Q for Alaska guys

[Sioux115]

I just saw the anncouncement that Alaska will be interviewing Horizon FOs with 2000 SIC at Horizon. What will your/general pilot group perception be of the newhires coming from Horizon with no PIC time? It seems like a great opportunity for the guys that really want to be at Alaska. I know alot of guys initially got alot of sh!t for coming straight from UND to Horizon with 600hrs. Kind of the same scenario.

 

[dashtrash]

The only thing any of the usual suspects will post here is the same opinon they have about post-Kasher FO's.

 

[QXpeon]

it'll be interesting to see which FO's will jump at this. If I were still in the right seat I'd give it some thought at least. It's a crap shoot if you ask me.

 

[flythere]

It appears management is looking for yes-men!! If some guy is willing to sit at QX for 5 years as an FO, he'll/she'll do just about anything!!

 

[ferlo]

Here's the real reason they're looking for No PIC time FO's...

It's not for an altruistic Northwestern sense of brotherhood, it's because if you come here with no PIC time, you'll be UNABLE to go pretty much anywhere else. They have a home-grown captive audience. Alaska Airlines has never done a solitary thing that didn't benefit them FIRST. Think about it. Had I known what kind of pathalogical A-Holes I'd have to work for, I'd never have accepted the job. However, circumstances are what they are. I was duped and now, (for a short period of time) I'm stuck. I guess that's why we have 2 FO's a week quitting for real jobs at real airlines.

 

[ILStoMinimums]

I heard a AS FO say that they loose 45% of their newhires in year 1. Any truth to this? Where is everybody going?

 

[Singlecoil]

I heard a AS FO say that they loose 45% of their newhires in year 1. Any truth to this? Where is everybody going?

I guess they should tie the ropes tighter!

 

[lumax]

I don't know about 45% of the f/o's quitting in the first year, but the latest reduction bid shows that 3 more f/o's quit.

 

[Jeepman]

Anyone know if anyone from the women in aviation conference has gotten a call?...........Hmm, so you guys are saying since I have 1600 turbine PIC they will be less reluctant to hire me I guess?

 

[SneakyJake]

It says something about the applicant themselves if they are willing to leave a current job with no PIC. I don't remember a single pilot who didn't consider the 1000 PIC rule before leaving a commuter.

 

[GuppyPuppy]

It says something about the applicant themselves if they are willing to leave a current job with no PIC. I don't remember a single pilot who didn't consider the 1000 PIC rule before leaving a commuter.

Although you don't know me, I actually did just that. Left a commuter when I was 3.5-4 years away from upgrading (after being there over a year). Went to a freight company who was getting a bunch of 727's because they told me I'd be a captain in 1 year. The 727 program was altered and I sat right seat for the remainder of my time at that company.

If Alaska is the place you want to be and someone gives you that opportunity, I say go for it. Of course, if you ever get furloughed and don't have the magic PIC turbine time it will be difficult to find a decent job.

GP

 

[Guitar Guy]

Hmm, so you guys are saying since I have 1600 turbine PIC they will be less reluctant to hire me I guess?

That same situation happened to me with Air Wisconsin. I had over 1500 hours of 121 turbine PIC time and I got nixed for that. Turns out that Air Whiskey had had some problems with people who had decent turbine PIC coming there, getting some jet time and moving on to larger operations.

That may have been the first and last time that I was ever turned down for job because I was deemed to be "over qualified"...:laugh:

 

[AK737FO]

I recently had a conversation with a fleet captain, who is on the hiring board from time to time, about our current practices. His opinion is that pic turbo prop and Alaska time are not as important as they use to be. The holy grail now is pic jet. Since Alaska doesn't do interview sim rides anymore, they figure that if you have been trained to fly a jet of any sort at another airline, you can survive the training here, especially now since they have lowered the training bar to be barely off the ground.
If I was a 2000 hour FO at QX, wanted to work here and had the chance - go for it.

 

[CesnaCaptn]

Anyone know if anyone from the women in aviation conference has gotten a call?...........Hmm, so you guys are saying since I have 1600 turbine PIC they will be less reluctant to hire me I guess?

I just got off the phone with a jetblue pilot friend of mine who had a coworker go to the WIA conference. She has already interviewed and been turned down. Most likely she was turned down because if she was willing to leave B6 for greener pastures she would be willing to leave AS for a better deal.