PSA or Endeavor to fly the 900

jkotwicki

Well-Known Member
So I need some guidance here before I waste 3 months of my life.
I have class dates for FO at PSA and Endeavor
Let's say I don't care about my base at all and just care about holding a line on the crj7/900 asap out of training (don't want to be on reserve).
Ultimately want to get my 1000hrs quick as possible and upgrade as fast as possible (and don't want to fly 30min long flights 6 legs a day).
Money doesn't matter.
Right now I'm leaning towards PSA with their projected growth.....any insight?
 
Advice? Take a step back and actually decide where you want to be in 1/3/5 years. There is zero guarantee of anything in life or of life. QOL does matter, as does pay. Don't say it doesn't matter because 11 days off and a rough commute at airline A will make you mad over 16 days off and a line at airline B, with the easier commute. However if you live in a base and don't want to move, that carries some weight. Like a metric ton. I'd take 11 off on reserve in my easy drive base over 18 off with a rough commute, but that's me..

If you will be moving to be "in base" regardless, you need to figure out the junior base and plan to live there. That can be expensive or somewhere you will hate. It's not a simple question. Once you figure out how you will realistically deal with a base for EDV or a PSA junior base, it comes down to pay and movement.

From an EDV perspective you will likely be based in either JFK or LGA to start and will move to Dtw or msp within a year. Our NYC presence has been built over the last year (meaning new hires go there) and by Q1 2017 it should be in a "maintenance phase" of filling from new hires, with openings in Dtw and msp as well. A "southern base" won't be in play til Q2 2017 by latest intel. Honestly, don't bet on that.

You say that you don't care about pay or base, but from a QOL standpoint, it will matter regardless of your net worth or residual income. Post your commute options and willingness to move and the numbers will crunch quickly. Right now few will reply as your post gives off the stink of doing this solely for fun. If you are intending a career, be realistic in what you look to achieve and at what timeframe.
 
Well.. right now EDV is giving lines right out of training in New York. I don't know about PSA at all. From what I understand upgrade time is also short at EDV. I do caution you about not caring about a base.. if you value home time at all you do need to consider it. If you want to be gone all the time more power to you though.
 
Why the 900? What's wrong with the deuce? No dog in the fight, but historically the junior airplane will provide a better schedule more quickly, especially in a junior base.
 
I guess my issue with the 200 is it seems to have much shorter flights, 6-7 legs a day, and ultimately would take longer for me to rack up time (or so I think).

Long term goal is 3-5years at regional and then to one of the 3 legacy carriers, preferably Delta. Pay doesn't matter so much since I'm really looking 5 years out and just focused on getting to a major and will at least be able to live decently with what I've saved over the past few years as a CFI. One important thing to note is as soon as I upgrade at whatever regional I'm at I'd like to participate in the training department for at least some amount of time (PSA seemed positive about helping me to do that and Endeavor guys just sort of grunted like it takes 10 years to get into the training dept).

Right now I live in Sarasota and can two leg commute to any PSA base, or one leg commute to CLT. I'd be happy to pick up and move to any PSA base.
I'm definitely not a city person and the idea of being based in LGA or DTW (having lived in MI for 4 years) isn't terrible for a little while, but 2,3, and 5 years out I'd be pretty miserable.

I guess it comes down to are the work rules, hotels, and flow to Delta (DGI) that Endeavor offers enough to outweigh living somewhere I'll hate. Also, can I upgrade and fly as much as I think I can at PSA to get the turbine time I need to get to majors (along with working in training department to bolster my resume)?
Right now I'm 2,500hrs PIC asel, with ATP multi.
 
Stop. Breath. Go some place you'll be happy to be at for 6 to 10 years. Stuff changes.

200s may fly shorter legs (although they generally didn't when I was there) but your monthly credit will normally be the same.
This. Pick somewhere with the hope you can get out quickly but also be very comfortable with if it turns into a long term deal.
 
