Looking at possible lateral move

nmineau

Well-Known Member
So here it goes, currently flying a beech 1900 trying to transition to the Saab since January and it is always "next month". My commute on a good day is 3 legs 13 hours and always on my day off so on 3 days off I am home for one full day most time just recouping from flying all week. I would love to move to base but it is not in my wife and two kids best interest. I have been hitting the job fairs hard but no luck I have 4200 total with 1200 in the Beech. I was offered an interview with Skywest, I want it my wife says no because of the pay cut. Msp and ord would be a one leg 45 minute commute only problem is they are hiring into the emb-120 which is all west coast so at least I can make it a one leg just not right away, I would be very happy with the possibility of a one leg commute. So here is the 10 million dollar question should I stay and hope some Spirit, Virgin, Sun Country, (long shot) United recruiter miss dials me and offers an interview and get a job. Or try to explain why I went from left seat of a turbo prop to the right seat?
I should also state current company is either going to take of or sink quickly as we lost some flying in billings and have yet to make a deduction to pull out or stay; and I am currently half way up the seniority list.
Thanks for the help and input
 
What about ExpressJet? Seems like it would be a little closer and you could go right to the jet.

I wouldn't worry about going from a turboprop to another turboprop. It's setting yourself up for a QOL increase and anyone with any knowledge of the regional industry should be able to see that.
 
i can understand your pain with commuting however i think i would stick it out for either a LLC or United or Airways or something like that. Pretty long road ahead if starting over at a regional. Only time id recommend making a lateral move would be if you could live in base and your wife has an ok paying job that could pick up the slack.
 
Eh do it....I commute one leg like 1:30 and hate it passionately. It's all about being at home.

Also a paycut? Pretty much any regional I can think of you'll make more on 2nd year FO pay than a 1900 CA does at lakes. If not very very close.

I'd also be willing to assume the cost savings from eating at home/buying hotels from a miss for those 2 days a week you commute for 13 hours over the course of the year would equal out the difference in pay.
 
So here it goes, currently flying a beech 1900 trying to transition to the Saab since January and it is always "next month". My commute on a good day is 3 legs 13 hours and always on my day off so on 3 days off I am home for one full day most time just recouping from flying all week. I would love to move to base but it is not in my wife and two kids best interest. I have been hitting the job fairs hard but no luck I have 4200 total with 1200 in the Beech. I was offered an interview with Skywest, I want it my wife says no because of the pay cut. Msp and ord would be a one leg 45 minute commute only problem is they are hiring into the emb-120 which is all west coast so at least I can make it a one leg just not right away, I would be very happy with the possibility of a one leg commute. So here is the 10 million dollar question should I stay and hope some Spirit, Virgin, Sun Country, (long shot) United recruiter miss dials me and offers an interview and get a job. Or try to explain why I went from left seat of a turbo prop to the right seat?
I should also state current company is either going to take of or sink quickly as we lost some flying in billings and have yet to make a deduction to pull out or stay; and I am currently half way up the seniority list.
Thanks for the help and input


Come up north? I'd stick it out dude - if I was a hondo captain making a good wage, I'd go for - that or try to convince your wife to move "in base" when you upgrade to the left seat of the Saab.
 
Did I read that right? 3 leg commute to work? And this is for Silver? Good God. I don't know your situation, but I never understood why some folks will put up with ridiculous commutes, making peanuts and never see their family in hopes of a quick upgrade or getting that TPIC time.

It's all about QOL and a "good" contract with decent work rules, at least for me, and that's what I did when I picked my first regional and when I had to make a lateral move to another because the other airline was dissolved. No future employer is going to fault you for going from left, back to right seat if you explain to them you did it to be closer to home and family.

I used to do a two leg commute, and it absolutely sucked! I don't even want to think about how much time I wasted sitting in jumpseats, airports, etc. Makes me sick to think about it now! Pick an airline closer to home!
 
Did I read that right? 3 leg commute to work? And this is for Silver? Good God. I don't know your situation, but I never understood why some folks will put up with ridiculous commutes, making peanuts and never see their family in hopes of a quick upgrade or getting that TPIC time.

It's all about QOL and a "good" contract with decent work rules, at least for me, and that's what I did when I picked my first regional and when I had to make a lateral move to another because the other airline was dissolved. No future employer is going to fault you for going from left, back to right seat if you explain to them you did it to be closer to home and family.

I used to do a two leg commute, and it absolutely sucked! I don't even want to think about how much time I wasted sitting in jumpseats, airports, etc. Makes me sick to think about it now! Pick an airline closer to home!

No kidding. When I was still in transition during my move to base, I was sort of commuting. One time I did have a 3 leg commute to work... PBI-TPA-PHX-FAT. Holy crap did that suck. Shortly after my move was complete, no more commuting.

