. There are very few things I would have done differently. The fact that I'll be a pilot at the largest airline in the world after only interviewing once when I was 23 is a pretty comforting feeling too

lakehouse

+1 fully agree.