Skywest, American Eagle or Mesa?

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Lovetofly64

New Member
Ok, here's my situation: I'm 41 and I have 270TT, an instrument and a commercial. I can pay for accelerated training and will be ready to begin that in about 12-18 months. I want to be based in the LA area because my family is here (although I understand that may not be possible right off the bat and I'm willing to commute for a while (i.e a couple of years).

With all of that said, here are my questions (anybody who has any ideas about this is welcomed to reply):

1. Is Los Angeles a popular basing area? About how long might it take for someone to get based around here after being hired by one of the three regionals I mentioned (or is there another one with a western US presence I'm forgetting about?)

2. Of those 3 regionals I mentioned, which would be the best choice for a guy my age and in my situation to shoot for? I recognize that the majors may not be a viable possibility for me. That's OK. Money's not the most important thing to me. All I really want is to fly a jet and be close to my family.

3. I know hiring is hot now, but what is the hiring outlook for late 2005 and 2006? Do you think the hiring will remain as strong as it is today? Will it be better? Worse? Why?
Which of those 3 has the best reputation for treating employees well and has a good chance of being around for a while?

Thanks in advance to anyone who can help! And please fly safe!

LTF64
 
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All I really want is to fly a jet and be close to my family.

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Welp, that rules out being an airline pilot.
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But to answer question number 2 and 3 and I'm not trying to bum you out here, but here goes.

2) You'd be a damn lucky joe to get 3 offers from all of those companies, so you may not have a choice.

3) No one can really answer that. It's like predicting the stock market except harder.

Good luck.
 
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1. Is Los Angeles a popular basing area?

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Yes

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About how long might it take for someone to get based around here after being hired by one of the three regionals I mentioned (or is there another one with a western US presence I'm forgetting about?)

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Maybe off the bat.

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2. Of those 3 regionals I mentioned, which would be the best choice for a guy my age and in my situation to shoot for?

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Your mileage may vary! Seriously.

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3. I know hiring is hot now, but what is the hiring outlook for late 2005 and 2006?

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If anyone is giving out 2005 and 2006 outlooks with oil at $55/barrel, be careful when they offer you ocean front property in Ajo, Arizona!

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Do you think the hiring will remain as strong as it is today? Will it be better? Worse? Why?

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Maybe, maybe not. The general laws of ebb and flow.

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Which of those 3 has the best reputation for treating employees well and has a good chance of being around for a while?

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All three have exposure if any of the majors fail. Eagle's married to American, Skywest serves UAL and DAL, and Mesa serves USAir, UAL and some other folks I think, I can't remember! Independence Air isn't looking all that hot last I heard (broke off from UAL for a variety of reasons)
 
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All three have exposure if any of the majors fail. Eagle's married to American, Skywest serves UAL and DAL, and Mesa serves USAir, UAL and some other folks I think, I can't remember! Independence Air isn't looking all that hot last I heard (broke off from UAL for a variety of reasons)

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Ding! Mesa also does America West Express it's the "home team" you should know that Doug.
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Matthew
 
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I want to be based in the LA area because my family is here (

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Are you sure if you get hired with any of these regional carriers. Or even some you didn't mention that you can even afford to still live in the L.A. area on a regional pilot salary?

Matthew
 
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All I really want is to fly a jet and be close to my family.


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Better get rich and buy your own then.
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He said money wasn't really an issue.

Mesa is known for their poor treatment of pilots. I have several friends there who confirm it. Still, it's a fairly fast upgrade.

Eagle has been known for long times to upgrade. Don't know what it is now.

Skywest may be the hardest to get on with but I think is the best company, overall.

Wouldn't think it would be hard to get based in LA, execpt for Mesa since I think the nearest base is PHX.

It's hard to predict the future. I think a lot of the present good times at the regionals are at the expense of the majors. I hope the regional pilots can raise the bar each contract to make it a better career. I'm afraid many are going to be there a long time.
 
Well I want to fly for the Delta side of things so Comair and ASA are my first choices.
But I moved home to attend ASU and the MESA Pace program so if complete that I might as well fly for them...tho if I interview with Comair/ASA and they come a callin all bets are off.


Matthew
 
The funny thing is, I was just like you a couple of years ago. Trying to predict where I'd be and a million other things. I then realized that theres no way of predicting anything in this industry. You sure as heck can try to make it into one airline vs another but when it comes down to it, its pure dumb luck!
Case in point......ME!
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As far as those three go:

Without trying to be prejudice towards Skywest-

I have a friend whos been at Eagle for 5 years now, first on the Saab, now on the ERJ, he's still an FO. Not by choice. He has no idea when upgrade will be.

I don't know anyone at mesa, but I hear their upgrade times are phenominal. I've also heard their treatment of pilots isn't all that great.

Working at SkyW I can give you some better insight. Most pilots are very happy with their position at the company. I've heard that since hiring is picking up, upgrade times in the brasilia that were once taking 2 to 3 years will be 1-2 years depending on how willing you are to move to KFAT and KIAH.
Pay isn't that great first year, but neither is at any other place. It's livable. A lot of FO's and F/As pay between 150-200/month for crashpads and 300-350/month in rent to share a room. The training is excellent, they really try and make an effort to work with you. Short on pilots also means no sitting reserve. I finished IOE last month and will hold a line this coming month, and already have 130 pilots underneath me as well as moved up 8 spots from people leaving.

