Upgrade time at Regionals

SkyJeff · December 14th, 2005, 12:38

What seems to be the average upgrade time to Captain at Regionals? I've heard some upgrade in 2-3 years?

BobDDuck · December 14th, 2005, 12:43

Short version.... it doesn't matter. It won't be the same when you get there.

Long version. It varies from carrier to carrier. Some of the small turboprop only regionals (Colgan, Great Lakes) are right around 1 year. ExpressJet currently sits at 2 years, but that time is going to start going up. CHQ/Rebuplic are around 2 years as is some parts of Mesa, while ASA, PSA, TSA (see a trend here) are anywhere from 3 to 5 years. And then there is Eagle who last I heard was at 8 years and coming down slowly. And keep in mind, even if you got on with any one of these regionals today, your upgrade time would have nothing to do with these numbers. It chages week to week. The only person an upgrade time is accurate for is the one about to go into upgrade training. Doesn't the short version sound better?

Doug Taylor · December 14th, 2005, 13:26

A good thread on this: http://forums.jetcareers.com/showthr...=upgrade+times (Upgrade times)

supercell86 · December 14th, 2005, 19:22

I thought Denny, the one who flies for pinnacle said that it was 1000 in type to upgrade.

BobDDuck · December 14th, 2005, 20:55

Most places have some sort of time requirment in order to be able to upgrade. However, just because you can, doesn't mean you could hold a captains spot based on senority. If there are only 500 captain spots in the company and you are number 750, even if you have the 1000 in type you still couldn't upgrade until you were number 500.

cessna_cptn · December 14th, 2005, 21:26

Kind of off topic, but do have to serve as a FO on a type of aircraft before you can be a captain. Not trying to hijack this thread. Hypothetical: You are a captain on a dc-9 with high senority, and a captains spot on a 737 opens. Can you bid for it?

Captain_Bob · December 14th, 2005, 21:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by cessna_cptn

Kind of off topic, but do have to serve as a FO on a type of aircraft before you can be a captain. Not trying to hijack this thread. Hypothetical: You are a captain on a dc-9 with high senority, and a captains spot on a 737 opens. Can you bid for it?

If your seniority allows it and you are not seat locked for some reason... yes. It's almost never based on what aircraft you've FO'd on before.

E_Dawg · December 14th, 2005, 23:28

Don't go to a regional for upgrade time IMO. Movement from regionals to better jobs seems to be very limited and slow. When things pick up at the top of the industry that movement will affect everyone for the best.

Bottom line as I see it is go somewhere with decent domiciles and workrules; right seat or left you will be there for a while.

Cav · December 15th, 2005, 00:19

As many have mentioned upgrade time change very quickly. Generally when someplace is say "upgrading in 1.5 yrs" that is only in the present. The best you can hope for is to target a company that seems to have growth potential. Obviously no one has a crystal ball so even judging a company's growth potential is a shot in the dark. I think most important of all is to make your choice based on where you will be happy. For me that was determined by the people I'd be working with, the pay, the type of aircraft, the training environment, THE PAY SCALE, and perhaps most importantly how the company seemed to view and treat it's employees. Yeah you can go to the place that is upgrading RJ FO's in 18 months when you're hired but these things don't last forever. Will you like where you will be sitting when all of a sudden the music stops and upgrades slow? You better, otherwise this job won't seem so great!

Be careful of the attittude that many instructors take that says "I'll go wherever will take me because it's got to be better than where I am now." Chances are you looked at flight instructing as a temporary place where you'd be for a short amount of time and maybe you were willing to put up with a little BS. Regionals are no longer as temporary as many thought, not necessarily permanent, but you'll be there for a while no matter what and you better like where you are.

nkoenig · December 15th, 2005, 07:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by Captain_Bob

If your seniority allows it and you are not seat locked for some reason... yes. It's almost never based on what aircraft you've FO'd on before.

Cpt bob check you pm

December 14th, 2005, 12:38	#1
SkyJeff Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Covington, LA Posts: 173	Upgrade time at Regionals What seems to be the average upgrade time to Captain at Regionals? I've heard some upgrade in 2-3 years? __________________ "The deal is not to know everything, but to know the email of the one who does."

