Furlouged pilot - Looking at my options/career choice.

RR55

Well-Known Member
New to the board, and would like to say hello. I came here looking for some constructive input from those in the field.

A little background. BS degree from Western Michigan University in Aviation Science. Spent two years at a regional, that had really no movement. Left the company in January 08, and got hired at Republic Airlines. Just got furloughed from the company on September of this year. I am in the top 7 on the recall list. Currently have about 3000 total time, with about 2000 SIC in jets. I am currently unemployed, and 30 years old. I am trying to find direction now. My options are to wait this out (and get a job...not a career...on the side working in computers or at Best Buy,etc), go to another regional, or pursue ATC. Other regional may be an ok idea, but I have a fear in the back of my mind of going to another regional, being on the bottom, and being cut or furloughed there due to the current state of the industry. Regionals on my list that I am looking at are Compass, Skywest, Mesaba, or GoJETS. The last one is on the list due to having a base where I live, and would eliminate the commute. I have heard both good, but mainly bad, from people about GoJETS. Not sure how much is true.

Any advice would be appreciated. Might help cure the minor depression :eek:
 
Get on that government cheese (unemployment benefits/insurance) then thats your first step. Friends don't let friends fly for GoJets, btw.

You have a lot of time. I'm about to get furloughed, I have about 1500tt. I plan on getting a 135 job flying a caravan or going back to school, one of the two.
 
Can we ask where you were before RAH? Also I am not sure if making another lateral move is the best thought. As you know you had a job where you might have been safe and then all this mess happen and you got caught up in it with RAH. Anyways I guess my 2 cents would be wait it out for the time being. Find a job you can enjoy and wait it out. No need to live on the government unless you truely are unable to work. But that's just me being old fashion I suppose.
 
If your goal is to stay in the airlines, then you might as well stay where you are. Recall probably will come fairly quickly. Get a job doing whatever (although aviation related would be the best in terms keeping up your skills), and wait it out. A regional is a regional and the others are pretty much all the same.

If you want to move out of the airlines and into some other sector of aviation, then start looking for another aviation related job. There ARE jobs out there. Just because airlines are furloughing, doesn't mean that no one is hiring pilots.
 
:sitaware:

If GoJet is on his list of places he's looking at, something tells me he didn't come from there.
 
Hey good point! I was actually thinking about this later and realized, "Huh, if he's furloughed...then he probably wasn't at GoJets eh?"

If you're from Michigan and want to move back, I'd be hitting Mesaba up fast, or Compass for that matter. Either company would be a good way to get home with decent work rules and what could possibly be a future.
 
How about flying freight? Sub Air or somebody like that must have something in that neighborhood? Compass is pretty much done hiring, Sky west is offering time off, Mesaba we are hiring a little (atleast we do the STL route alot) and I have know idea who GoJets:rolleyes: are. I assume you mean GoJet (who every one refers to like they are cheering for a New York football team:buck:.) well......yeah

Seriously I would go fly freight. See if you can get 1900 or Metro single pilot. I could name about 50 freight companies and you'd make 35+ to start. Then you can still earn a living flying until you are recalled.
 
Get the first job you can find. Seniority is king. You owe nothing to Republic.
 
I'll swap you my job for your recall rights back to RAH. ;) You have a training contract for another 2 months or so so don't leave, if you do accept!
 
Get the first job you can find. Seniority is king. You owe nothing to Republic.

Thanks for the advice from all. I put in an application at Compass today. I know a few people who were furloughed where I'm at now, that are at Compass. They got to keep their seniority numbers. I know at Mesaba, you have to give it up. It could be a very risky move to go back to the bottom of an airlines list, given the state of the economy. I am not too high up at Republic, but I do have 200-300 people below me.
 
There is nothing wrong with playing the whole field. Go anywhere that will hire you and you find worthy. Don't give up your number at RAH, as it might not be long. Nothing wrong with Best Buy, either, or ATC, if that makes more sense in the short term.

I guess I've said a lot of nothing to you. In short, explore as many options as you can while keeping other options open. Don't be afraid to leave the biz for a time and don't be afraid to jump back in, if it seems prudent. I left for ATC but getting back in was the smartest choice I ever made.
 
....don't be afraid to jump back in, if it seems prudent. I left for ATC but getting back in was the smartest choice I ever made.

Seems like that's a double-edged sword as well. My impression is that many companies want to see at least a few hundred hours flown in the last 12 months at the time of application, which can be difficult to swing if you're paying for it out of pocket.
 
Good points. i don't want to get rusty with knowledge sitting on the sideline while I play my Xbox 360 heh. I try to read through the Gleim ATP book a few times a week just to keep stuff in the head. Difficult to do at times, you know?

Best Buy could be an option. I looked at ATC, they have no hiring windows open now. The hard thing is the difference between a job and a career. I look at flying as a career. Hard to get a low pay 9/hr job at Best Buy. But I guess money is money, you know.
 
Good points. i don't want to get rusty with knowledge sitting on the sideline while I play my Xbox 360 heh. I try to read through the Gleim ATP book a few times a week just to keep stuff in the head. Difficult to do at times, you know?

Best Buy could be an option. I looked at ATC, they have no hiring windows open now. The hard thing is the difference between a job and a career. I look at flying as a career. Hard to get a low pay 9/hr job at Best Buy. But I guess money is money, you know.

ATC has a lot of hiring windows open, each month they come out a with a new public announcement for Off the Street applicants. One will be out in November just go check out the Air Traffic Control section of this forum.
 
Don't get handcuffed to this profession. It's not what it used to be. I know a lot of guys I worked with at US Airways in the late 90s who, after being furloughed, went to work for Home Depot in their manager training program and subsequently made six figure salaries and were home every night. They flew recreationally on the side.

All of the big retailers have similar programs and do not require any specialized college education. If I am furloughed again that is the direction I intend to go. You can only be beat over the head so many times in this profession.
 
Back
Top