While some folks may be content with life at a US regional, they are generally NOT viewed here as a career destination: get the experience...move on. There's plenty to criticize about it but it just is what it is...and that's an entirely different subject.

oicur12.again,

Thanks for the info. I didn't realize any US carrier had taken to formal sponsorship.

To get to the “do you require sponsorship” drop-down you mention, did you have to fill out the actual application itself ? I couldn't find it by just scanning the pilot employment section of their website.

[I'm not looking for a job nor is any job looking for me ! I'm just curious.]

PPRuNe (Downunder) at its very best and worst.

Glass half full pilots trying to get ahead, provide some useful information and help to similarly minded pilots in an industry that is more than tough at the best of times.

Glass half empty pilots (some of them possibly pilots) who have literally nothing better to do with their time to either throw advice down from their heady heights of Mt Wisdom or try to discourage anyone who has just a tad more intestinal fortitude than themselves.

For those that see what this opportunity may or may not offer give it a go.

Carpe Diem.

Just remember that you may have to fly with some of these discouraging drop kicks some time in the future so keep that glass half full!

Good Luck!

I did something similar. I was young and single.

I'm now older and married, sitting at home where I grew up (not in the sandpit) and in the LHS of a narrowbody jet. I even see my kids for 20 days of the month that I'm not away. The first wife is still putting up with me. I'm under 40 years old. (don't believe everything you read in a profile..)

It worked for me.

Opportunities are what you make of it.

Sure there are going to be hardships, there are going to be hardships whether your sitting around Kunnas or bashing around Bots or dashing around in a American Regional. Each is a different challenge. We learn and get that sought after "experience" through challenges.
When or even if you do decide to come home, who are they going to hire? Someone with 1000s of hours in a clapped out twin or 1000s hours of jet regional time. I've seen it before, but all the recruiters see is previous airline experience.

I've been on PPrune a reasonable amount of time. (2010 is just my second login start date :O) I had just finished my CPL when I stumbled on this site. The naysayers were louder and more numerous when I was trying to start out.

Ignore them. I did. They may have valid points which when analyzed, can be mitigated. Its also up to you to make sure you line up all your ducks in a row.

Sure you can be idealistic like KRUSTY and j3pipercub. They are entitled to
their opinions. I have no problem with that. The problem is, if you buy into their baggage too much, you'll get nowhere and at the end of the day, KRUSTY, j3 and co aren't paying you to sit around passing up jobs to be idealistic.

GO out there and make it happen.

Gotta love those consecutive 12 hour days.

Now before some of you shoot from the hip, try learning to "Play the Ball".

911 was a traumatic time with far reaching consequences, but what an even cursory glacé will reveal, is the sheer opportunism that followed. Sure, initially it was about survival, but now 15 years later it's all backslapping and "World's best practice". Once hard won conditions and ultimately career satisfaction are destroyed, they never come back. This the new reality of the American Regional scene. I mean a CRJ captain earning the princely sum of $90K! Sad days.

My remarks about "pretending to be a real Airline pilot" was not meant to insult. But that's exactly how the perpetrators of this crime see you. As I said, regional flying, which now accounts for more than 60% of US domestic travel is by that very fact alone an extremely serious business.

I don't think it too much for the travelling public to expect the pilots up front to be paid a commensurate amount, both in wages and lifestyle of the value of the cargo they are entrusted with.

I don't have the link, but if someone could post Chelsey Sullenburgers latest address to Congress (January this year I think) maybe his take on some of this will be accepted as a little more diplomatic.

Good luck all.

The offer here was so poor the union did not even put it to the membership for a vote.

Republic Airways Submits Last, Best and Final Offer to IBT Local 357 | Business Wire

Guys, smell the coffee. 20 Million people 4 carriers with long seniority lists. If you stick around here one thing I can assure you of is that you will never get past the right seat of a narrowbody jet IF you are lucky. Most likely you'll be flying some ****box turboprop for the rest of your days.

You will be even luckier if you can make it through your career without the outfit you join closing and finding yourself mowing lawns to pay off your Sydney mortgage.

I suspect their regionals are the equivalent of our GA. What are the TC's of their majors? Any retirements coming up? Think outside the square.

Best of luck.

The penny has finally dropped! Minimum requirement ATPL. Missed the wood for the trees on that one.

After years of seeing this coming, rather than putting in place initiatives to help reinvigorate and sustain the profession, they suddenly go looking overseas.

It's good to see that at least Airline Managements across the World are equally predictable.

I trust that none here would complain if the reciprocal arrangement for American pilots on 457 to work and fly in Aussie on the regionals?

We have and they do! In fact for not that dissimilar reasons.

The difference here of course is that our regional Airlines offer vastly greater T&C's than our American counterparts. No doubt why they came over.

The challenge for us of course is to stand united to stop the same rot setting in here.