December 14th, 2005, 12:43	#2
BobDDuck Old Skool Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Left Seat Posts: 5,251	Short version.... it doesn't matter. It won't be the same when you get there. Long version. It varies from carrier to carrier. Some of the small turboprop only regionals (Colgan, Great Lakes) are right around 1 year. ExpressJet currently sits at 2 years, but that time is going to start going up. CHQ/Rebuplic are around 2 years as is some parts of Mesa, while ASA, PSA, TSA (see a trend here) are anywhere from 3 to 5 years. And then there is Eagle who last I heard was at 8 years and coming down slowly. And keep in mind, even if you got on with any one of these regionals today, your upgrade time would have nothing to do with these numbers. It chages week to week. The only person an upgrade time is accurate for is the one about to go into upgrade training. Doesn't the short version sound better? __________________ TBJC08 The Gear Monkey The Gear Monkey Store

December 14th, 2005, 13:26	#3
Doug Taylor Agent Smith Join Date: Dec 1969 Location: KSDL Posts: 39,271 Blog Entries: 1	A good thread on this: http://forums.jetcareers.com/showthr...=upgrade+times (Upgrade times) __________________ Doug Taylor http://76school.flyblog.com (old!) http://30west.flyblog.com (updated 11/28)

December 14th, 2005, 20:55	#5
BobDDuck Old Skool Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Left Seat Posts: 5,251	Most places have some sort of time requirment in order to be able to upgrade. However, just because you can, doesn't mean you could hold a captains spot based on senority. If there are only 500 captain spots in the company and you are number 750, even if you have the 1000 in type you still couldn't upgrade until you were number 500. __________________ TBJC08 The Gear Monkey The Gear Monkey Store

December 14th, 2005, 23:28	#8
E_Dawg Moderator Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: chicago Posts: 4,123	Don't go to a regional for upgrade time IMO. Movement from regionals to better jobs seems to be very limited and slow. When things pick up at the top of the industry that movement will affect everyone for the best. Bottom line as I see it is go somewhere with decent domiciles and workrules; right seat or left you will be there for a while. __________________ Yeah, I just stare at my desk; but it looks like I'm working. I do that for probably another hour after lunch, too. I'd say in a given week I probably only do about fifteen minutes of real, actual, work.

December 14th, 2005, 19:22	#4
supercell86 Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 146	I thought Denny, the one who flies for pinnacle said that it was 1000 in type to upgrade.

December 14th, 2005, 21:26	#6
cessna_cptn Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Michigan Posts: 66	Kind of off topic, but do have to serve as a FO on a type of aircraft before you can be a captain. Not trying to hijack this thread. Hypothetical: You are a captain on a dc-9 with high senority, and a captains spot on a 737 opens. Can you bid for it?

December 15th, 2005, 00:19	#9
Cav Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Let me look, I forgot. Posts: 627	As many have mentioned upgrade time change very quickly. Generally when someplace is say "upgrading in 1.5 yrs" that is only in the present. The best you can hope for is to target a company that seems to have growth potential. Obviously no one has a crystal ball so even judging a company's growth potential is a shot in the dark. I think most important of all is to make your choice based on where you will be happy. For me that was determined by the people I'd be working with, the pay, the type of aircraft, the training environment, THE PAY SCALE, and perhaps most importantly how the company seemed to view and treat it's employees. Yeah you can go to the place that is upgrading RJ FO's in 18 months when you're hired but these things don't last forever. Will you like where you will be sitting when all of a sudden the music stops and upgrades slow? You better, otherwise this job won't seem so great! Be careful of the attittude that many instructors take that says "I'll go wherever will take me because it's got to be better than where I am now." Chances are you looked at flight instructing as a temporary place where you'd be for a short amount of time and maybe you were willing to put up with a little BS. Regionals are no longer as temporary as many thought, not necessarily permanent, but you'll be there for a while no matter what and you better like where you are.

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