Exceptions to Airline/Regional Minimums

Jake_D

Jake_D

New Member
Currently I have my flight instructor certificate and ratings. My goal in life would be to act as PIC for a regional carrier or airline. Most of the major carriers not only want good amounts of flight time as PIC in addittion to turbine time; of course most of the regionals are an exception to the turbine requirement. For a CFI my job pays extrememly well and I have no intentions of leaving anytime soon. However my goal of of airline is not out of the picture as of yet. What I am wondering is if anyone knows if airlines or regionals will waive turbine time for more time (tt or multi), when hiring pilots? I am not in a position right now that I want to leave my job to a lower paying and more demanding regional job just to get the turbine time. Any input would be helpful.
 
I don't know of a regional which requires turbine time, but I can't imagine a major or national carrier which wouldn't require it - no exceptions.
 
Most people start with the regionals with zero turbine time... then get 1500-2000hrs SIC turbine and then upgrade to captain.
 
It does however happen all the time overseas. You start as an S/O, but 2-3 years to upgrade to an F/O on the likes of a 767 or 777 doesn't sound too bad to me.

Must be unreal to see your type endorsements jump from a PN68 to a B747.
 
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What I am wondering is if anyone knows if airlines or regionals will waive turbine time for more time (tt or multi), when hiring pilots?

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Like stated before, regionals don't require turbine time, majors (LCC, Nationals, blah, blah, blah....), do. Period. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/spin2.gif
 
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My goal in life would be to act as PIC for a regional carrier or airline.

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A regional carrier is an airline. Regionals are to majors & nationals what minor leagues are to majors. Like it or not, regionals or 135 freight is the stepping stone to a major / national airline. You do not, however, want to retire from a regional. Not the way things are today or the way they'll probably be in 20 years.

Have you thought of going corporate? The bizjet guys have a thread around here that may be attractive to you. Trust me, even having 5000 hours PIC Turbine right now isn't going to get you anywhere.
 
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Trust me, even having 5000 hours PIC Turbine right now isn't going to get you anywhere.

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Bog, what is that supposed to mean?? I know I must be missing something. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif
 
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Bog, what is that supposed to mean?? I know I must be missing something.

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The majors got guys on the street, so even if you've got 10,000 hours of PIC turbine time there's no where for you to go if you don't have the connections to the corporate world.
 
That's not true. SWA, JetBlue, Frontier (I believe they're interviewing). Besides with 5000+ PIC turbine, you don't need connections to obtain employment with a corporate flight departement or Charter operator. Depending on who and where, someone's always hiring. Especially in charter.

Simply an untrue and misleading statement.
 
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The majors got guys on the street, so even if you've got 10,000 hours of PIC turbine time there's no where for you to go if you don't have the connections to the corporate world.

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The furloughed major airline pilots really aren't competition for the lower level flying jobs. Few operators (regional, corp., etc.) are going to hire and train a pilot who they know is going to jump ship the very moment they are recalled.

MF
 
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Trust me, even having 5000 hours PIC Turbine right now isn't going to get you anywhere.

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Bog, what is that supposed to mean?? I know I must be missing something. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

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Sorry, too early. Let me clarify.

If your goal it be fly for a major / national airline, 5000 hours of turbine PIC these days will have you swimming in a pool of applications with everyone else. If you'd like to head over to the corporate arena, which wouldn't be a bad idea, you'll be in much better shape.

Too many Captains at my airline are sitting around with 2000 to 6000+ PIC turbine with nowhere to go (they want to stay scheduled air carrier, not corporate). That's what my awakening fingers meant to type. Sure Southwest, jetBlue, Frontier, and AirTran are hiring, but that's it. ATA is facing an impending implosion, as is US Airways. The pool of highly qualified pilots is about to get much, much deeper.
 
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Sure Southwest, jetBlue, Frontier, and AirTran are hiring, but that's it

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That's it??!! What do you mean that's it? Those airlines aren't good enough? Lemme guess, you're gonna hold out for American, United, or Delta...... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif I'm not trying to be a pain in your ass Bog, but once again, either you didn't explain it right (again), or you're trippin'. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif
 
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That's it??!! What do you mean that's it? Those airlines aren't good enough? Lemme guess, you're gonna hold out for American, United, or Delta...... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

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I'm gonna have to call your bluff on this one and say you didn't read it correctly. Look at who has RJs being flown by pilots who dream of sitting in a narrowbody: American Eagle, Chautauqua, Trans States, Skywest, Mesa, PSA, Mesaba, Pinnacle, Horizon, Comair, and ASA (think that's all of them). "That's it" refers to the fact that 4 or 5 airlines are hiring while there are about a dozen regionals with hundreds of pilots at each who desire to move up. There's isn't enough room for growth right now.

"That's it" does not at all reflect on the quality of who's hiring. I've never had a desire to go to United, American, Delta, or Northwest. I'd love a job at Southwest, Frontier, UPS, or even jetBlue. But, supply exceeds demand right now, so yes, "that's it" as to who's hiring.

Dang man, I've been labeled as bitter and pessimistic, but I'm not that bad. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/insane.gif
 
Oops, missed ExpressJet, and there are another 5-10 who only fly tubroprops whose pilots dream of employment at bigger places.
 
Understood..............FINALLY... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif There may not be tons of room for upward movement, but companies are hiring. Regional captains are moving on, along with Charter, corporate, fractional and military pilots. That's my point. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
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Dang man, I've been labeled as bitter and pessimistic, but I'm not that bad. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/insane.gif


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Naw.....you're good peeps man. It's all good.. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
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Understood..............FINALLY... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif There may not be tons of room for upward movement, but companies are hiring. Regional captains are moving on, along with Charter, corporate, fractional and military pilots. That's my point. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

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Yes, you're right, there is movement. But, if I was in the position of the thread starter, I'd go straight to corporate and avoid the scheduled airlines completely. But that's just me, and everything I say comes with a disclaimer. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/spin2.gif

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Naw.....you're good peeps man. It's all good.. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

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/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/bandit.gif Just don't laugh too hard when you're in the smooth at FL510 and I'm getting my arsa kicked at FL350. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/Smilecrunch.gif
 
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Just don't laugh too hard when you're in the smooth at FL510 and I'm getting my arsa kicked at FL350

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FL510....Ha! I wish. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif Some of the Lear's are certified to 51 but good luck gettin' there. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif About 45oh is the best I see. Even there, she isn't lovin' it. The Hawker's only certified to FL410, so that explains that. But hey, I'll keep that in mind next time I hear you asking for a deviation with your voice vibrating. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
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