theHub

Pref interviews are a way to keep guys at the regionals. "Thanks for interviewing, but no thanks. Per the agreement you can reinterview in 12 months". Now that keeps X amount of pilots at the WO regional for 12 more months.

N2Core

Wow, you are quite the rabble-rouser. I'm not saying they would care, I never did. And if you think it's that hard to replace a 35K a year job, think again. I've had a couple of opportunities to leave the regionals for comparable jobs, but for what I've put into aviation I should at least give it a chance before leaving the industry. If what you stated were to happen (which it won't), I'd pack my bags, broseph. Because then there would be no hope, and that's the only reason a lot of these planes at regionals leave the ground.

Bzzt

Captains make more than 35k a year and thats over half your regional population. Would you lose some FOs? Yes, of course. Would you lose them all? No, of course not. Would the ab initio program suck for those of us currently at a regional? Absolutely. Will that stop the companies from doing it if it saves them money? Nope.

Your opinion is based on the fact you don't want an ab initio program to happen not that it won't or can't.

N2Core

I'm not denying the fact that ab initio won't or can't happen, I'm just denying the fact that it won't happen like you say it will.

av8trinabarrel

That is a very true statement. I was furloughed from NetJets 3.5 years ago and had done nothing in my adult life besides flying. I knew a year before the furlough I had better get my arse in gear and find a new career........and pronto. I was fortunate that my bro in law owned and ran a plumbing service company. Being a plumbing apprentice at 35, working under kids with no education, morals or hygiene was a life altering moment in my life. Here I am almost 4 years later about to get my contractors license in a few months with a renewed sense of joy that I am no longer tied to aviation 100%. I realize leaving on your own and getting f lowed are two different things, but finding a new career, even at 35 can be done.

My perfect scenario now is to go back to NJ (hopefully sooner rather than later) and put my contractors license to work part time. We all know that the perfect scenario rarely works out, so i'm thinking about jumping back into the regional world to get current again. I have 9000TT with 5 types, degree and 7000PIC. The currency thing is killing me, but now that I have a fall back plan, I'm willing to bite the pillow and go back to the regionals for a time to get current. I swore up and down years ago I would never go to a major, but I'm willing to give it a chance if the opportunity presents itself. The beauty of a fall back plan is having the ability to give the middle finger to management if I'm having a rough day and head home with my head held high. Good luck to the regional folks looking to get out.

Bzzt

I keep trying to motivate myself to get off my butt and do something on the side but I just haven't had any good ideas yet.

crewdawg

If they only have one skill set, then they are lazy (like I once was). I don't trust aviation enough to count on it forever. I used to have only one skill, then I watched a friend lose his medical for good. This was an eye opening event in my life...probably one of those life altering events I hear people talk about. After that I set out to develop another skill set and work on a side income. The day I lose my medical/get furloughed isn't the day I want to think about what I'm going to do to pay the bills. All it takes is a will and some sense of direction. I read tons of books, studied, took a class or two, and sought out advice/education from blogs, forums, and friends or experts. All of this can be done while holding a full time job, as I have done it. I'm nowhere near where I want to be, but it's a start.

Keep looking, there are plenty of things put there. I would start looking in whatever your hobbies (aside from aviation) are or what you enjoy most. Goodluck.

crewdawg

Is there something put there that says pilots wont get hired on their own merit, if they are part of a flow? I may have missed it, but I haven't seen anything of the like. I have watched dudes with a flow, go to a completely different legacy.

WARich

No, I guess doing 20 and deploying multiple times doesn't justify skipping the regionals............so I guess we mil dudes have to do 20, then start at the regionals in some peoples eyes............<-notice the severe rolling of the eyes......Now I'm not saying we automatically deserve to be flying with big boys, but at least we should have an equal opportunity to be considered for an interview and perhaps be hired without going to a regional.....

Bzzt

Having a flow limits your options, at least if that flow is to AA. AA has historically not hired eagle guys although that may have more to do with the wholly owned crap than the flow...wish they had divested us prior to bk.