Regional Airline Pilot Life Review v2

HVYMETALDRVR said:
I've been at RAH now for over 2 years now. My lifestyle is decent and I enjoy the job, I'm 30 and single. I had a very rocky road prior to working here (and first year FO pay here). Third year FO finally makes me feel like more than a glorified meter maid/burger flipper but still leaves a lot to be desired. RAH is only one of three income streams for me though.

The scheduling flexibility and travel benefits are the best part IMO. The flying is a little monotonous also.

And one last thing, seniority based up upgrade is the way to go. Merit based upgrades are subjective and result in morons in the left seat sometimes also.
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I'll echo this gentleman. Granted, I am only 3 months off 1st year pay and might still be somewhat bright eyed and bushy tailed, I am enjoying my time at RAH. Our pay is a joke. Our work rules are sometimes insulting. But when it comes down to it I also enjoy my job.

I spent about a year at Eagle. I hated it. Just the atmosphere, I guess. While the crews here at Shuttle can be kind of bitter sometimes, they almost never take it out on each other. The WORST captain here I've flown with was just somebody I didn't mesh with personality wise. We got along fine, just didn't have much to talk about. At my prior airline that was not the case. After only a year I had a good 6 names of people I would not fly with.

So at S5 I can say the crews are great, I really enjoy the flying we do, and MY OWN interactions with the company through scheduling have been mostly positive (there is one guy that's a pain in the ass). So at the end of the day I am perfectly happy where I am. When I am home I don't dread having to go back to work. I'll say it again...I honestly enjoy what I am doing and who I am doing it for.

Is RAH the best? Far from it, but in my opinion it could be a lot worse...and has for me. Reading some of the boards online you would get the impression RAH management makes you murder puppies in IOE and sleeps with you new wife on your wedding night. I haven't experienced either of that. Maybe my opinions will change when I am in the 36.62 club, though.
 
I've been at 2 or 4 regionals depending how you want to count in 7.5 years. I've been a junior FO, a senior FO, and a captain (though not in that order). One merger, one BK, zero furloughs.

I worked for a crap regional, who was bought by a crap regional, then a great regional, then I was bought by a crap regional that went tango uniform and was purchased by mainline.

As a captain or a senior FO life at a regional is pretty great. I'm sure mainline has it even better, but if you live in base (especially a place like MEM) and make $60 as a CA or FO with almost half the month off life can be extraordinary. I'm not shocked some pilots choose to stay senior CA at regional's for decades, it's an easy life.

Don't spend a lot of time at a crap regional, it poisins you, and don't be afraid to leave when it gets ugly. You may lose out on a SLI is a weird shift of events, but you don't have a crystal ball and sometimes when some blind squirrel get's a nut you have to be happy for them. Concentrate on you're own life and get out of dodge when it doesn't work for you anymore.
 
Adler said:
This was probably my biggest problem working at the regionals – I had no sense of purpose. I could work my ass off, or I could be the laziest person at the company, and nobody cared one way or another.
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Your crew cared...
 
Cherokee_Cruiser said:
I don't like that term 'paid my dues.' There's no such thing. It's all timing and luck in this industry. Know the right person(s), good connections, and you can be at Delta with just 2,000 hrs. Or United. I remember hearing that I had to "pay my dues" when I was a regional FO and that was from a CA who was a CA because he was hired 7 months before me. Before that he was Gulfstream. "Pay your dues" is just a trite phrase. No one can define it because there really isn't a set definition of having paid dues. In one person's career they may feel they have paid dues and then another person thinks no way. That's why I don't use that phrase. I don't know where you work, but keep in mind, despite the hiring just starting to pickup, it's still a tough job environment. You mentioned CAs from your airline trying to go to Atlas, we've had two pilots I know of go to Atlas from VX this year alone. With Evergreen and World folding, it's still a tough environment at the likes of Atlas and Omni in terms of getting hired there.
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The peeps in my early inner aviation circles would drop "pay your dues" anytime they thought I was listening. I'm very old fashioned so it made sense to me. Those same folks, however, sent their kids to aviation colleges during the early 2000s in hopes that they could score a 121 right seat job as quickly as possible. I'm not kidding. That's what they wanted for their kids. Right or wrong, what was "pay your dues" to me was "this here is the secret" to their kids. I laugh because neither generation of the "pay your dues" party had a clue what they were really getting into.


Autothrust Blue said:
$36/hour for how many seats?

Wow.
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PERSPECTIVE.

Not arguing with you but you can say that all night long and without perspective on either side, you get blank stares.
 
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I once got 25 per hour for a two seat airplane. We had to hand prop it though...


I can say with confidence that the best job I've ever had was flying a Champ.
 
pete2800 said:
I once got 25 per hour for a two seat airplane. We had to hand prop it though...


I can say with confidence that the best job I've ever had was flying a Champ.
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This is the second best flying job I've had financially, and overall, it's the best one I've had period. If and when I get the chance to be a Captain, it will become the best, financially and otherwise.

Financially, I "should" still be driving a 206, but that's not necessarily a great career move...
 
I've only flown the sim in the last month, but count 1:1, I make $101.3/hour (after taxes) flying a 3 seat helicopter.

And I'm still accruing seniority to be part of the 36.62 club.

@Autothrust Blue Please don't start the 'my regional is better' debate. You'll lose. Not because RAH is any better, but because that's like comparing STD's.
 
Nark said:
I've only flown the sim in the last month, but count 1:1, I make $101.3/hour (after taxes) flying a 3 seat helicopter.

And I'm still accruing seniority to be part of the 36.62 club.

@Autothrust Blue Please don't start the 'my regional is better' debate. You'll lose. Not because RAH is any better, but because that's like comparing STD's.
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Nah, I don't give enough of a poo to start flinging that sort of thing. I'm surprised, is all.
 
I go to work and fly a reasonably quiet and comfortable airplane with people I generally like and I can afford to pay my bills. If you like flying, it's hard to complain about that situation. The money can and will get better. I've been all over aviation for 14 years and I kind of regret not coming to my current regional airline sooner. People who chase the almost mythical "good-paying and good-QOL" flying jobs are few and far between in their success.

I've seen friends land seemingly holy-grail corporate jobs only to be on the street a year or two later when the flight department reshuffles unexpectedly. Ain't no free rides in this industry, so I'll take the relative stability of my airline with the relatively decent QOL.
 
Cal Goat said:
I go to work and fly a reasonably quiet and comfortable airplane with people I generally like and I can afford to pay my bills. If you like flying, it's hard to complain about that situation. The money can and will get better. I've been all over aviation for 14 years and I kind of regret not coming to my current regional airline sooner. People who chase the almost mythical "good-paying and good-QOL" flying jobs are few and far between in their success.

I've seen friends land seemingly holy-grail corporate jobs only to be on the street a year or two later when the flight department reshuffles unexpectedly. Ain't no free rides in this industry, so I'll take the relative stability of my airline with the relatively decent QOL.
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I don't fly a quiet airplane, but basically, this.

We have our fair share of problems and things that I don't like about it, but overall, net win.
 
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