Movement in Australia will be glacial at best for the next 10 years so if you can get some jet time overseas I'd say go for it.

Really what are the options? Hang around in GA on a similar low salary, or go to a regional here on say ~50k a year.

If you go to Republic it looks like you are straight into a jet. I imagine a few years and you can get onto a Embraer and you have the option of going to the middle east.

With the high number of compulsory retirements coming up in the USA there may be alot of movement through the system.

Krusty

Yep 90K plus allowances but you can not compare that to Australia. I been in the US many times and I can assure you when you fill up the trolley at the grocery store, there appears to be a hell of a lot more change out of a hundred dollars at the checkout. Abit of time over there makes you realise how much of a rip off this country actually is. The only good thing is Medicare but I am sure Abbott has that in his sights to fund tax cuts for the Coal Industry or Rupert Murdoch?

Real Estate is a lot cheaper so as long as you were not living in a major US city, 90K would be enough for a decent house.

Some things are the same, if you choose to live in New York or Sydney as a Regional Captain, then you probably need to do some casual Space Shuttle flying on your days off unless you are happy to raise a family in a 2 bedroom unit.

Gidday biglanchow,

You'd be surprised what a Regional Captain in Oz can earn, and probably equally surprised at the lifestyle many enjoy. Most Captains I know regularly clear well in excess of $4,000 per fortnight. The kicker is, although there is usually some measure of overtime in that, the hours they work still come nowhere near the pilots depicted in the video. That's right, no 12 hour back to back days!

But the reality is that this thread is all about chasing opportunities overseas, and obviously the aforementioned life is not for everyone, and that's fair enough. Although you will need at least an ATPL just to get a foot in the door.

As I've said, best of luck boys and girls, but be mindful of what you wish for.

Yep, I know what they earn as I am one :ok:

Regional Capt's CLEARING well in excess of 4 grand a fortnight, what the hell are we all whinging about, I want that gig and I fly widebody.....:confused:

Absolutely rockarpee.

Helped in no small measure by the same short sighted greed that now see American Regionals scrambling for right seaters with ATPL's. Because they killed off the Golden Goose that laid those little eggs years ago!

If they don't get them (and I sincerely doubt they will in any quantity), then they'll either adapt (unlikely), or die. And in the end wondering What the F#ck happened!

Not sure where you work, Most of the guys I know would clear $3100 with maybe an extra $200-$400 in allowances max. To clear $4K would need a pile of extensions or working RDOs.

Just out of interest, the E3 visa has been around for over 10 years now, has it been possible to do this all this time and nobody knew, or has something changed recently?

It's taken a while for the visa benefits to filter through to employers and for them to realise how easy it is to employ an Aussie (after the employer applies to the DOL for approval that is)...

Interesting reading so far.

I have done the expat thing and have a slightly different slant on it, as I did it for the "adventure" not the SJS (shiny jet syndrome). I was already employed by a major at the time when I woke up one morning (recently separated) and said f$%k it, I'm off to broaden my horizons. 2 operators and many years later I am back in roughly the equivalent position I left 8 years ago.

Pros - the experience I have gained as a human being (and also as a pilot :}) is something I would never have gained if I had stayed in Aus. Like it or not, we are a very very parochial bunch here and believe it or not, we are not the worlds best pilots as we may like to think. Funny enough the crushing loneliness that one feels from time to time as a result of being away from friends and family, has led to a much more well rounded view of the world and a better relationship with those dearest to me now that I am back home.

Cons - It has cost me financially and a command in a city of my choosing with a major. More importantly it has cost me some time and experiences that could have been spent with my children, but somehow I always managed to get back to see them reasonably regularly. See above - the con did become a pro.

My advice is if you are single go for the adventure and see where it leads you regardless of the money, time on type or crappy places you may sleep. If you are single but have kids, think long and hard before you commit to an overseas jaunt - I previously used the term "crushing" when trying to describe the feelings that some time overwhelm you when you are away from your little ones, I'm not exaggerating.

So often we get caught up with where we are and where we think we should be without enjoying the ride along the way. I know I sound like some silly old coot but this has been my experience and I hope it helps - would I do it again? In a heartbeat.

10000 signing bonus along an 80000 bonus on top of regular pay if you stay 3 years on the regional.


Upgrade in a year or less.


Wish i was australian, we spaniards dont seem to get this great opportunity right now.

Let me see.... Provided of course if it's true?

10000 up front, and 80000 as a bonus if you stay 3 years. That's about 3 and a half years pay at the typical American Regional F/O's rate! Holy crap, things are more desperate that I thought. Get over there boys and girls, too good to miss.

Wait a minute, (Spain) it's not in Pesos is it? :eek:

"I trust that none here would complain if the reciprocal arrangement for American pilots on 457 to work and fly in Aussie on the regionals?"

