Regional hiring confusion, how to get the foot in the door?

TexasFlyer

TexasFlyer

Living the Dream (well at least trying to)
I decided after many years of struggling to make a dollar as a low time Part 91 contract pilot (3000/600), that it is time to commit to a Regional as the next step. My 15 hours a month average flight time is not advancing my career. And even though my pay flying such few hours well exceeds double that of a first year FO, I spend 18 days a month behind a desk and 2 or 3 a month flying. And flying is where my heart is. So Regional looks like the best short term place to meet long term goals.

That said. I ranked the top 10 Regionals by order of choice as follows for my situation:
1. SkyWest
2. Express Jet
3. PSA
4. Compass
5. Air Wisconsin
6. American Eagle
7. Go Jet
8. Pinnacle
9. TSA
10. Republic

I applied to all that are presently hiring 7 days ago. I have interviews set with Express Jet (2nd choice) and Republic (10th choice) and Piedmont (would be 11th pick).

I am not very excited about Republic or Peidmont as they rank very low on my list due to bases and their work rules. And I hate to start somewhere just to go elsewhere if the phone rang. If I accept one, I will not jump to another since I find it unprofessional to commit to one and go to another. So I would like to secure a top 5 offer on my list in July.

Is there anything I can do besides sit around and wait for my phone to ring in order to secure an interview with Compass or PSA or Air Wisconsin? I would be commuting from San Antonio or Dayton (homes in both locations) so work rules and bases are important to have a QOL.

Thanks in advance for your words.
 
TexasFlyer said:
"I am not very excited about Republic or Piedmont..."
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You already know the answer. Just like a new car...or boat...or house...or marriage, nothing changes after you make the commitment. If you don't like it beforehand, you certainly won't like it afterwards. Hold out for what you want.
 
stormchaser said:
You already know the answer. Just like a new car...or boat...or house...or marriage, nothing changes after you make the commitment. If you don't like it beforehand, you certainly won't like it afterwards. Hold out for what you want.
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Hard part is holding out on a prayer PSA or Compass or Air Wisconsin calls soon. For all I know, they may never call.

I learned in life. What one wants and what one gets are unfortunately two different things. So just need to decide with what presents itself. But you have to go after what you want. And try your best to get that opportunity to present itself.

After all. If we all got what we wanted, one-third of this forum would be working as a Captain with me at Southwest. Ah. Dreaming again :)
 
I think the best thing you can do is simply follow up with HR at the companies you really want. Just say you wanted to ensure that your résumé has reached the right folks and that you are looking forward to hearing back from them.

That is what I did, and two interviews followed quickly.
 
It's kinda funny but I have friends at 2, 3 and 6 who regret not going with me to 10. All of them are still on reserve hating life. Yes they have better work rules but since I held a line right away I was able to out do them on pay by a significant amount during the first year pay while having 4-5 extra days off a month and much shorter duty days due to the longer average flights.
 
Fixed your list you you....

TexasFlyer said:
That said. I ranked the top 10 Regionals by order of choice as follows for my situation:
1. SkyWest
2. Express Jet
3. Air Wisconsin
4. Compass
5. American Eagle
6. PSA
7. Republic
8. Pinnacle
9. TSA
10. Go Jet
Click to expand...


But seriously, I'd probably go to a couple of the interviews, even if you don't particularly want to work there. Get some practice in the airline style interview, and hold out/evaluate the situation. I was doing the same thing as you a couple months ago, but decided not to go into 121. Also, the reality is some of these places aren't even hiring. Compass comes to mind. You may have them high on your list, but at the end of the day they have no new people coming on property.
 
TexasFlyer said:
I decided after many years of struggling to make a dollar as a low time Part 91 contract pilot (3000/600), that it is time to commit to a Regional as the next step. My 15 hours a month average flight time is not advancing my career. And even though my pay flying such few hours well exceeds double that of a first year FO, I spend 18 days a month behind a desk and 2 or 3 a month flying. And flying is where my heart is.
Click to expand...


The next step towards what?
 
Are there any other options for you? Part 91 contacts that you've made? I don't want to be a total negative Nancy or get flogged, but dude, you're not missing anything imo by staying out of this zoo. I thought I would dig it, and I thought wrong. To me, it could never compare to a good 91 gig, or even possibly 135 *gasp*. Ever

You might love it though; not that there's anything wrong with that...
 
rocketman5150 said:
The next step towards what?
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Being 40 I may be foolish to say a major. So this may be the next step to a major pain in the a** if things don't go smoothly. Really though. If I get into one of the few 'good' regionals, maybe a career there. If not, the next step is hopefully wrack up a few thousand hours of pic twin turbine time by 50 years old so when my colleagues are going to majors, I can look back at a good Part 91 Flight Department.