I really couldn't live that life. Not sure how some of you guys do it. If going to a different regional eliminates or greatly reduces your commute, I'd do it. Particularly if you can get on somewhere that doesn't treat you like crap. I usually have about 15 days off at home each month. Really hard to emphasize how much that's worth.
 
At first, reading the 3 leg, 13 hour commute part of your post, I thought "dude, get the hell out of there!" But then I kept reading and realized that you're a captain with 4,200 hours. As much as it sucks on that commute, I would recommend sticking it out. A phone call from someone like Spirit or JetBlue is a near certainty within a reasonable period of time if you keep building the PIC time. Going back to the right seat at another regional when you're so close will just open up too many questions for interviewers. I say suffer a little bit longer and you'll be out of there to a decent job.
 
At first, reading the 3 leg, 13 hour commute part of your post, I thought "dude, get the hell out of there!" But then I kept reading and realized that you're a captain with 4,200 hours. As much as it sucks on that commute, I would recommend sticking it out. A phone call from someone like Spirit or JetBlue is a near certainty within a reasonable period of time if you keep building the PIC time. Going back to the right seat at another regional when you're so close will just open up too many questions for interviewers. I say suffer a little bit longer and you'll be out of there to a decent job.

I didn't realize he's logging PIC. I agree with you, I'd stick it out. Going to another regional wouldn't be a lateral move, it'd be a big move down.
 
So here it goes, currently flying a beech 1900 trying to transition to the Saab since January and it is always "next month". My commute on a good day is 3 legs 13 hours and always on my day off so on 3 days off I am home for one full day most time just recouping from flying all week. I would love to move to base but it is not in my wife and two kids best interest. I have been hitting the job fairs hard but no luck I have 4200 total with 1200 in the Beech. I was offered an interview with Skywest, I want it my wife says no because of the pay cut. Msp and ord would be a one leg 45 minute commute only problem is they are hiring into the emb-120 which is all west coast so at least I can make it a one leg just not right away, I would be very happy with the possibility of a one leg commute. So here is the 10 million dollar question should I stay and hope some Spirit, Virgin, Sun Country, (long shot) United recruiter miss dials me and offers an interview and get a job. Or try to explain why I went from left seat of a turbo prop to the right seat?
I should also state current company is either going to take of or sink quickly as we lost some flying in billings and have yet to make a deduction to pull out or stay; and I am currently half way up the seniority list.
Thanks for the help and input


Good god man. A 3 leg, 13 hour commute? I wouldn't even wish that on my worst enemies. I wouldn't even wish that on Cherokeecruiser, or Shyguy, or whatever you call him. I guess I'll stop complaining about my 2 hour drive from JFK through crazy New York traffic to get home.
 
I went thru BE-1900 for the same company, and have a 2-legger. Stick with it. It's MTPIC time. No such thing as too much of that. I'd wait for that QOL door to open up, and take it when the time comes. With your times as well, if you want, I know you could bust a move to corporate / charter easily, especially with those times. You could always apply to Menards and fly their BE-1900D........ jk......... If you do move, pick an airline that hopefully flies or is based out of a big town near you, like MSP, MKE, etc... Have you applied to Compass? MSP based, and it's a nice town if you and your wife decided to move. Cheaper to live, but coming from where you are now, it may be a tic more. Speaking of your home town... do you hang out at KRHI at all? I have a friend on the fire dept. for the RHI airport, and his dad is a 787 F/O for UAL, and 777 captain out of EWR, I can try and put you in contact with him if you like...
 
I have a friend on the fire dept. for the RHI airport, and his dad is a 787 F/O for UAL, and 777 captain out of EWR, I can try and put you in contact with him if you like...
Hmm he's both 777 Capt and a 787 FO? You really are not making a whole lot of sense these days with your posts. Also when was he hired? I am guessing during the "golden years" if he is a 777 CA. I wouldn't want to attach myself to that boat...
 
Hmm he's both 777 Capt and a 787 FO? You really are not making a whole lot of sense these days with your posts. Also when was he hired? I am guessing during the "golden years" if he is a 777 CA. I wouldn't want to attach myself to that boat...

He was on the 777, and is now on the 787. Happier? He was hired sometime in the summer of '83 or so...
 
Here you go

http://wikileaks-press.org:81/file/airline-pilot-scab-list.pdf

Maybe this will help you find out the truth.




But of course you will say he isn't on there ;)

He's on there. So what? He has a QOL that he loves, loves to fly, has been on great planes, currently is on a great plane (if the battery fix is actually that), has had a very successful USAF and civilian career, and wouldn't trade anything for the world. Way I see it... it's all wins for him, so now what's your point exactly?
 
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