Direct entry captains for regional jets?

[Yayforpoverty]

I have noticed some regionals are now looking for street captains for their turboprops. (Dash 8's, Saab 340's etc) Does anyone know of a regional that is looking for CRJ or EMB street captains? Thank you in advance for any information.

[Catans]

I think you'll have a hard time finding that.

Seems to me that the carriers that hire direct entry into the TurboProps have jets coming and the senior pilots wants those spots for themselves. Don't know where in the world you are located, but, the US has a very pronounced seniority system and the unions usually won't let the newhires bypass current pilots for the good positions ie. captain on the jets.

Catans

[timbob]

You might look at GoJet in St. Louis, they have all CRJ's and recent website shows last Capt hired a few months ago. www.airlinepilotcentral.com (http://www.airlinepilotcentral.com) is a good website to check payscales and hiring status, etc. Good Luck.

[reaz]

Hi Yayforpoverty (http://www.pprune.org/forums/member.php?u=210848)

Can you please tell me which regionals are looking for Direct entry Dash-8 Captains?

Thanks.

[The Dominican]

If you want to look into Pinnacle. They don't hire DEC per say (although they have in the past) but almost, you enter as an F/O and with a mere 100 hours on the line, you can bid for captain position. Good luck!

[reaz]

Can anyone tell me the pay of F/O in Pinnacle?

[Catans]

Check this site for payrates.

www.ppjn.com

Catans

[Seggy]

In the states, when an airline is hiring a 'direct entry captain', there usually is a reason.

9/10 the place doing the hiring is a place with horrible work rules, labor relations, etc. Whatever you do, DO NOT go to GoJets.

The most recent exception to that was Mesaba, which was hiring street captains because of a massive expansion. Mesaba is a great place to work.

Quick upgrades come and go depending on the contracts the 'regional' airlines sign with their mainline partners.

[flyguy19348]

I think Pinnacle hires direct entry but the catch is 3500 total time per the contract. they hire lots of low time F/Os so they cant upgrade for awhile...

http://airlinepilotcentral.com/airlines/regional/pinnacle.html

[Ignition Override]

I chat with Pinnacle pilots fairly often and ask them about the lack of progress in contract negotiations etc.

An FO union rep told me that out of a potential class of 30 new-hires,
only 2 appeared in class.

Another pilot who was a Check Airman there told me that he refused to do any more IOE, even after the company offered him 150 % pay.
He was quite adamant about only flying regular trips with more senior FOs.

They also claim that working conditions there might be as bad as they are at Mesa Airlines. The pay is just as lousy. Until several months ago, Pinnacle paid nothing to a pilot during Initial Training, and provided no hotel room (they seem to value their people over there...).
Apparently many aviation majors at UND Grand Forks, Embry Riddle etc are becoming familiar with the situation at some US regional airlines.
An FO (he is an IP with AFRES at Vance AFB, in Enid, OK) with whom I just flew Friday-Sat (layover in ROC... " Dinosaur BBQ") told me that many guys leaving pilot tours in the Air Force-for about the first time in decades-are not applying for airline jobs, thanks to the huge pay cuts at many of them.

[Tex]

I've had a first-hand look at Pinnacle's training. I will not allow my company to deadhead me on them, nor will I allow my family to fly on them. 'nuff said.

[thepotato232]

I know a good number of current and former Pinnacle pilots. The training is probably worse than anything you've heard. Don't join unless you think you can get away with logging time on the picket line as PIC.

But yeah, they pretty much hire DECs.

[poorwanderingwun]

You have to wonder who does fly for Pinnacle and similar outfits... Saab capts will earn a little over $30k pa... (900 hrs would bring in $36k but typically 750 hrs is closer to the norm)... WHY would anyone choose to fly for that money unless they were virtually unemployable elsewhere... and if P1 comes from the bottom of the aviation food chain we can only imagine what level of experience the P2 has... pretty frightening thought for the pax.

[varigflier]

I got an interview offer at Pinnacle less than one day after applying. After doing some research, I decided not to go. For DEC, they require 3500tt and 100 as an F/O, then you can bid for a Captain slot.

[airbus2boeing]

Compass Air is hiring DECs, I interviewed with them last Aug. but decided not to go.