Right now flying around in a Baron is not doing me much good from what I am coming across. I need solid twin turbine pic time now.
 
TexasFlyer said:
I decided after many years of struggling to make a dollar as a low time Part 91 contract pilot (3000/600), that it is time to commit to a Regional as the next step. My 15 hours a month average flight time is not advancing my career. And even though my pay flying such few hours well exceeds double that of a first year FO, I spend 18 days a month behind a desk and 2 or 3 a month flying. And flying is where my heart is. So Regional looks like the best short term place to meet long term goals.

That said. I ranked the top 10 Regionals by order of choice as follows for my situation:
1. SkyWest
2. Express Jet
3. PSA
4. Compass
5. Air Wisconsin
6. American Eagle
7. Go Jet
8. Pinnacle
9. TSA
10. Republic

I applied to all that are presently hiring 7 days ago. I have interviews set with Express Jet (2nd choice) and Republic (10th choice) and Piedmont (would be 11th pick).

I am not very excited about Republic or Peidmont as they rank very low on my list due to bases and their work rules. And I hate to start somewhere just to go elsewhere if the phone rang. If I accept one, I will not jump to another since I find it unprofessional to commit to one and go to another. So I would like to secure a top 5 offer on my list in July.

Is there anything I can do besides sit around and wait for my phone to ring in order to secure an interview with Compass or PSA or Air Wisconsin? I would be commuting from San Antonio or Dayton (homes in both locations) so work rules and bases are important to have a QOL.

Thanks in advance for your words.
Click to expand...

With 3000 hrs and an ATP, you might be able to get on with a legacy or LCC. If you can skip the regional world, do so.
 
JLF said:
Are there any other options for you? Part 91 contacts that you've made? I don't want to be a total negative Nancy or get flogged, but dude, you're not missing anything imo by staying out of this zoo. I thought I would dig it, and I thought wrong. To me, it could never compare to a good 91 gig, or even possibly 135 *gasp*. Ever

You might love it though; not that there's anything wrong with that...
Click to expand...

I have a lot of Part 91 contacts. But most are in Mexico. And I do not want to be based in Mexico.

My other Part 91 contacts are drying up. In some cases they upgraded to aircraft where I was not able to get insured as single pilot PIC. IIn another case I was just a ride along for insurance purposes until the PIC could get single pilot rated. And in one case I was told me my services were great but they just found a guy to do my 60k job for 30k, so have an extra month pay and go home.

Now I am down to a less than Part Time Baron gig and I do not want to take on any flight instruction. I have a lot of people asking, but I refer them to others as at 3000 hours CFI time is not helping me advance.

And all the Part 135 and Part 91 gigs I been calling on are finding people with more quality time, meaning already flying full-time in twin turbine equipment (usually with a type rating of some sort). So, I will bite the financial bullet and head the Regional route. I feel it is time. And I still can work my recruiting business on the side quite easily to make up for some of the lost income.

Plus it will feel good to be in a professional flying position since many of the contracts I had flying for private owners professionalism did not exist in that environment. And I see flying as a great profession. It just has a tricky course to navigate. And no one can tell truly where they will be in a few years. But we can all try to do what is best for us today. And today, I think Regional is best for me given my personal experience and where I see my path going if I do not alter it.
 
PhilosopherPilot said:
With 3000 hrs and an ATP, you might be able to get on with a legacy or LCC. If you can skip the regional world, do so.
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I think at 3000 total with 600 piston twin time, a legacy is a far stretch. LCC maybe. I put in with a couple. (Exact times are 2892/601, so a bit shy of 3000). ATP written passed. Taking the practical would be a breeze and I may very well do that prior to any start date since I heard that is a good idea from a few people.
 
If I listened to all the "advice" on message boards, I'd never do anything. I think you have the right idea, and its probably going to suck in many ways for a while. Beats slinging a hot tar mop on a roof though.
 
TexasFlyer said:
I am not very excited about Republic or Peidmont as they rank very low on my list due to bases and their work rules. And I hate to start somewhere just to go elsewhere if the phone rang. If I accept one, I will not jump to another since I find it unprofessional to commit to one and go to another. So I would like to secure a top 5 offer on my list in July.
Click to expand...


Then you're holding yourself to a higher standard than your employer will. That might seem chivalrous or having moral standards, but it's simply letting yourself get stepped all over. Employers love people that buy this crap... because they will endlessly take crap.

They'll throw you away like a pile of dog crap if you're no longer useful. That's just business. You're employment is the same thing. Business. If it's not working on your end either, there is no reason not to leave for something better.
 
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