finnerandr

I agree Bustin, I am going to be one of those guys flying right seat of an RJ with between 350-500 hours total time. My school cant produce enough graduates fast enough for the airlines. Times are changing boys, time to face it. Some flight experience CAN be replaced with simulator time, and it CAN be more quality time because you can practice all kinds of emergency situations that you wouldnt dare try on a real plane. Seems to me that is one of the selling points that Regional Airline Academy uses to the airlines. You all can judge me however you want, but reguardless of that, I will see you on the line. And in a very short period of time as well!!!

Low & Slow

It's not for the airlines, it's because there is a line of dough-eyed "pilots" lining up with checkbooks and loan applications. Your school has created a market and is making money - good for them. They can't go fast enough because there will be time in the near future when that line of well funded applicants will run out.

Be careful, your inexperience is showing. Don't think for a second that you'll get 80 hours of training in a sim at any airline [like you do in the CAPT's MD-90 training]. As has been said before, you can train just about anyone to pass a checkride - don't fool yourself to think that counts as aeronautical experience.

bhndthecns

Well said Low and Slow. Even as a student, which I am, I am somewhat hesitant to think that I may end up with another pilot that only has 500TT in the right seat of an RJ. It's nice to know that I can get hired faster with lower minimums, but I also see that the vast majority of Regionals still require twice that many hours - that lets me know that I want to have more than 500 before flying the line.

EC135

If I'm not mistaken most of the Airline Academies offer you a chance to work as a flight instructor for a year or two after you complete your CFII to build flight time. I did not realize that the Regionals are hiring with less than 1000tt. I had planned on building time prior to getting hired as a Regional pilot.

BUSTIN, I was not aware of Emery Riddle's Capt program. I live close to the campus in Prescott AZ. I will have to check and see if they have the Capt program at the Prescott location.

FINNERANDR: I have checked into Regional Airline Academy. I have not had a chance to get to the other side of Phoenix to visit the campus. They were very helpful when I talked to them on the phone. You sound very positive about your experience there so far.

If I was 25 and single I could go the long route to a pilot career. I have done jobs just to pay the bills. When I retire from the Air Force, I will leave a 60K a year income to replace it with a 20K income flying for a Regional. However, I know there is an upside. I will be doing something that I know I will love. When I worked as a Mechanic on the flight line, I loved being around jets. Even in minus 30 degree weather in Grand Forks ND; I looked forward to getting out to my jet for a preflight.

Right now all I would like is a career with a decent Regional Airline.
I do appreciate all the input from seasoned and student pilots. Your suggestions and advice is very well received.

Thanks James.

WatchThis!

Lot of options out there, although none of them can shortcut experience even with the best training. Reading the transcript of the Mesaba CRJ accident today should be a case study for those thinking about low time jet operations.

Have you clicked through all the flight school ads at the top of this page? I've looked at a few and you can certainly find more affordable training than CAPT.

Bustin

Quote from an update email today from a CAPT chief pilot...

"P***** at ASA has been called "the best FO I ever had" by an experienced Captain and another Captain could not believe that he did not have prior 121 experience."

I think there's at least something to be said for that.

SAABDriver

The thing that I have seen on the line is these programs can produce "good FO's" the problem is they get tired sitting in the right seat to wait till an upgrade time of 2000 or 2500 hours (insurance minimums). They get sloppy and then when they upgrade they don't make it. No PIC experience. I have seen guys fail checkrides on basic IFR because they have been sitting right seat making no decisions. They can not even fall back on previous 135 or even 61 instruction time.

The work comes down to the line captains. Hopefully they all have enough experience and patience to really watch these guys in the first few months of line operations. The tough thing is like at most regionals it is a rigorus and greuling schedule and the line captains become extended IOE captains and instrument instructors. I have had to actually teach guys how to talk on the radio...and they came from schools mentioned above.

I am fortunate though...I fly turbo-props and these guys pass us and go onto jets right out of the schools. Our stint of the low guys was short lived.

There is a lot to say for starting in a 135 VFR op...then at 1200hrs flying 135 IFR then with the ATP single pilot scheduled 135 multi then on to the regionals. It may have taken me 3 years to complete those steps but by the time I went to the right seat of a regional I took a pay cut for sure but was happy about it. I think the upgrade to captain was easier...was able to lean on my other PIC experience doing things that I never saw at my regional but could correlate experience from the other jobs. I have no bills to pay back and here I am.

That is just me and I am sure I am biased....but there is no substitution for experience. I think the truth will be told when the low time guys go to the left seat. Only my opinion.

Plus one thing not mentioned is the enjoyment I had getting here. A lot of fun flying....I miss it sometimes.

p

Bustin

You could be right SAABDriver. We won't know how the CAPT FO's do in the captain transition for at least another 2 years. One of these days I'd like to hear from someone flying with a CAPT grad personally. The story being told around here is that CAPT is not like any other flight school, which Sky West reiterated to us yesterday, and that the program is tough enough to prepare the grads for what they need. The students here, with very few exeptions, are all very dedicated to flying and being the best pilot they can be. I have no experience at other schools so I can't tell you for sure, but we have some instructors here from various backgrounds that say CAPT is right on top. But this program is still very young and like you said, we won't know how great it really is until a few years from now when we see the guys and gals from here start moving (or attempting to move) to the left seat. I'm optimistic :-)

EC135

SAABDriver, Could you be a little more specific about the steps you took and the training you received to get were you are now.
Appreciate your insight very much.....

SAABDriver

EC 135

I graduated from a 4 year school with 3 years being prep for Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic Licensure, then the last 2 years (year three overlap) being flight training.

I, like everyone else, graduated with approx 300hrs, a Commercial Instrument SEL, MEL, CFI (some with CFII I did not however). I then came home from college. Started working on getting to the 500hrs, The first big step. I flew for a flight school with a small ammount of Traffic Watch. At 550 hrs I went to a vfr 135 scheduled airline flying a cherokee 6. Then after 2 years there I had 1500 hours and moved up to the ME scheduled 135. It is single pilot so you need the ATP. After a summer of that I had enough multi time to go to "the commuters". It was hard flying, hard work, low pay, and I worked another job not related to flying to pay the bills...mostly in the off season. the summers were busy on the islands.

So where do you go at 500 hours...well I did it in New England for a company serving the islands off the cost of Rhode Island, Mass, and Long Island New York. I had several friends go up to Alaska. There are a lot of 135 SE operators who just require the 500 hour FAA minimums. My friends who went there loved it and look back on it as one of the best parts of their career. Where they really started to learn how to fly and work a schedule.

They now work for the likes of Net Jets, FedEx, Airborne, and Northwest.

I had a friend once tell me that aviation takes a few steps of faith to get the career going. I believe in that more than paying for it. Just my opinion.

P