Regional Bases & co. Perception Questions...

SquatThrust

SquatThrust

Well-Known Member
Hey folks, I'm still about 12 months out from sending my resume to the regionals, but it's a slow Sunday morning so maybe you folks could indulge my curiosity on a couple of questions I have.

First, my background: currently at 700hrs TT flying about 75-100hrs/month at a large turbine drop zone. Will be in the ballpark of 1700-2000TT by the time I'm done here with about 80% of that time being multi-turbine PIC. My long term goal is to be at a legacy carrier, with AA as my preference. I wouldn't turn down an opportunity with any of them, however.

In the meantime, for regionals, my #1 priority is to live in base (wife, small child, etc), with a very close second priority being all the other normal QOL/pay/advancement considerations a person would make. And before anyone mentions Lakes, don't bother. There isn't anything that could get me to go there. (I worked on the ramp for them several years ago...it was a disaster then, too).

I would most like to live in PHX or CLT...or...have as short and easy a commute as possible from either of those places.

Q.1 - What regionals currently have pilot bases in either of these cities? Mesa, SKW for PHX? PSA, ??? for CLT? Anyone else?

Q.2 - I've been reading these forums and APC for quite some time (years), and have seen some of the perceptions towards certain regionals and the appreciation or lack-there-of for their pilots. Choosing one of these lesser appreciated companies for the chance to live in base and not commute is something I'm seriously considering. Are there any realistic downsides to this choice besides experiencing e-hate on the web?

Q.3 Short and easy commutes from either PHX or CLT? LAX, LAS, DEN, ABQ, etc are close and relatively easy to hop to from PHX. Most of the east coast stuff pretty easy to get to from CLT? I'm very interested in Compass as well, with LAX being close and easy to get to from PHX.

I realize that answers to the first and third questions are really just speculation at this point as a lot can change over the course of 12-16 months in the regional industry, but input is still appreciated.
 
Hi, SquatThrust!
Let's see if I can help answer your questions.
1) Mesa and SkyWest have bases in PHX. Currently, PSA has a CLT base (not sure about Piedmont).
2) Are there downsides to choosing an airline with the aforementioned bases? Not from a career advancement perspective, but bear in mind that bases can open and close in a less-than-predictable fashion (note that as recently as last year, Mesa was actively growing in CLT, and now they are winding down operations there and opening up DFW). Ahh, the vagaries of 121 domiciles!
3) Commuting to PHX is a cinch on Southwest or USAirways; SFO, LAX, SAN, SJC, LAS, etc all operate regularly into there. CLT is much more oriented towards Airways, and loads can vary depending upon where you're commuting from, but it is a large hub, so you will have some options. If you choose Compass, there are flights operated by (but not limited to) Mesa, Airways, Southwest, and SkyWest from PHX to LAX.

But (as the song says), it's all about that base, and living in base is something we would all love.

Let us know if you have more questions.
 
Thanks fellas. I'm hoping the real world is a little less antagonistic than they are on the various forums. I just want to live in base, not deal with petty drama, get my time and move on. And I just want my base to be PHX or CLT. :)
 
SquatThrust said:
Thanks fellas. I'm hoping the real world is a little less antagonistic than they are on the various forums.
Click to expand...

Just like with anything else in life, it is what you make of it, for better or worse (something we've been talking about on JC a lot lately).

Not many folks log on to forums and crow about their utterly tolerable commutes, or average do-able schedules, or lack of an issue about where they've worked. By definition, most folks who post are going to be talking about the outliers or things being very good or very bad...and rarely do they reflect the "average" you're going to see out in life.

Important life lesson.
 
Yeah that.gif
 
SquatThrust said:
Q.2 - I've been reading these forums and APC for quite some time (years), and have seen some of the perceptions towards certain regionals and the appreciation or lack-there-of for their pilots. Choosing one of these lesser appreciated companies for the chance to live in base and not commute is something I'm seriously considering. Are there any realistic downsides to this choice besides experiencing e-hate on the web?
Click to expand...

Not that I've found at the top tier.

If I were to poll the majority of the captains I fly with, they probably couldn't even name half of the commuter airlines that operate under the company brand.

Most really don't have a clue and those that do have a clue are recent additions at the major/legacy level that came from the regional ranks.
 
