Why the chip on your shoulder Cav?
The 121 domestic and regional carriers have their ups/downs. Heck the Flag operations have their ups and downs. 135 operators have their ups and downs. Corporate operators have their ups and downs. Being a full time contract pilot has its ups and downs.
Speaking very generally I've done them all. Started with getting a corporate operation off the ground overseeing the purchase of the piston aircraft used in the operation. I had a great schedule, almost no overnights and was paid quite well for my work.
After that I moved on to a 135 operator in Citations. I loved it. 18 days/month usually. No schedule but in my time there I only had 1 popup trip that had to go "right now" (Organ recovery trip...I didn't mind) When that job disappeared due to the company experiencing a slowdown in business (and me being one of the junior guys) they made cuts. The new 500 series guys got let go.
I flew full time as a contract pilot after that for 135 and 91 operators until my currency ran out. I had all the say in the world over my time. If the trip they wanted me to go on sucked I turned it down. If it was a gravy trip or had me going somewhere nice I took it. My currency in the airplane was going to expire and I couldn't convince the folks that were using me regularly to send me to recurrent when my 135 currency was going to expire. I interviewed with several 135 operators for various light jets (Citations, Lears and Beechjets) but none would pay even close to a fair wage and wanted training contracts to do it. One operator offered $22,500/year plus a mediocre per diem (about $40/day) policy to fly a Beechjet with a 24/7 on call. Another offered market rate pay for a Citation captain job that had the current guy on his way out flying 100hrs/month under 135
Hell no!
Since then I've been driving the ERJ-170/175 for a 121 regional operator which has a crew domicile where I live. I drive to work but it wasn't always like that. My first months I wasn't senior enough to hold that base and had to commute AND be on reserve for a 12 hour callout window (4am-4pm) in Washington DC of all expensive places. After some sweet talking a few schedulers (and being short staffed) I managed to find myself TDY'd in Pittsburgh until my base swap with another guy went through and I was officially based at home. I now drive to work and it's an hour from my apartment to the crew room. I have a schedule which doesn't get screwed with and I'm "just a number" when it comes to management giving a darn about who you are. I fly more in 4 months than I would in a year at any normal corporate or charter operator. Usually credit around 95hrs/month in pay with another $500-600 in per diem on first year rates. The hourly rate blows ($23/hr) and it doesn't really pay the bills but it's better experience than I'd given it credit for from the outside looking in.
I came here out of necessity. I needed a job, couldn't afford to move and was short on total time for any "good" job. Notice those 135 offers above are all your run of the mill bottom feeder charter companies. Also great experience but much worse quality of life than ANY regional job out there. It was a big bite of humble pie to come here but in the end am glad I did. I wouldn't say its for everyone and I wouldn't even say its for me. I'm using it as a way to pile up 3 years worth of flight time onto a resume in just one calandar year. I was hired this past spring and will be tapped for upgrade in a year or less from now. There are guys with 2 years with the company upgrading into the 170/175 which is a big deal in the airline world. My company and several others are currently in contract negotiations. ASA just got a TA with some very good things for them with not just pay rates but trip/duty rigs which will improve greatly their quality of living. Ultra bottom feeder Mesa is in negotiations as well as Pinnacle. Air Wisconsin is working on having their pre 9/11 contract restored (they're pretty much the highest paid 50 seat guys out there even now) which is a step in the right direction with lots to be desired in the future.
It's a wash for me because I don't intend to upgrade here anyway. I'm leaving here for an opportunity back in the corporate world flying a midsize airplane (with an APU and everything) for above NBAA average pay, WAY great quality of living and proper staffing. A very good friend (drinking buddy type friend) of mine is the lead captain there and was one of the guys who interviewed me. I felt (as he did) that I gelled pretty well with the guys and am going to be brought on with their second airplane shortly. It's a great job that I wouldn't have had the time for the HR folks at the company to sign off on me had I not gone to a regional when I did. As you know HR folks don't know jack about airplanes and there's not really much convincing them otherwise when the department is tied down to minimums despite all their lobbying. I'll be flying less of course, around 300-350hrs/yr instead of the full 1000 allowed under 121. Republic's guys and gals are doing just that and are now being pulled off their schedules so we won't run out of folks come Nov/Dec due to timing out for the year. It's all well and good for you to have your heart in corporate flying. Lord knows I sure do after pumping a million gallons of fuel into the darn airplanes for a couple years. It's great to have a passion for what you're doing but if you think for a minute you've got any ground to stand on when it comes to giving the what-for and the why-is you're sorely mistaken.
It's not a good thing to get visibly upset (especially on a WWII games message board...thats NOT relevant) at other folks for going the path they chose. It looks more like a cry for attention than anything. Also, there are a LOT of corporate and charter guys who play this game. I know most, have spoken with many and even recruited a few. I know of at least 4 who play who are in charge of hiring in their respective departments and if you think that they don't know people who know people you'd be again greatly mistaken. Just a couple years in the business at my pee-on capacity I'm amazed every day at the people I know and the guys I've helped get jobs. This includes jobs I'm not qualified for, can't accept due to location or are simply not what I want to do. It's all about networking when it comes to the business side of aviation. That includes the AH BBs when you start a topic like this.
Just FWIW you're also mistaken on the average regional pilot. Guys and gals in my training class all had the following qualifications:
-ATP or a Type Rating from a previous job
-Lowest time pilot had 1500hrs
-All current/former 121 or 135 pilots
-One guy left a 121 supplemental carrier flying 727's where he could hold a captain slot to come here on his own accord. He's just about the best source of airline-esque information I've ever seen and is a good friend of mine. Imagine my surprise when we showed up for the same class.
-All but one had flown turbine equipment. He flew 135 freight and was a great stick and also my sim partner. His biggest obstacle was the FMS and with a little coaching he picked it up and was proficient by checkride time.
Everybody in my class had more time and experience in the aviation game than you do now. There are plenty of low timers out there getting hired but the majority of folks are actually qualified for the job. The best thing you can do is stop browsing flightinfo to get your information. That board is a cesspool.
