Cubdriver

What in particular gives you that impression? We rank airlines all the time by what we read here and through other sources. That's what message boards are for in large part, helping pilots gather info on things they are interested in knowing some candid opinions about. Maybe you are assuming because one sent me home I home disfavor that one, but that is not necessarily the case.

What

You are absolutely correct, when the supply is grater than the demand even people who do well and met all expectations are not hired as there aren't enough slots. In this case we are talking about a regional who has airplanes in storage because it can't staff them and the ones on the line are not flying as much (q400). They are offering 5k bonuses, if you show up and do well in the interview they will hire you, this wasn't the case where they couldn't put all bodies in class this was an instant where something didn't jive with the employer. Now united not hiring you is a different story as there is a huge disparity in the supply and demand curve there but RAH is the total opposite.

D B Cooper

Maybe that's your problem, gathering information and ranking airlines based on what is said via a message board. Everyone is entitled to an opinion. However, I wouldn't base a career choice or anything based on what I read here.

eaglefly

In many ways you are correct. Based on what some read here and in other forums, it's tough for many on the fence about dumping large sums of cash into advanced flight training and clawing to the 1500 hour mark (or 1000 for certain flight schools) to make that commitment considering the atrocious compensation and even more aggregious treatment of pilots by regional employers. But the 3 legacies have yet to fully engage their hiring. Once that occurs it will also create new vacuums at less desirable mid-level LCC's like Spirit, Allegient and Jet Blue, just to name a few who will also drain from the regionals. Once this tsunami hits, it will wash pilots out of regionals far faster than can be replaced and the multi-year pipeline for basic qualification cannot even meet today's pre-wave situation.

My local airports pattern is usually empty and my old college while still having a flight program, is finding it challenging to attract freshman to ante up the significant extra money/debt for such a feeble payoff. Another University a few hours away closed its very large and nationally known flight school. The information highway including forums has also washed the historic B.S., promises and lies propagated by the industry to snooker new generations of would-be pilots with the same empty promises and propaganda swallowed by those previous. I count half a dozen pilots alone of high school/college age I've counseled on the realities of the airline path and backed it up with hard facts. Pointing them to various forums for a broader perspective of regional life and its trials and tribulations has also let them see the good, bad and ugly and let's face it, all one has to do is read these forums and see the bad and ugly have so far, far outweighed the good. Only considering today's landscape doesn't identify the impact of the wave that will smash into the regionals full force in 12-18 months when legacies are hiring just as many new RJ's are simultaneously arriving needing A LOT of pilots. There are training bubbles to maintain as well.

I think you are erroneously assessing this situation by looking at the current tide, which is deceptive. Just like a real tsunami, the tide is receding and a strange calm exists. When the wave is upon the regionals, it will be sudden, fast and far too late to react. The clues are all there now though, it's just it appears no one really wants to face its significance. Unfortunately, that's par for the airline industry, i.e., disregard until it becomes a crisis and then beg regulators and labor for help.

I find it interesting to note you say "we" when discussing pilot behavior almost like a recruiter for a flight school as opposed to an individual representing his own perceptions. You sure you're just a run of the mill part 61/141 trained pilot who wants to fly the airlines reading pilot web boards ?

Cubdriver

That's a nice post Eagle, and yes, I am a pilot and nothing more. Was doing flight testing for a while and got to a point I could not leave the desk without additional turbine time and a lot of it, so here I am applying to turbine jobs.

Bozo the pilot

If you're basing your opinion on dealings with HR depts then I understand why you're in the dark. HR will nevr allow any desperation to show-its the training depts who have the facts and are realistic about the candidate pool. If you want real answers, talk to your friends who run initial grnd and sim training. At Rah, they are scrambling to find decent, trainable candidates-its bottom of the barrel time and its gettin to that point for many regionals. If your not getting hired by a regional in this market then something is wrong with your background, qualifications or demeanor-its that simple. Keep trying and good luck- i cant believe that rah passed on you because they have enough prospects.

DashDriverYV

Quite frankly, it doesn't matter what regional pay will or won't go up to for the majority of those who are already flying them. We are tired of the inevitable whip saw by contract flying. I'll leave to the first airline who calls where I can fly my passengers.

What

I assume that you mean and airline that flies under its own colors. But sadly:

US Airways flies tons on United passengers
Alaska flies tons of Delta and American passengers
JetBlue flies tons of American passengers

This profession has taken a huge hit and we will continue to see the alliances and gentleman handshakes in most markets with the exemption of NY and LA.

eaglefly

Ahhh........now I see the problem. Sadly, you're listening to the claims of the very people who have made a name for themselves in the misinformation, assumption, duplicity dept. It looks like you'll have to join the ranks of those who were warned, but chose to believe something else. You're in for a painful and frustrating education I'm afraid. Don't worry.......the list of members in this club is long indeed.

Good luck on your theories. In fact, if you're going to take the sources you seem to be solidly relying on as guidance for that segment of your career, which I think is a colossal demonstration of naivete, you'll need more than luck IMO. The bright side again IMO, will be watching the many carriers that have taken advantage of pilots for decades finally get the boomerang of karma right in the forehead, when the byproduct of alienation they've cultivated for so long comes home to roost and they finally succeed in scaring too many away from the risk of tossing $50,000 in the crapper. Think of it as a demonstration of the law of unintended consequences.

My advice is whatever regional you go to, remain flexible and be ready to start over and maybe more than once. Carriers will fail and at this point, it's difficult to tell the survivors from the casualties, so what may APPEAR to be the best choice today can quickly morph into a frustrating setback.

eaglefly

That is the future of this segment of the industry. Regionals will be nothing more than outsourced contractors, just as the past, but soon they ALL will be whipsawed against each other. This will force the cheapest bid to win. The only way to eek a profit is to skim even more from journeyman pilots all flying PBS schedules with virtually no quality of life and minimum bucks. It's a perfect set up to alienate even more pilots current caught up in that vortex and in turn others who would have considered the profession will turn away. Oh sure, the same song and dance routines of promises of pay and advancement will be just around the corner, but far fewer will be standing in the crowd ready to pay the snake oil salesman.

Tough for hucksters to work their shams when there are few marks to scam.