When did you make it to Regionals/Freight Job

wheelsup said:
Well, you posted a long list of regionals with no mention of a major (post #48), so I figured we (as in you and I) were referring to them, which is what spawned my post about how several of the companies you quoted as having minimums of "X" didn't follow them, and were most likely out dated. I think there are quite a bit of "exceptions" going on these days.
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I used those examples since they are the ones hiring right now. He also used a specific example of Air Whiskey, so I looked at the people hiring and what their stated mins were. He also used US Air as an example, and that is where my discussion of Majors came from. And, yes, there are a ton of exceptions going on, depending on timing. Like I said before, put your application in if you're close...the worst that can happen is they say come back when you're qualified. Whether or not those mins are outdated is a moot point, since the original pupose of my post was to say that yes, there are quite a few airlines who require you to be 21. Whether they will bypass that depends on what they need.


Obviously, the better the operator the higher their mins are and the more they stick to them. That goes without saying.
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I agree wholeheartedly with this. See, we agree on something.:insane:
 
I know that knowing someone can get you in an airline early, but how can an airline captain get his son in at 20? Is it still done today or was that just a "in the old days" thing? Its hard to get all your ratings, experience, let alone college by 20!
 
Maximillian_Jenius said:
It's pretty simple. I cut my own hair,have since 10th grade. What you do is simply have two mirrors. The first preferably a bathroom mirror.

When you're ready to cut the back you either hold the second mirror in front of you cutting your hair with one hand. Or you strategically place the second mirror on the bathroom counter (depending how the bathroom is arranged) and cut the back following your hair line.

The first few times might be hard and you might mess up,but thats what hats are for. But as a pilot if you can follow a radial off a VOR then you can run a pair of clippers around your hair line.

:)
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I agree with you here, Max! Been there and done that. You save a lot of money if you know how to do it. :)
 
Lloyd what are you talkin' about, you've gotta get some jet time! Jet time man!:) All kidding aside, I have no desire to fly recip. prop or turboprop. Just personal preference. Easier flying a jet then props, and you get paid more in most cases.
 
You do? Huh...

$27,000 a year to fly a Beech 99 for Amflight

$19,000 a year to fly a CRJ for Pinnacle

Where's this new math that you continue to talk about?
 
jtrain609 said:
You do? Huh...

$27,000 a year to fly a Beech 99 for Amflight

$19,000 a year to fly a CRJ for Pinnacle

Where's this new math that you continue to talk about?
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Let's delve a little more into your comparison, shall we?

1) The guys hired at any given regional generally don't meet 135 mins, and as such wouldn't be eligible for a PIC position at AMF.
2) From my take on things, when a lower time person is hired at AMF, you don't start out in the 99. Even ESF, who was hired with a crap load of experience, started out in the Navajo. Hootie was flying the Navajo for several years at AMF, because he didn't want to relocate (you can commute at a regional, not so much @ AMF).
3) I made ~$27,500 my first 12 months at a regional, and am making $3800-$4000/month now at second year pay. I also get substantially more time off then the average AMF pilot (14-17 days off per month) and have better medical and retirement benefits. If I worked as much as an AMF'er (by picking up time and reducing days off) I'd be pulling ~$55k/yr easy on second year pay.

You prod regional pilots, self proclaiming about how much money you make in Burbank and how much of a pay cut you would take coming to any given regional.

The cost of living in [removed] is 59.7% lower than that of Burbank, California. A salary of $35,000 in Burbank, California has the same buying power that a salary of $14,088 has in [removed].

(according to moving.com)
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Of course you make so much money, you have to afford to eat and pay rent. To live like I am living now, you would need to be making almost $120,000/yr out there in Burbank.

You quote pinnacle's pay. I believe Steve bought a house on first year pay there in Memphis. A quick search of realtor.com shows stand alone houses starting in the $450,000 range in Burbank. That would be tough on $35k/salary. Of course, you can always "drive until you qualify" :).

