In your experience, why are some pilots are regionals “lifers?”

BaronPete

BaronPete

Jaw Harp Troubadour
Other than personal preference, of course. I’m an outsider looking in, but have always been curious to hear about captains at regionals who “can’t get a call” from the majors. Is it age, background issues, ...?

What would you say the percentage is of those who want to move on, but don’t get the opportunity?
 
In my experience, once you get a couple beers in the lifers they'll give you their story about how they had their opportunity, but things didn't work out. Multiple major interviews that didn't go so hot, nasty divorce right in the middle of when they got called at majors, no degree, haven't filled out apps, etc..
 
I was only at SkyWest for about a year. I flew with one captain who was really great. He was super negative about job fairs and moving on. He'd been to dozens of events, he had plenty of experience. Yet he couldn't get a call. He's sort of my reminder that no matter what you do, you may not be able to move on. He was not the "lifer" type but he was certainly stuck.

Two other captains stick out in my mind: one was convinced that the majors needed to call him. Since he'd been operating their flights for so long. I got a chuckle. Another was visibly upset when he found out I was moving on. I asked if he had applied during the last window. He had not.

I must say that my last line at SkyWest as a 175 FO had 17 days off and all really nice trips out of SFO. I'd kill for that schedule now and for PBS. But as one old timer said to me long ago: "make sure the check you get matches the paint on the airplane."
 
Honestly, I’m gonna say there’s probably a non-negligible portion that hears the nonstop sport bitching from major pilots and thinks “man, things aren’t that bad here, why go to the bottom of a list where people are so grumpy?”.
 
"I don't want to commute".
"I don't want to be on reserve"
"I like my 4 weeks of vacation and schedules."

My favorite is "I don't want to take a pay cut". Funny that hasn't been true for years yet they still say that. They might take a small hit year 1 but after that it is way more money in comparison. Especially once you factor in other benefits such as mainline's 401k. 3% at some regional airlines is a pittance.

I do know of some that only have a few years left till forced retirement and would just prefer their current QOL rather than burning several months learning a new aircraft and company for minimal gain in their eyes.

There is one guy at my regional that is rumored to be a lifer. Supposedly the training department at mainline knows him well...
 
BEEF SUPREME said:
I was only at SkyWest for about a year. I flew with one captain who was really great. He was super negative about job fairs and moving on. He'd been to dozens of events, he had plenty of experience. Yet he couldn't get a call. He's sort of my reminder that no matter what you do, you may not be able to move on. He was not the "lifer" type but he was certainly stuck.

Two other captains stick out in my mind: one was convinced that the majors needed to call him. Since he'd been operating their flights for so long. I got a chuckle. Another was visibly upset when he found out I was moving on. I asked if he had applied during the last window. He had not.

I must say that my last line at SkyWest as a 175 FO had 17 days off and all really nice trips out of SFO. I'd kill for that schedule now and for PBS. But as one old timer said to me long ago: "make sure the check you get matches the paint on the airplane."
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You're missing PBS, are you at SW/AS/FDX/UPS?


Your paint matched the paycheck ;)


maxresdefault.jpg
 
I was at a regional from late 2007 to very early 2012, so the reasons I heard to be lifers back then were actually kinda understandable. Legacy/majors in BK era contracts, pensions gone, furloughs, etc. Those were bad times in the industry with Age 65 and the 2008 recession hitting back to back. But as a RJ FO who moved on from the right seat, I never minded CAs who wanted to be lifers. Less competition for you.
 
8 out of 10 trips, I fly with captains that will most likely retire at my regional. I’ve heard pretty much everything stated above. The ones that are really interesting are guys that had job offers for places that ended up being bought out by America West (Now American) or Southwest. They didn’t want to make the move for an airline that wasn’t well established and deal with commuting. One guy interviewed and got an offer for one of those places in 1997. Then most guys say they tried a few times during the hiring pushes, but the last 18 years just didn’t start by time it really is too late. Also being a Pac NW regional, many up here would never want to move for a major job, our mainline partner knows this and will probably never lack pilot applicants as they are the only shop with a few NW bases.

I know everyone frowns on the regional lifer deal, but in all honestly most guys are happy where they are. They aren’t stupid, they know compensation and retirement is better at the majors, but they also know even as a topped regional Captain they’re doing okay for them and their families. 130k isn’t bad money if you’re okay knowing the next level makes double that for probably half or even a quarter of the cycles flown in a trip.

My question is what really is the age cutoff to start over? 55 maybe? I don’t blame a 58 or 62 year old not wanting to commute to reserve for some extra in his/her retirement fund. A lot of senior captains are invested in the stock market or have rental properties to make sure they have a little extra saved away since regional retirement Isn’t what it should be
 
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Not in the "regional" world, but I have met quite a few guys over the years who are simply content with what they have and like the schedule.

I know a guy who left Atlas to go back to his first 135 shop and be DO. He wanted to be home at night. That was basically the only thing he wanted out of life.
 
mastermags said:
My favorite:

‘I’ve got too much experience.’
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Are we sure this is a self-aggrandizing type of statement or a jab at being on the outside of the bell curve average of newhire flight times? Lets be honest, when a legacy says the average civilian newhire time is 5,700 hrs, you'd have to agree that pretty much anything above 12,000 hrs is on the outside of the bell curve. It's a game of averages. Now I'm NOT saying guys with 12k+ hrs will not get a call. But I can see their point when it comes to the statistical chance of being in that bell curve of average newhire flight times.
 
Another thing is fear. I'll admit that I was just comfortable enough financially and was too afraid to go fly for the 121 world.

It wasn't the work or the training that scared me (though I imagine some people are intimidated by that) - I was afraid of the culture. I didn't think I would fit in in RJ land. Of course that's a dumb thing to be scared of, but I was a lot younger and much of my identity was tied up in bush pilot stuff and I thought that people would recognize me for the imposter I thought I was. "Kill the INTERLOPER!"

In retrospect I think I'm not as bushy as I was convinced I was.
 
ppragman said:
Not in the "regional" world, but I have met quite a few guys over the years who are simply content with what they have and like the schedule.

I know a guy who left Atlas to go back to his first 135 shop and be DO. He wanted to be home at night. That was basically the only thing he wanted out of life.
Click to expand...

If I had a chance to drop the airlines, be a management type at smaller legitimate 135 company and be home every night I’d do it. But no 135 company is really legitimate, and unless a huge recession happens the 135 world will continue to have more staffing issues, due to their illegitimacy.
 
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