PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Australian pilots can work for US regionals.
Old 17th Sep 2015, 05:47
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A Squared
 
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Originally Posted by atpcliff
To fly for a -121 carrier like SkyWest (or ExpressJet or Delta) you need your ATP.

To fly for a -135 carrier (less than 19 seats...all turboprops as far as I know) like Great Lakes, you only need a Commercial License. For those first year FOs with only a Commercial license, Great Lakes pays $21.22/hour, with a 75 hour guarantee: Less than $1600/month, before taxes. Initial Training Pay may be lower.
It's nine seats, not 19. More than 9 seats scheduled service and you have to operate under Part 121.

Apparently Great Lakes has modified a bunch of their 1900's so that they only have 9 seats. (I think it requires something more than removing the seats) Sounds a little strange, but Great Lakes' bread and butter is the Essential Air Services for Wyoming, Montana, the Dakotas, Nebraska, etc. On an EAS subsidy, it doesn't matter if you carry passengers, you still get paid as long as you land there. I've seen it. Back when it was Big Sky on the EAS contract with Metroliners. I've been at small airports in Montana, watched an empty Metro land and taxi up to the "terminal" the FO would jump out and exchange some paperwork, then he's jump back in and they'd fire up again and take off, empty. Passengers not required when you're subsidized. So, having only 9 seats in a Beech 1900 apparently is not an economic disadvantage.

Apparently, it's cheaper than paying enough to be able to hire pilots with 1500 hours and an ATP.

Initial training pay is non-existent. You go thru training on your own dime. Plus sign a 15 month $7500 training contract.

Any surprise they are having a tough time attracting pilots?
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