I would call this "new math", but it'll probably get chalked up to "bashing freight pilots".

I'm not bashing, I have no leg to stand on. Regional pay is certainly sub-par and leaves a LOT to be desired. But let's keep the discussion unbiased and tell it like it is. Working for a regional isn't half bad and, IMO, isn't as shameful as some here would have you believe.
 
I didn't read a bit of your post, I thought you had me on ignore eh?

EDIT: Ok after reading your post, my points mostly have to do with the pay vs. weight difference in the aircraft. I think it's absurd that a Chieftain, which weighs 10 times less than a CRJ could EVER pay MORE. Pay scales are traditionally derived from the number of seats or the weight of the aircraft, and if that holds true a CRJ should pay what a 737 does.

And it used to.

SECOND EDIT: And also, once I hit the line I don't have to live in Burbank. I could live in Burbank, Oakland, Portland, Seattle, Salt Lake City, Billings, Dallas, Cincy, San Juan or any number of out stations. In that case I'm STILL making more first year, logging turbine PIC time second year and making as much as a Colgan captain, and in my third year making Pinnacle captain pay in the Metro AND STILL logging turbine PIC time, now with a type rating under my belt. And I sleep in my own bed every night. And I have a JS agreement, and my company has never furloughed, and my paychecks keep coming, and I don't have to worry about our work being out bid, and I could go on and on. Long story short, I LIKE where I'm at (as you might yourself), and I don't think people look at the merits of the freight side of things when regionals are picking up guys to fly jets at 500 hours.
 
wheelsup said:
Let's delve a little more into your comparison, shall we?

1) The guys hired at any given regional generally don't meet 135 mins, and as such wouldn't be eligible for a PIC position at AMF.
2) From my take on things, when a lower time person is hired at AMF, you don't start out in the 99. Even ESF, who was hired with a crap load of experience, started out in the Navajo. Hootie was flying the Navajo for several years at AMF, because he didn't want to relocate (you can commute at a regional, not so much @ AMF).
3) I made ~$27,500 my first 12 months at a regional, and am making $3800-$4000/month now at second year pay. I also get substantially more time off then the average AMF pilot (14-17 days off per month) and have better medical and retirement benefits. If I worked as much as an AMF'er (by picking up time and reducing days off) I'd be pulling ~$55k/yr easy on second year pay.

You prod regional pilots, self proclaiming about how much money you make in Burbank and how much of a pay cut you would take coming to any given regional.

Of course you make so much money, you have to afford to eat and pay rent. To live like I am living now, you would need to be making almost $120,000/yr out there in Burbank.

You quote pinnacle's pay. I believe Steve bought a house on first year pay there in Memphis. A quick search of realtor.com shows stand alone houses starting in the $450,000 range in Burbank. That would be tough on $35k/salary. Of course, you can always "drive until you qualify" :).

I would call this "new math", but it'll probably get chalked up to "bashing freight pilots".

I'm not bashing, I have no leg to stand on. Regional pay is certainly sub-par and leaves a LOT to be desired. But let's keep the discussion unbiased and tell it like it is. Working for a regional isn't half bad and, IMO, isn't as shameful as some here would have you believe.
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:yeahthat::)
 
jtrain609 said:
I didn't read a bit of your post, I thought you had me on ignore eh?

EDIT: Ok after reading your post, my points mostly have to do with the pay vs. weight difference in the aircraft. I think it's absurd that a Chieftain, which weighs 10 times less than a CRJ could EVER pay MORE. Pay scales are traditionally derived from the number of seats or the weight of the aircraft, and if that holds true a CRJ should pay what a 737 does.

And it used to.
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Jtrain, numerically AMF is making more than a regional pilot but in reality you do not since you are based in Burbank, CA. Everybody who works in California makes more look at teachers salaries there compared to rest of US. Hey im not trying to bash you guys if thats the type of flying you like to do more power to you I just think the regionals are the fastest way to get to the majors. We are all trying to get to the same place so at least we have that in common.

