Whooosah

Right on! Thanks I'd like to start off in the PA-31 in PDX! I hope I can get on this July class.

tbmpilot

Better move is to take the BE-99 wherever you can get it. That will position you to upgrade to larger turbine earlier.

Whooosah

I see,I don't mind waiting a bit longer though if it means being in a better base. How is the wait to get to a 99 in SEA? i would be willing to wait for a 99 on the west coast if it takes a year or two. I would really like to hop right into the turbine but location is also a factor. Thanks for all the advice! I'm excited either way!

Edit: forgot to ask if per dim is ever given normally half day? I know away from base pays If away for 24hours.

own nav

Half day per diem is not normal. You normally just get paid for the day (8 units/day, 40 units/week).

tbmpilot

It's rare to get per diem at all on any run. It's mainly when you go out on the road to cover vacation on an outstation run that you would get per diem.

Earl81

BFI base would take a while to get. Cant tell you an exact time frame but probably years. Not a lot of movment. I agree with tbmpilot, go get in a 99 where you can. get your time and move up. Feel free to pm me

BadaBing83

What is the quickest way to get an OMA station/route? Thanks.

SWAblue

These days you need to clarify what type of major you are asking about.

Most people are talking about a major being United, SWA, Delta, American or US Airways. Even though companies like Allegiant qualify under the definition of a "Major" airline with the amount of revenue earned per year, those types of airlines are considered more of a "National" airline. A "Legacy" airline term was invented to try and separate the types of airlines but most consider a major airline as to what is mostly now a Legacy carrier as well as SWA.

I can say that in the late 90's SWA did hire some from Ameriflight. Back then the airlines were hiring at an incredible pace so qualified candidates became more competitive for all airlines. Today is a different story with the much higher number of part 121 RJ pilots in the pool due to the lack of hiring over the past five years and the very large increase of growth in the Regional pilot market the past decade or more.

There are exceptions to every rule but unless you know the "right" person at a Legacy airline or SWA, you won't get hired right from AMF any more. But AMF is a great place to get the experience to get hired by another carrier (Skywest, Spirit, Allegiant etc..) that will give you the competitive qualifications to get hired with that Legacy carrier of your dreams if you so desire.

I have said this before and I will say this again because it really can't get said enough, you burn the bridge of the "wrong" person in your dream job, you won't get to work there. Be good at politics and diplomacy, be an honest person of high character, and you will never burn the bridge of the wrong person.

Best of luck to us all.

Earl81

It’s possible to get into OMA off the street. It just depends what’s going on with company needs. If you don’t get hired into OMA then just get into a base and open bid OMA and wait for an opening but then you would be internal and get dibs over street hires. OMA openings come up pretty frequently.

ysslah

I'm sorry if this came up earlier, but I came up empty handed when I tried to search for this. I'm a 121 pilot (not SWA) and trying to see if I can Jumpseat on your airplane. On the APC profile, SWA is the only airline you guys have an agreement with, but it says you guys are a CASS participant. Can I can I not Jumpseat on your plane? And if I can, how do I go on about doing it?