Originally Posted by acl65pilot

Problem is that most cannot see past the need to get 500 hrs of 121 PIC to even be competitive for the majors. To get that you need a seat to do it in. To get that seat you need more RJ's. To get more RJ's you need the mainline to cave on scope. If they cave on scope you mainline job is farther away. Sounds like a hamster wheel to me.
Less than 10 years ago they were hiring guys with no jet time. Fact is they still did in 2007-08. DAL's take is if you have PIC turbine time, it does not necessarily need to be part 121.

The whole reason people have decided to make the regionals their career is the total relaxation of scope. These days you are looking at 15 years to a left seat of anything at a major. Now in 10 years that will be down to less than two years. Good for the junior FO's just starting at the regionals or the ones that are starting flight school. Not good for the ones that want to come to the majors and are in their 30's.
Just look at the retirements before you scream out loud that you want more RJ's. A little patience for the this instant gratification society. Because of the scope relaxation, I spend a decade at a regional. Not fun at all.

Originally Posted by B00sted

Do regional guys every want mainline jobs? Too many newb's got hard ons for more RJ's. Please think about your future.

Originally Posted by PinnacleFO

I couldnt agree with you more on this. I almost think that the economy had to slow down to teach people that you actually have to work for things in life. We are totally an instant gratification society unlike our parents and grandparents. We think - I go to college i build my flight time I go to a regional upgrade in two years and then i go to a major. I think this crappy economy is teaching us all something that it takes patience and dedication to get where you want to be and sometimes its going to be tough.

Originally Posted by PinnacleFO

I couldnt agree with you more on this. I almost think that the economy had to slow down to teach people that you actually have to work for things in life. We are totally an instant gratification society unlike our parents and grandparents. We think - I go to college i build my flight time I go to a regional upgrade in two years and then i go to a major. I think this crappy economy is teaching us all something that it takes patience and dedication to get where you want to be and sometimes its going to be tough.

Originally Posted by B00sted

Do regional guys every want mainline jobs? Too many newb's got hard ons for more RJ's. Please think about your future.

Originally Posted by laserman2431

Boosted. I agree with your premise that we should hope for more mainline jobs over the long haul. The problem is that we, pilot types, really don't have any control over what planes the companies decide to buy or how the companies use their planes. Or at least very little say in those decisions. We just fly the planes. The consumers, the company management and the government have much more control over those decisions.

Our government has taken a very laissez-faire approach to all of this. In Japan, you see very few regional jets. That is because their government will not allow their routes to become crowded. Japanese airlines would probably love to use RJs for their short routes as much as we do but the government has established rules that discourage them.

I'm afraid we are kind of stuck with the situation that we have. And there may even be more transferring to smaller planes here. I think we should try to focus more on trying to increase the benefits for those who are/will be flying those planes.

Originally Posted by par8head

"Mesaba will be operating CRJ-700's which are currently being flown by ASA & Comair."

Originally Posted by Lighteningspeed

Very good point. In Japan and elsewhere like Korea or Germany, airline industry is highly regulated and hence fewer RJs. Plus, all pilots are under one seniority system unlike here.

Just want to add, mainline senior pilots from prior military flying background who has been influencing the major airline hiring process for the past 20 years or so are responsible for this turbine time requirement. This requirement has forced many pilots to get that precious turbine time by flying for regionals for peanuts. If there was no turbine time requirement, I suspect fewer pilots will opt for regionals. Instead, more will stay instructing or fly corporate.

Originally Posted by sailingfun

Most airline hiring practices are driven by results. I know at my airline they look at how the pilots they hire perform in training and on the line. They use that feedback to craft what they seek when they hire. In the last round we had far more extra training then in the last 30 years so perhaps in the next round the standards will change.
There is one last part left out by most pilots in the hiring equation. Majors understand they are hiring both a pilot and a manager. They look at the side of the equation also. Do well in college in a real major at a good school. It makes a big difference. Get some management experience outside avaition if possible. It makes a difference!

Originally Posted by rickair7777

The boys in St. George are not stupid...when they took ASA off of DAL's hands they required long-term contracts with certain minimum levels. I don't think DAL can take away any more of ASA's flying.

COMAIR of course is wholly OWNED...so anythings possible there I guess.