Starship
Well-Known Member
Yea I guess it wasn't that big of a class. My friend said they wanted around 18 and they only have 10 or 11 and three of those guys are upgrades.
Had interview with PSA, Republic to follow...
- Thread starter bunk22
- Start date
Yea I guess it wasn't that big of a class. My friend said they wanted around 18 and they only have 10 or 11 and three of those guys are upgrades.
Jet
Well-Known Member
I've always wondered this myself. I assume they go regional when majors aren't hiring much? Bunk, I've interviewed at Republic before. It's a very laid back interview, done before lunch if you start in the am but there is now a sim ride starting soon (waived if you're prior 121).
Gonzo
Well-Known Member
A
Adler
Guest
I guess I just cant fathom going from being an all-star top of the food chain bad ass, to the FNG at a company that doesn't care about you...flying with captains with a fraction of your experience, and for such little pay. I always imagined retiring and then getting some job that was FUN, maybe not pay much but you've already retired!
turbomax97
What can brown do for you?
Many of the guys that came to ATP when things began slowing down at the legacies were satisfied with taking whatever 121 gig was hiring and waiting for delta/fdx/ups/swa when the hiring began again. Many were getting a full retirement + a guard gig so first year FO pay was a piece of the pie.
JDean3204
Well-Known Member
Not always true, Our COD's on deployment were always shiny because we buffed the hell out of them. Our maintenance Chief loved giving us elbow work. After every flight we would do "hot spots" followed by a decent buff job aft of the props. The wings were quite difficult to keep shiny though, wings folded on deck with engines turning for a few hours a day throughout the mission made it pretty difficult to keep them pristine.
Kingairer
'Tiger Team' Member
Before you go to the Republic interview, i strongly suggest you check your pulse and put a mirror in front of your mouth and see if anything happens. If you need anymore guouge let me know...I hear they put an airplane picture in front of you and see if you can identify if its a single or multi engine.
Hacker15e
Who am I? Where are my pants?
Well, I never said that it was enjoyable to do that -- just that it had to be done (or might have to be done) because of the current rules of the game.
Military guys spend their whole careers moving up the ladder for a couple of years, and then starting over when they get to new assignments. I know I, personally, have gone through this several times as a flyer (especially when transferring between airframes: I haven't had two assignments back-to-back with the same aircraft ever) so it doesn't bother me that it will happen again when crossing over to the civilian world. Just part of the deal.
In addition, the 'flying with captains with a fraction of your experience' piece has to be taken with the reality of the situation. #1, I fly in the military with lesser-experienced flight leads all the time. Because of the nature of how military training sorties are scheduled, it isn't always the highest ranking or most experienced guy as the formation flight leader. It is just part of the rules of the game that I've been brought up under. It doesn't, by definition, bother me to 'work for' a guy with less experience.
You also have to understand that a lesser-experienced captain at a regional has an infinite more amount of experience in the 121 environment than I do. It would be one thing if a 24-year-old RJ pilot with 1/2 the time in aviation as I have was trying to lead me around on a 2-ship combat mission in a fighter, but that's not the deal. We're flying around revenue pax in a 121 operation, of which I have precisely zero experience. If anything, I actually have things I can learn from him.
Bottom line: I don't see myself as 'too good' or 'too experienced' to do some time at a regional if that's where I have to start, and I won't feel like some kind of lesser of a man or aviator if that is what happens.
Obviously the pay and schedule will suck out loud compared to what I am currently living with, but my family and I are mentally and financially prepared for that -- we've been aware that a year or two at the bottom of the regional food chain could be part of our future, so we are doing what we need to be able to financially survive those ultra-lean times.
GypsyPilot
Mohawk Town
As far as experience goes, there's not a lot of 24 y/o RJ captains anymore. Most of the ones I fly with are mid to late 40s with close to 10,000 hours. Some quite a bit older and more experienced. Not too many that are young. Extremely unusual if they're younger than their 30s.
A place like Great Lakes would be quite different of course.
A place like Great Lakes would be quite different of course.
motoboy
Well-Known Member
I know of one who bypassed, just bit the bullet recently and upgraded though. Senior clt fo to reserve day captain sounds no bueno to me.
bunk22
Well-Known Member
Haven't flown a COD in over 6 years now and no, never has been a shiny COD. I only fly beat up, well worn, clown fish jets now.
I am applying to all and right now, the Regionals are calling as they are hiring. If a major calls, I'm there. Beggers can't be choosers. Hard to listen to anything on the net as there is a lot of bitching and whining. Not saying it isn't valid, I can't make that call but it seems nobody is happy with any airline they work for.
bunk22
Well-Known Member
This is exactly it. I have the T-45 Simulator gig as an option as well, pays better than most if not all regionals but then currency suffers.
rframe
pǝʇɹǝʌuı
I'm not an airline pilot, so take it for the little it might be worth, but the people who are most vocal about anything are the ones who want to bitch and moan. Pretty much nobody will start a forum post, blog, whatever saying "my job is pretty nice". Happy people are quiet people, complainers are noisy.
Just as you suggest, that doesn't mean the complainers dont have valid complaints, but you tend to only hear from them so the Interwebz dont usually provide a very balanced view.
bunk22
Well-Known Member
I remember reading about this somewhere but the study basically found that when someone is unhappy with something, like a product, they will tell on average 13-15 people. When they are happy with something, they tell 3-5 people. I get it and I understand that the pay sucks for regionals, big time as well. I will have a $45k retirement off the bat so that helps but it would still be a big shock to me as well. As an O-4 at 20 years, I make $120K but nearly $24k of my pay is not taxed (BAH and BAS). So it will be a big change for me unless I take a job doing something non flying that pays better.
deadstick
Well-Known Member
Do they know they can be drug tested? They need the stop. Bunk....if you haven't aleady, check the threads on apc.
BobDDuck
Island Bus Driver
Fair heads up though... 99% of the PSA guys that post on APC are the bitter minority here. Negotiation sessions in Aspen? Really?
bunk22
Well-Known Member
That didn't go well, not the interview, the PSA interview went well, placed in a pool but didn't even leave the airport for the Republic interview. They put me on standby and being it's holiday travel, not a single open seat today or tomorrow 
And, even though I told the gate personnel to make sure they didn't load my one bag (one of my custom made suits), they did anyway. Maybe I'll see it again one day lol
And, even though I told the gate personnel to make sure they didn't load my one bag (one of my custom made suits), they did anyway. Maybe I'll see it again one day lol
bunk22
Well-Known Member
Is there something wrong with drug testing or am I missing something here? I'm drug test all the time in the military, random pee tests.
BeRich
Very Special Agent
I think he was saying that they had to be on drugs if they loved working there.