Senior Skipper

Hi all,

I just spent some time on the main site looking at hiring mins for various regionals. Here's what I found:

Mesaba 600TT, 50ME, 100 instrument (75 last 90 days)
Colgan 600TT/100ME
ASA 500TT/50ME
Comair 600TT/100ME
ExJet 600TT/100ME
Mesa 500TT, 100ME

Of course, I'm trying to avoid ones like GoJet, Gulfstream etc. I'd like to know how realistic these mins are. Say you don't know anybody at these airlines, would it really be worth sending out resumes with 600TT/100ME? Do these airlines actually hire a lot of people with 600 hours, or do the vast majority of FO's have over 1000hr, with maybe one or two people per year getting in with the minimums? I know it can't ever hurt to just send out a resume, but should I wait until I get closer to 1000hrs to start sending them out?

seattlepilot

You know, you should apply to all of the ones that you want to work in and see what happens.. If you'd ask last summer i'd say only SkyWest has hard minima.. With merger talks, recession, age 65 things are changing..
It may take you longer to apply to these than posting the question on this board, but the best answer you will get will be from HR departments.
Good luck..

acs020

At Mesaba the "logbook/how much total time" question was the very last one asked during the interview. They wanted to know my knowledge level based on their standards, not the level they believe a low time guy would have. I was accepted to pilot training with about 850-900 hours and 50.1 multi exactly. It really does not matter if you have 600 or 1000, as long as you study, prepare, and look like you are trainable (not sure if that is a word, sorry) you will do fine. GOOD LUCK!

Sbaker1595

colgan is begging to interview me and i have already had an interview at eagle with way below minimums...... the best advice i can give is give every airline you are interested in a shot....you never know what will happen...if you are turned down, big deal.......go for it man!!!

Piston6565

Most of the listed regionals just throw a number out there to keep the media from writing crazy stories. I have seen a lot of people being hired with well below those minimums. With exception to SKW, Rep,and XJT you should be good to go as long as you are close to the minimums in the mutli column. Check out aviationinterviews.com and see the times those guys and gals are being hired at. I think you would be surprised with their times. Granded things seem to be slowing down at some airlines and rocket firing at others; but it never hurts to send your resume in for review. Summer will be around the corner before we know it and things will pick up. I have a buddy that was hired at Mesaba with 520/50, another with ASA with 370/30 (with CRJ Jet course), ExpressJet 610/110 (stiff on mins and haven't hired since last march I believe -starting to interview for spring classes), and Eagle with crazy low times (commercial temp cert. still had wet ink). If you can handle good QOL with a long upgrade, Eagle would love to have ya - with ANY TIMES. If your SIM ride is not up to par they will pay for a 3 week Jet course at Flight Safety or RAA. As I mentioned, if you do not have the mins for SKW, Republic, or XJT don't even bother. You will get some calls if you apply to the companies mentioned, I promise!! Good luck with all and save your money caz you will need to for the first few years living off FO pay. Remember just say no to drugs and blow jets.

Paok

Comair has taken a lot of people with around 50 multi, myself included...... and I was about 20 hours short of 600 as well....

145Driver

RAH isn't necessarily dead set on their 800/100 either from what I've seen...Just remember, it's free to apply!

usmc-sgt

Colgan will hire around 300-400, I can not speak for the rest although I would bet money that you can get on well below mins at any of them providing that you can impress (not crash the sim, enter a hold correctly and fly an ILS) the interviewers.

As mentioned I think the only ones that were pretty firm for a while were Horizon, Skywest and Eagle that I remember hearing of.

cbire880

RAH has been known recently to conditionally offer a class based on getting to a certain flight time prior.

YourCptSpeaking

Eagle is advertising 500/100 and accepting apps with 400/50, yet the newest jungle jet jockey in BOS was hired with 206TT, so rumor has it. Scary if you ask me...