I can't speak for CLT, but commuting in and out of PHX is a breeze. Great year round weather in the southwest and you never have to worry about a massive blizzard moving in and slowing flights to a grinding halt. There are the occasional saturday nights where they wind things down early with regard to outbound flights, but it's really not a big deal. I know quite a few doing the LAX>PHX commute and they have more than plenty of commuting options.
 
Hacker15e said:
Just like with anything else in life, it is what you make of it, for better or worse (something we've been talking about on JC a lot lately).

Not many folks log on to forums and crow about their utterly tolerable commutes, or average do-able schedules, or lack of an issue about where they've worked. By definition, most folks who post are going to be talking about the outliers or things being very good or very bad...and rarely do they reflect the "average" you're going to see out in life.

Important life lesson.
Click to expand...
Yeah what he said...
But to simplify it, don't use the forums to build your perception of a sector of the industry or a particular company. Use us to gain information, the occasional hard fact and maybe a bit of pontification once in a while as it is just a tool in your toolbox.
It's really easy to get wrapped up in the ever changing landscape of the Internet, when in reality, we represent such a small segment of the pilot group. Networking is really the best use of JC, gaining usable info coming in somewhere behind that.
@SquatThrust , see you in Vegas next year??
 
Here is my scoop.. Currently fly for PSA, live in Charlotte and cant complain. Been here almost a year and have really enjoyed my time. Charlotte is not a bad city, it has a lot of amenities that other larger cites have, but is still lacking things as well. The major benefit to living here is cost of living is very reasonable. The airport is very easy to fly in and out of in my opinion. Quite a few guys commute to Charlotte from the west coast with out trouble, 90% of the time they say is on the jump seat, but at least that seat gets them to work. Overall not a bad place to work/live. Just if your not used to it, aquatint yourself with 3 things and you will transition easily:

1. Beer
2. NASCAR
3. BBQ

Other than that, feel free to pm me if you have any other questions
 
I like Hacker's perception. Anytime you're not being stalked by a warhead, life is good.

In my experience, when people pick a job, they rarely leave right away because it stinks. They normally hang out until an opportunity that is worth the risk comes up. As far as perception goes, you hear a few adjectives in the cockpit and read plenty online, but for some odd reason, in public, things tend to be diplomatic, with the occasional passive-aggressive slight, which isn't unique to the airlines. All those "this place sucks" or "pilots at xxx airlines are jerks" stories are just venting. If you enjoy what you do, you'll be alright. Don't let the loud folks get you down. Build your own perception.
 
Regionals with west coast bases that I can think of include SkyWest (plenty of options), Compass (LAX), Horizon (also a number of options), Lakes (don't...just...dont), and soon, Trans States (opening DEN in a couple of months, and will be growing like crazy.)

Out of PHX you'll have plenty of options to each, especially with Southwest having a hub there and are probably the most commuter friendly carrier by far. I wouldn't worry about which carrier you pick. Living in base will trump many, many negatives at this level and can offer you a quality of life you wouldn't see if you commute to a "better" regional. As far as those with PHX bases, I know Mesa and SkyWest currently have domiciles there but there is some question concerning the SKW base and how much longer it will be a thing.

Also keep in mind that regionals change with the tide. Today's sweetheart is tomorrow's black sheep, or tomorrows Comair and vice versa. Bases can come and go at this level with alarming inconsistency so flexibility is certainly key but do the best with the information you have at the time and choose based on your priorities. If quality of life and living in base are important, look for that. If upgrading and moving on are important, consider that but keep in mind upgrade times change too. Best of luck, I'm not sure I offer any ground breaking revelations so much as reiterate what others have said but I hope it helps.
 
Thanks for the replies, everyone. Certainly always helpful to have multiple perspectives on an important future decision.

CLTflyer said:
Charlotte is not a bad city, it has a lot of amenities that other larger cites have, but is still lacking things as well. The major benefit to living here is cost of living is very reasonable. The airport is very easy to fly in and out of in my opinion. Quite a few guys commute to Charlotte from the west coast with out trouble, 90% of the time they say is on the jump seat, but at least that seat gets them to work. Overall not a bad place to work/live. Just if your not used to it, aquatint yourself with 3 things and you will transition easily:

1. Beer
2. NASCAR
3. BBQ
Click to expand...
I do like Charlotte. My father lives there so I visit from Phoenix (where I currently live) a couple times a year. It is indeed a little bit cheaper than Phoenix living costs. I really am interested in PSA for the CLT base and for the mostly positive things I've heard about it. I've been following your posts on APC as well, at least I'm assuming you're the same CLTFlyer there that works for PSA, etc. ;-) Very informative and helpful. Thanks for that, too.

