j3gibbon

I am currently working at a 121 regional and have a place closer to home looking for FO in their Citation Bravo. I was wondering if the jump would be a good move or not. My goal is a Fractional or Corporate gig.

Bill Lumberg

Well, it partially depends upon how much time you have. I wouldn't leave the regional until you have the minimum hours required for a fractional.

Avantair (check out www.avantair.com) is a fast growing fractional and one to consider (my preference would be Netjets but, as you would expect, there is a long line for Netjets after their recent new contract):

Avantair Minimums requirements:

2500 Total Time
1000 Multi-engine
250 Instruments
100 recent multi engine turbine or type rating
250 Hours within the past 12 months
Airline Transport Pilot preferred
First Class Medical
Current Passport
FCC Restricted Radio/Telephone Permit

I would stay at your regional at least until you meet those minimums. How close are you to 2500 hours? Plane Sense (also known as Alpha Flying - www.planesense.aero) will probably hire you with fewer hours onto a PC12 and then in 4-5 years you could fly a new Grob jet. The point is that you want to get the minimum hours necessary to make these jumps to ensure you have options.

I hear what you are saying about flying a Bravo. Not a bad option either. You get jet time but I would only leave the regional for that job if my upgrade time to PIC was short. PIC jet time (and a decent amount per year - 500+ hours) could make you more attractive to some of the more picky fractionals like Netjets and Citationshares. To sum up, the Bravo would make sense if you could upgrade to PIC soon and you could get a good number of hours per year to get you closer to what the fractionals would look for. I am sure that after flying the mighty CR7, the Bravo will underwhelm you in terms of its power.

UCLAbruins

I would stay at the regional. A 135 Citation position would be a stepping-stone, that's excatly what the regionals are for. I see that as a side-step all the way. I know how it feels, when I was at the regionals I felt like I was doing time.

Have some patience, and don't just focus on NetJets. Citation Shares and FlexJet are great companies as well (owned by Cessna & Bombardier) talk about security. As far as a 'Good' corporate job, those are hard to come by, especially without int'l experience, but try anyway, what the hell.

j3gibbon

Thank you for the input, I only have 400hrs so far and am determining how long to stay at the regional and how to build PIC (I read the FARs and I can do it at the regional if I perform PIC work under the supervision on a PIC)

highnpressurizd

With 400 hours you need total time. Whether it be 135 or 121, you wont be able to get a PIC position in a jet until you have 1500 hours and the CRJ is the fastest way to get there. Also, don't try logging PIC when you are not dispatched as such, regardless of how you read the FAR's. No airline or fractional worth their salt will accept it, and trying to count it may get you "busted," i.e. no interview. For better or worse, you've got a jump on your carreer that most folks never could have had just a few years ago. Slow down and enjoy the ride.

flyguy37

95 percent of all reputable companies only take FAR 1 PIC time which is when you sign for the aircraft. Be very careful before you f your logbook up.

Bill Lumberg

These are all good points. I know it is hard at first, but I'd tough it out and stay at the regional if I were you. Get the jet time there as quickly as possible. Plus, the CR7 is a nice airplane - you could be flying a lot worse...

Meatball

Very scary how low the regionals are hiring these days.

PIC is when YOU are the captain and at no other time. Don't try to bend the FARs to suite your needs. Future employers will see right through it.

j3gibbon

Yeah I'm not trying to bend any FARs just trying to figure out how I can get some PIC time without having to go to a local fbo and buy it, cus we all know that on first year FO pay there isn't any extra cash to go and do that. Anyone with any ideas? I don't have a CFI so that is out at least for now.

BoilerUP

Your decision depends very much on what your end goals are.

I left my job as an 121 CRJ FO for a part 91 Citation job before Thanksgiving. I had 2400 hours, 1400 jet with a little previous turbine 91 experience and was hired into the operation as a captain. The job was in THE location my wife and I wanted to move in, with compensation equal or better than 50 seat CA pay, for a small but financially-sound company with a new airplane on firm order.

You state your ultimate goal is at a 91/91K operation. Fractionals love airline FOs but only if you have an ATP and (at least) 2000tt. If you want a pure 91 job you'll probably need a job to wash off your "airline stink", and a 135 operator is a great way to do so. That said, with your TT being only 400 hours you need another 900-1500 hours before you make that leap, and in your current job that's probably 12-18 months away. Some 135 operators LOVE to hire super-low time pilots and throw them in the right seat with little training for very substandard compensation, if for no other reason than because they can and the candidate often doesn't know any better.

My advice would be to stay at the regional and fly as much as you possibly can, and start/keep networking in the 91/91K/135 sector. If still interested in a charter or corporate job, start sending out resumes at 1200-1500tt but you'll probably only be qualified for an entry-level copilot job with that amount of hours. At that point it might be beneficial to you to make a "lateral move" to an entry-level Citation or Lear copilot job if the QOL improves for you and it positions you closer to your ultimate career goal of driving bizjets.

Good luck...