Why would anyone complain. Visa's are only issued when there are not enough locals to fill the seats. You cant really have it both ways.

For an Australian pilot, is the visa only available to aviation degree holders?
Or can the degree be in any discipline; since the majors in the states only require a degree in any discipline.

FLAPSSET,

I'd have to guess but I can't see the visa program requiring a dedicated "aviation" degree in this circumstance. Skywest itself doesn't mention a degree as a requirement at all. In fact, most regionals here either don't mention it or list a degree as "preferred".

This, as you've likely seen, from the visa requirements:

"...and at least the attainment of a bachelor's degree, or its equivalent, as a minimum for entry into the occupation in the United States."

With typical fuzzy government-speak, it's hard to know what "...or its equivalent..." means...sounds like a bit of wriggle room there. Skywest has likely noodled this out with the our kakistocracy.

Maybe the OP could shed some light on this ?

In regards to this Skywest Visa sponsorship that has been mentioned, where about does it actually state this?
Out of curiosity I have had a little gander and can't for the life of me see it anywhere that they will sponsor overseas pilots...more than happy to be told otherwise...my computer-majiggin skills aint what they used to be.

hobo,

I had asked the same question earlier in this thread. I couldn't find the specific statement either.

I did stumble across this wrinkle though:

Let's see if I understand this correctly…I might not.

Skywest Airlines is owned by the corporate umbrella that also owns Expressjet Airlines.

http://inc.skywest.com/corporate-inf.../?t=expressjet

In the Expressjet list of pilot quals, there's this statement:

"Authorization to work in the United States without sponsorship"

It's interesting that one airline under the same corporate ownership is said to being sponsoring expats for pilot employment but another carrier under that same ownership specifically says it isn't.

Maybe Expressjet being an ALPA carrier and, IIUC, Skywest isn't ?

ExpressJet Pilot Qualifications | ExpressJet Airlines

Post #56. Decent house as in 90K US $? Completely, totally and absolutely delusional. Show me this house from which you be within 1 hr available for reserve in the assigned domicile. And as a new hire, on reserve you will be, not that it really matters as limited days off even as a line holder will make commuting to the 90K house in the country something of a challenge.

Employment may perhaps be offered but the terms will be rooted at the bottom of seniority's totem pole. Best you realize what every Koala at the base of the eucalyptus sees when looking up at those above. Not nice. Which is why the package is being thrown out for foreign talent to pick up.

Here it is: 498 Breezewood Rd, Sanford, NC 27330 | Zillow

3 bedroom on 2 acres, less than 40 minutes drive from RDU. Sold last year for 72.5k

Do any of the so called Regionals in USA go across to Canada? Then the pilots don't need to be from a country with special visa permissions. I am sure I have read of pilots living and flying from USA simply by getting a 90days visa every time they re-enter USA as part of the pilot job.

A perfect way to be arrested, fined and deported. :ok:

@bafanguy , yeah I bet the fact that Expressjet is union and Skywest is non-Union has a significant factor in this.

@DeltaT , many of the U.S. regionals fly into Canada. Skywest flies to Canada, Mexico, and the Bahamas but the 90 day VWP will get you in trouble. Visiting crew members must possess a C1/D visa to enter the US. Foreign crew members do not enter on the visa waiver program when on duty.

cvg

Maybe I wrote in wrong but what I meant is if you were MAKING 90K a year and were not living in a major US city, you could afford a decent house. Houses don't cost 1 million/2 bedroom units 600K, like in Sydney.

Before you all get hot and excited about going to work for someone like a U.S regional Id like to add my two cents. We know about the working conditions and the pay but people are saying homes are cheap. No they aren't. Those fifty grand specials you see advertised on the internet are in neighbourhoods you wouldn't go in to in the daytime, let alone after dark. Homes in the U.S are also subject to annual property tax unlike Australia and that varies by state. I can put with a lot of things but dealing with an American Home Owners Association in a high tax state like Wisconsin where the snow reaches your second floor balcony? How about freezing solid in North Dakota for poverty pay and trying to find accommodation when theres none to be found during a shale oil boom? Those trailers get pretty cold at night. Do some research guys.

Australian pilots can work for US regionals.
 

Not many regionals based in ND

Property here in the US is very varied in price depending on where you live.

A Bay Area base with Skywest for example could see you living in northern Marin county, about 1 hour drive from SFO. 250-300k would buy a reasonableish condo.

There are many other cheaper based options with regionals.

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.

Received an update today from the recruiter.

They have put on hold employing Australians but will continue to process those that have been offered interviews.

oicur12.again,

Did they happen to mention how many Australians had been offered interviews before they put the expat process on hold ? And why the hold was put in place ?

There's been some question in the discussion of this about how many candidates this visa process can yield.

No info was given. He mentioned it was on hold but they may revisit the intake of ozmates and will post it on the website.

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?