With regards to PHX and YV/OO here, I too, as others have mentioned, heard about the uncertain future of OO at PHX. I suspect that the future of Mesa in PHX is more certain given their lower operating costs, and everyone knows how Parker is not one to turn down a cheap deal. As an aside, I throw bags part time at PHX for US outside my flying job; been with US for about 7 years now, so I'm familiar with that aspect of the company for sure. Not that the regionals are being super selective right now, but I hope that my multi-turbine flying background combined with about 10 total years of airline employment will help me stand out during the selection process.

Basically, 12 months from now, if offered opportunities at both PSA and Mesa and the prospects of being PHX or CLT based look reasonable, I'll have a tougher decision to make. If only offered one of the two, well that certainly simplifies things a bit, doesn't it! I'm just not interested in commuting unless absolutely necessary, and as it stands, it looks like for now that two companies I'd be willing to work for have bases at the two cities I'd most like to live in (Or maybe I'm just willing to work for them because they have bases I want??). Keeping my fingers crossed until then!
 
Hacker15e said:
Just like with anything else in life, it is what you make of it, for better or worse (something we've been talking about on JC a lot lately).

Not many folks log on to forums and crow about their utterly tolerable commutes, or average do-able schedules, or lack of an issue about where they've worked. By definition, most folks who post are going to be talking about the outliers or things being very good or very bad...and rarely do they reflect the "average" you're going to see out in life.

Important life lesson.
Click to expand...
I have a fairly do-able schedule, a 30 minute drive, and few issues.

If I didn't have any issues, though, it wouldn't be called "work."
 
That map is awesome. I didn't realise Skywest had a Tucson base.

One for the major flight schools would be cool too.
 
SquatThrust said:
Thanks for the replies, everyone. Certainly always helpful to have multiple perspectives on an important future decision.


I do like Charlotte. My father lives there so I visit from Phoenix (where I currently live) a couple times a year. It is indeed a little bit cheaper than Phoenix living costs. I really am interested in PSA for the CLT base and for the mostly positive things I've heard about it. I've been following your posts on APC as well, at least I'm assuming you're the same CLTFlyer there that works for PSA, etc. ;-) Very informative and helpful. Thanks for that, too.

With regards to PHX and YV/OO here, I too, as others have mentioned, heard about the uncertain future of OO at PHX. I suspect that the future of Mesa in PHX is more certain given their lower operating costs, and everyone knows how Parker is not one to turn down a cheap deal. As an aside, I throw bags part time at PHX for US outside my flying job; been with US for about 7 years now, so I'm familiar with that aspect of the company for sure. Not that the regionals are being super selective right now, but I hope that my multi-turbine flying background combined with about 10 total years of airline employment will help me stand out during the selection process.

Basically, 12 months from now, if offered opportunities at both PSA and Mesa and the prospects of being PHX or CLT based look reasonable, I'll have a tougher decision to make. If only offered one of the two, well that certainly simplifies things a bit, doesn't it! I'm just not interested in commuting unless absolutely necessary, and as it stands, it looks like for now that two companies I'd be willing to work for have bases at the two cities I'd most like to live in (Or maybe I'm just willing to work for them because they have bases I want??). Keeping my fingers crossed until then!
Click to expand...

I do believe I'm a co-worker of yours (the one that took a little two year hiatus). During that break I worked for Mesa in their SOC, right next to the chief pilots office, great guy. Just wanted to let you know that PHX is very senior. Not trying to Poo Poo your plans just wanted to give you some insight into their operation. All of my buddies from there are saying most of the new hire movement is into the E175, which are flying for united out of IAH.

Just food for thought.
 
I want to make sure the info given here is completely up to date. PHX was very senior until recently. Right now though, the whole bottom half of the FO roster in PHX has been here less than a year. There are Sept 14 hires that have been awarded it already. Some of those guys have barely finished IOE. On the CA side, PHX is still very senior, the most junior captain is an 06 hire.

Mesa hires CRJ FOs at about a 3:1 ratio to E175 FOs, so the great majority of hiring is still into the CRJ for the time being.
 
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