2nd edit
Didnt know you can switch bases and keep same salary. Well, you made good points, both sides have the positives and negatives, its just up to personal preference where one chooses to go. I would rather take the jet, travel bennies, not having to instruct/build time up to 135 mins, 121 experience, and passengers.
 
jtrain609 said:
I didn't read a bit of your post, I thought you had me on ignore eh?

EDIT: Ok after reading your post, my points mostly have to do with the pay vs. weight difference in the aircraft. I think it's absurd that a Chieftain, which weighs 10 times less than a CRJ could EVER pay MORE. Pay scales are traditionally derived from the number of seats or the weight of the aircraft, and if that holds true a CRJ should pay what a 737 does.

And it used to.
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I can ignore posts myself, I don't need the computer to ignore them for me.

I wish the pay were higher. It's not. It is what it is, it's published for all to see, however here first year pay has gone up $1.50/hr in 12 months. Let's hope the trend continues.
 
Trust me, Jets aren't "all that". Besides, you have you entire career to fly jet-powered aircraft. My fondest memories as a commercial pilot were telling the controller "Best speed to the marker? Soitenly!", flying balls-out to the marker, running the props forward, gear down, flaps on schedule to slow.

And a little bit of beta pulling into the chocks. Chicks dig beta.
 
I shouldn't be one to talk since I'm pretty young (22) doing this stuff but I would at least consider trying to have some fun with aviation before diving right in. I often regret that when i was a flight instructor I was insane in the amount of flying I would do. I took on students that no one wanted and I flew at all hours just to stay in the air. Fulfilling two needs. Building experience and being able to pay the bills. I rarely took a fun flight with a friend or had a $100 hamburger. Just think about this before you scream through school, CFIing, and a regional to get to a Major as fast as you can. What have you done: You got a solid career yes but what have you lost:....your 20s. Can't get those back...the majors will always be there.
 
Doug Taylor said:
Trust me, Jets aren't "all that". Besides, you have you entire career to fly jet-powered aircraft. My fondest memories as a commercial pilot were telling the controller "Best speed to the marker? Soitenly!", flying balls-out to the marker, running the props forward, gear down, flaps on schedule to slow.

And a little bit of beta pulling into the chocks. Chicks dig beta.
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Beta? Are you talking about having the throttle in the beta range which is lemme see if I remember, between flight idle and reverse thrust?
 
777forever said:
Jtrain, numerically AMF is making more than a regional pilot but in reality you do not since you are based in Burbank, CA. Everybody who works in California makes more look at teachers salaries there compared to rest of US. Hey im not trying to bash you guys if thats the type of flying you like to do more power to you I just think the regionals are the fastest way to get to the majors. We are all trying to get to the same place so at least we have that in common.

2nd edit
Didnt know you can switch bases and keep same salary. Well, you made good points, both sides have the positives and negatives, its just up to personal preference where one chooses to go. I would rather take the jet, travel bennies, not having to instruct/build time up to 135 mins, 121 experience, and passengers.
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Ok, this is where my problem is; not with somebody selecting a different path than me (because anybody that knows me knows that I was going to take the first one that was presented to me), but I can't deal with patently false information.

You need turbine PIC time to move onto the jobs that pay well these days, those being Southwest, FedEx, UPS and the line. It'll take you years to get that time at the regionals, where you can get it out of the gate at some freight companies. If you think you're going to end up at the majors faster because you go to a regional you're dead wrong.

Further, Amflight has travel benefits! I spent New Years in Nashville with Lloyd and Lindsey because I had those travel benefits and was able to get back to work because I was able to get in the jumpseat on a Southwest jet on the way back. Southwest crews are all killer, BTW.
 
777forever said:
Beta? Are you talking about having the throttle in the beta range which is lemme see if I remember, between flight idle and reverse thrust?
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More or less the range that power lever movement directly controls propeller blade angle without increasing gas generator speed.

Or something like that!

Sounds awful cool too.
 
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