To all considering this:
Hi guys
I am a Kiwi who has worked in both NZ and Australia and is now flying for the regionals here in the USA. I moved to the states for love and definitely not for the flying job. Love makes us do ridiculous things sometimes!
I was made aware of the job posting from a few friends in Australia who wanted to know what the story is here in the USA and if this job is worth considering. I wanted to post this to give you all some insight into what it is like flying in the USA.
Background and regulations:
The regional airlines started on the basis of cheap labor and fairly simple aircraft. Turbo props were the standard equipment and most people only had to stay a few years before moving onto the major airlines. This system worked quite well while the minimum hiring requirements were 250hrs as this was a great way to build experience before stepping up to the jet. Then 9/11 happened.
A lot of pilots were furloughed and some pilots from mainline flowed back into the regionals. The regionals by this time were now flying relatively complex jet aircraft like the Embraer 145 and CRJ200. The regional pilots were now stuck in their regional jobs as the major carriers ceased hiring. The great recession of 2008 resulted in bankruptcies and airline mergers between some majors. During bankruptcies, pilots and other employee groups gave major concessions in order to help the company survive and get out of bankruptcy. Things didn't get any easier for the industry when Colgan 3407 crashed.
As a result of the Colgan accident, the FAA implemented new rules which came into effect August 2013. The minimums for an airline First Officer were now 1500hrs minimum (can be lower if military or if training was at an approved school with a 4 year degree) and an ATP. This is where the USA pilot shortage began. Airlines are blaming the new regulations for the shortage while the pilot unions are saying that there is no pilot shortage. There is only a shortage of pilots willing to fly for poverty wages. A new regulation that is coming into effect in August 2014 is that ATP applicants will now need an extra 10hrs sim time with 6 of those hours being in a level C or D simulator. This will increase the cost of obtaining an ATP and result in fewer ATP applications.
Meanwhile, the pilots shortage argument is still developing. Airline management of some regional airlines have come to their pilots offering new aircraft, such as the Embraer 175 and CRJ900, to replace the aging 50 seat jets. The catch? Well, management thinks we should take a pay cut to fly these "shiny new jets."
In summary, the regional pilots have lost about 10 years in career progression due to 9/11 and the 2008 recession. Majors have only just recently began hiring and they are expecting to continue hiring large numbers in the next few years. This is primarily due to retirements since the retirement ages was increased from 60 to 65 years old about 5 years ago. The major carries will not have a pilot shortage though, it will be the regionals and it has already began.
Pay:
First Year regional FO's will take home about $23k after tax with per deim included. Second year pay is about $31k take home and it slowly increase from there until you make captain (about a 6 year upgrade time right now).
It is cheaper to live in the USA, but not that much cheaper. I would equate first year pay to about AUS$35-38k while living in Australia with the higher living costs. I hope that gives you all an idea of what to expect in terms of compensation.
Other opportunities:
The business jet market is huge over here compared to elsewhere in the world. These jobs pay better but are harder to find and even harder to get a work visa for. Job security can be a worry if the company you work for ever goes under. But for comparison, I know an FO that started on a BD700 for about $70k and is in a 17 days on 13 days off schedule.
The future for regionals:
Well, that really is anybody's guess. Regional airlines will start flying bigger jets with less frequency to some destinations. This will help with the pilot shortage somewhat, but this will not solve the issue. Increase of pay seems to be the logical answer, but airline management obviously does not want to do this yet. Right now it is a "wait and see what happens" kind of game.
To those who want to come over, good luck! You will meet some great people and have some fun over here. I hope this has given you some insight so you know what to expect.