You need to worry about going some place and being there a minimum of five years. It's great you think you will get in and out very quickly and on to Delta, but you will soon realize there are guys at every regional that have been there 8 plus years only to not even get called. Find a place close by you can drive to or at least have an easy commute. After that your worries should be:

1. Passing initial training (some people have issues here and go over to another shop)
2. Work on getting comfortable being an actual FO and not a paid passenger
3. Don't do anything stupid and get canned before your off probation
4. Do not complain about your 3-4 months reserve. That captain your bitching to might have been on reserve 3-4 years.

After all that you might consider the training department. Don't put the cart in front of the horse.
 
Go to the place that if all hell breaks loose, you won't mind staying for the rest of your career. That's why I ultimately chose Endeavor. A commuter jet is a commuter jet is a commuter jet. We all go to the same crappy overnights:)
 
Hell, depending on the contract, it's pretty good when you don't, at times! :)

I went weeks without a peep from crew scheduling. Of course it drives the wife nuts, but you know, lots of folks hiring! :)
O I get about 2 weeks before wife starts getting into "you need to go work mode" surprised she doesn't call scheduling and ask them to give me a trip.

*insert her having a boyfriend joke here*
 
I guess my issue with the 200 is it seems to have much shorter flights, 6-7 legs a day, and ultimately would take longer for me to rack up time (or so I think).

Long term goal is 3-5years at regional and then to one of the 3 legacy carriers, preferably Delta. Pay doesn't matter so much since I'm really looking 5 years out and just focused on getting to a major and will at least be able to live decently with what I've saved over the past few years as a CFI. One important thing to note is as soon as I upgrade at whatever regional I'm at I'd like to participate in the training department for at least some amount of time (PSA seemed positive about helping me to do that and Endeavor guys just sort of grunted like it takes 10 years to get into the training dept).

Right now I live in Sarasota and can two leg commute to any PSA base, or one leg commute to CLT. I'd be happy to pick up and move to any PSA base.
I'm definitely not a city person and the idea of being based in LGA or DTW (having lived in MI for 4 years) isn't terrible for a little while, but 2,3, and 5 years out I'd be pretty miserable.

I guess it comes down to are the work rules, hotels, and flow to Delta (DGI) that Endeavor offers enough to outweigh living somewhere I'll hate. Also, can I upgrade and fly as much as I think I can at PSA to get the turbine time I need to get to majors (along with working in training department to bolster my resume)?
Right now I'm 2,500hrs PIC asel, with ATP multi.

Well, I don't think it's realistic at all to expect not to be on reserve. Fortunately with how much both Endeavor and PSA are hiring right now you will hopefully be on reserve for only a few months. I definitely wouldn't count on it though as hiring could stop before you know it. Indeed, it's now been 7 years since the last recession which means we are just about due for another one, so I foresee the music stopping sooner rather than later. On that note, as others have said, you should go somewhere you wouldn't mind being stuck at long term. While I hope your plan to get hired at Delta works out I definitely wouldn't count on it.

I also wouldn't count on getting the 700/900, although at Endeavor at least the 200 is generally senior within each class, or was a few months ago. I don't know if that's still the case as I think they have stopped adding 200s to the fleet. I wouldn't worry about the type of aircraft so much, although I could see the advantage of going to a regional with an all ~76-seater fleet as the conventional wisdom is the 50-seaters will be retired much sooner.

I believe at must airlines it is extremely difficult to get hired into the training department, and I wouldn't count on working in the training department any time soon no matter what carrier you choose. Frankly, your expectation not to sit reserve and your displeasure that Endeavor said it would take a decade to get hired into the training department makes you come across as a bit entitled.

Now, as to your original question, I would probably go with PSA, especially since you say you want to avoid being based in DTW or LGA. Both Endeavor and PSA pay about the same now, but since PSA has the flow to AA, I would choose them since that will come in handy if you can't get hired at a major "fair and square", so to speak.
 
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