I wish you luck!
 
You're based in PSP, right? Pretty close to where this guy want's to be.

"and already have 130 pilots underneath me as well as moved up 8 spots from people leaving."

Leaving for where? If you don't mind me asking.

It's it weird how people leave early on. In the first six months we had guys leave for United, Southwest, and America West.
 
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I don't know anyone at mesa, but I hear their upgrade times are phenominal.

[/ QUOTE ] You know that's the first time I've heard "mesa" and "phenomenal" in the same sentence!
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Upgrade times at Eagle are published at 4.5 years. Skywest has the reputation for treating employees best. Mesa, well.... Fairly easy to get and Eagle base in LA. Skywest, however, only has a reserve base with just a couple crews in LA proper.
 
You know Mesa had a horrible reputation when I went there in '96. It still had a horrible reputation in '01 when I left.

I know how the reputation came about, as there were some loud complainers who got what they had coming to them.

I was still treated better there than at Eagle or Midway.

On the other hand I hear great things about Chautauqua and CO-Ex - excuse me I mean "Express Jet"

But I still gotta wonder why an airline changes it's name (i.e. Valujet to Airtran?)
 
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But I still gotta wonder why an airline changes it's name (i.e. Valujet to Airtran?)

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Come on John, you know exactly why they changed their name. You can't run a business when your name is associated with shotty maintenance and the needless deaths of too many passengers. It was impossible for Valuhet to shake what the press made them out to be so they changed their name.

AirTran is a whole different company today than it was during its Valujet days.
 
Hmmmm. Something about a DC9 plunging nose first into a swamp and pretty much vaporizing would be my guess. Kinda hard to shake that one.
 
DE727UPS: "Leaving for where? If you don't mind me asking."

People that I know of are leaving for Southwest, FedEx, Airtran and America West. Also just like anywhere else people retire, get fired, quit, loose medical, die..

69 pilots left SkyWest this year so far.
EMB upgrades are short - most junior ever was 4 months when they opened IAH, now the most junior about a 1.5 years (FAT, IAH). CRJ is probably around 2.5 years (ORD)

22 more CRJ-700 and possibly 7 CRJ-200 (Delta SLC) untill the music stops.. Will see..
 
Just bumped into a college buddy at the hotel in RDU two days ago. He's been at Eagle for 8 years, is 100 numbers away from CA on the ERJ, and will not see it. American is going to furlough 500 pilots, and many of them will go to Eagle and push him back. Maybe he'll upgrade at year 15. So, don't go there.

Upgrade at Mesa can be anywhere from 3 months to 4 years, depending on what aircraft you choose. We still have 15 CR9s to add for HPX, rumors of 30 additional CR7s for UAX, and that pesky 737 gig will happen, too. However, we're run by the Devil. Do not come here. That goes for everyone. I will not be able to sleep at night if I know any of you take a job here.

Skywest and Chautauqua is where I'd look. Both do a decent job of treating their employees, maintaining aircraft, and writing schedules. ExpressJet wouldn't be so bad either.

Don't say money means nothing. Please please please please take that one back because it really is the scourge of this industry. "I don't care about the pay, I just want to fly jets" is what gets all the CEOs salivating. You are worth something. Your time and effort to get to a job are worth something. Your family is definitely worth something. Demand a decent wage and respect.

And, as it's been said, if you really want to see your family, you're in the wrong career.
 
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Just bumped into a college buddy at the hotel in RDU two days ago. He's been at Eagle for 8 years, is 100 numbers away from CA on the ERJ, and will not see it. American is going to furlough 500 pilots, and many of them will go to Eagle and push him back. Maybe he'll upgrade at year 15. So, don't go there.

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ouch, at what year does F/O pay topout at?


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Skywest and Chautauqua is where I'd look. Both do a decent job of treating their employees, maintaining aircraft, and writing schedules. ExpressJet wouldn't be so bad either.

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definitely, i hear chautauqua upgrade is currently running 2 years! I would love to get on with SkyW, but i need 200 more hours just to meet the mins! Expressjet is good from what I hear from friends who got hired on there.

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Don't say money means nothing. Please please please please take that one back because it really is the scourge of this industry. "I don't care about the pay, I just want to fly jets" is what gets all the CEOs salivating. You are worth something. Your time and effort to get to a job are worth something. Your family is definitely worth something. Demand a decent wage and respect.

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thank you, thank you, thank you. A former airline union rep told me, fuel prices aren't negotiable, pilot salaries shouldnt be either

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And, as it's been said, if you really want to see your family, you're in the wrong career.

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well if your willing to move to hawaii, I hear at Island Air, you come home everynite.
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However, we're run by the Devil. Do not come here. That goes for everyone. I will not be able to sleep at night if I know any of you take a job here.

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Thanks for the wave-off, but some of us have already made a deal with the Devil. I lost my soul to him several years ago after he challenged me to a little fiddle-playin' duel.
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You're based in PSP, right? Pretty close to where this guy want's to be.

"and already have 130 pilots underneath me as well as moved up 8 spots from people leaving."

Leaving for where? If you don't mind me asking.

It's it weird how people leave early on. In the first six months we had guys leave for United, Southwest, and America West.

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Some to Southwest and some to Fedex. We currently have 160 pilots as of last night that were in training either for initial, transition, or upgrade. And out of 1800, thats 9% of the workforce that is not able to temp. work.
 
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