I’m about to start training at ATP Tampa next month and I’m already getting excited about my new career path, but I’ve got a few questions about base seniority. How do I find out which bases are more senior than others? I’m looking at regional airlines at MIA to apply to directly after obtaining my 1500 hours as it’s the easiest major airport to commute to from my home (Tampa Bay Area), but I understand that Miami is a rather senior base; how likely would it be to get hired at a regional airline at MIA with just 1500 hours? Is there a way to find a list of more junior bases that are more “safe” bets?
First keep in mind things can and do change often. The 2 best ways I know are a) contact the recruiters for the airlines you’re targeting and ask, b) visit airlinepilotcentral.com. They have tons of info on every carrier including seniority, payscales, etc.
Congrats on your start date! As for bases, the only way I know of is to just ask. There may also be some info on the web, but in all honesty this early on it’s kind of pointless to be looking that far ahead. I know that it’s important to plan your future, but anything can happen between now and then. New bases open, existing bases close, a temporary need pops up and a few lucky pilots get assigned a relatively senior base, there are too many variables. I would rather you spend more time studying for your written tests than worry about where you’ll be based at your hypothetical regional airline
Airline Pilot Central has a ton of information on this, so I would check out that resource. I am not sure how senior of a base MIA is. I will say this though, I would plan on commuting or moving to a different base at some point in your career. If you limit yourself just to a place like MIA, that is a smaller base, you might find yourself being disappointed. I am glad that you are willing to explore other bases.
Thank you all for your help and replies. I was familiar with Airline Pilot Central but I didn’t realize it had information on base seniority, so I’ll be sure to check that out.
And thank you all for bringing me back to reality a little bit. I’m a planner by nature but things in this industry (especially now) are incredibly dynamic so I’ll concentrate on my training for now and reevaluate again when I’m ready to start applying to airlines.
