Updated and Accurate Lynx Info

[Cloud F9]

Hey all. I just wanted to send out some real info on Lynx. I know there isn't much out there yet- but coming soon. This is intended to get real information out there for people to draw there own conclusions & not a flame war.

As you know they are continuing to hire - CA and FOs. Apply through Careerbuilder.com
Average 10 pilots per class.. with basically one class per month.

70 hr guar. Training in Toronto, Canada.
Denver based.
First plane arriving on property July 20. AC #2 & 3 following quickly thereafter. 10 aircraft due by end of December. Options for 10 more.

Chief Pilot -- Dana Floyd

Passenger service forcasted in mid August. 650 nm radius from DEN. Destinations to be announced soon.

Looking for experienced pilots - especially with mountain flying experience and turboprop time. Dash experience a big plus. FOs could potentially upgrade quickly. Jet time and EFIS/FMS also helpful.

This is still a start up operation - so everything is not silky smooth. This place has a huge potential to really take off and grow into a large & successful operation. If you are interested in being based in Denver and working for a company with the same ethics as Frontier- then do apply. The flying is going to be lots of fun and the people are great.

Interview- the interview profile is constantly changing - so stay tuned.

Post any questions you may have - will do my best to give you a real solid answer. As with any forum - the info out there is questionable. I feel the primary reason is to help your peers to follow the paths that fit each individual.

Safe Travels!

 

[Cloud F9]

Oh.. and there is NOT a flow through to F9. In case you are curious.

 

[flyf15]

Whats the FO and CA pay and basic QOL info? Is there a going to be a union on property? What are the requirements to be hired as a CA?

 

[pookie]

So why would someone leave one regional to go to another. Besides the obvious Mesa ofcourse.

 

[Cloud F9]

Whats the FO and CA pay and basic QOL info? Is there a going to be a union on property? What are the requirements to be hired as a CA?

See careerbuilder.com for requirements and perferred experience.

CA = $50
FO = $21

No union at this time. No plans at this time.

Street hire CA all have been a CA previously. Meet the hours profile. 4000 hrs perferred.

 

[DashTrash400]

Looking for experienced pilots - especially with mountain flying experience and turboprop time. Dash experience a big plus. FOs could potentially upgrade quickly. Jet time and EFIS/FMS also helpful.

CA = $50
FO = $21

No union at this time. No plans at this time.

If you are interested in being based in Denver and working for a company with the same ethics as Frontier- then do apply. The flying is going to be lots of fun and the people are great.

What ethics are those again? Willingness to whore yourself out and set an all new low for captain pay on a 76 seat aircraft? Completely selling yourself short despite 4000 hours of mountain flying and Dash8 experience?

Maybe I'm wrong and the pay will go up drastically after the 1st year, but it looks to me like Lynx is being run to be as cheap as humanly possible. Good grief, when you compare min guarantees, I make as much as a Lynx Captain. I'm a Q400 First Officer.

Here's some food for thought: what do you suppose their cancellation pay is? Horizon can't keep the Q400s running with 6 years' experience and a sharp mx department. The newest batch we're getting isn't any better. I think we're going to see some horrifying reliability numbers out of Lynx in the first year or two.

Oh, dear, I didn't start the aforementioned flame war, did I? Oh well. :bawling:

 

[Cloud F9]

Maybe I'm wrong and the pay will go up drastically after the 1st year, but it looks to me like Lynx is being run to be as cheap as humanly possible. Good grief, when you compare min guarantees, I make as much as a Lynx Captain. I'm a Q400 First Officer.
:bawling:

All valid thoughts... keep in mind- its a new startup with loads of expenses- new aircraft, training, equipment, staff, certification costs, headquarters, dispatch..etc. The elevator is at the ground floor...

I feel this is different compared to established companies operating. Once Lynx is established, generating revenue and feeding F9 - Things should change.

Again, its all subjective in relation to one's situation....

 

[DashTrash400]

Hey, I understand that it's a startup and pay tends to be low at first at startups. If we do see pay rates come up significantly after they get going, I'll forever hold my toungue on Lynx. I just think it's highly unlikely, unless it's to fend off unionization efforts. You can justify it due to startup costs now, you can justify it due to higher-than-projected mx costs later.

 

[flyf15]

All valid thoughts... keep in mind- its a new startup with loads of expenses- new aircraft, training, equipment, staff, certification costs, headquarters, dispatch..etc. The elevator is at the ground floor...

I feel this is different compared to established companies operating. Once Lynx is established, generating revenue and feeding F9 - Things should change.

Again, its all subjective in relation to one's situation....

I try to be as open minded and reasonable as possible, but I just can't see why anyone (in a normal situation, there are always strange exceptions) would want to go to Lynx. The only pilots that qualify are extremely well qualified compared to what is required to get comparable jobs at other regionals. This is a small upstart carrier... and with that, you have a lot of uncertainty.

And, the big one, pay. For how much Lynx is asking of their pilot hopefuls, they sure aren't paying much and there hasn't been much mention of any other spectacular benefits to outweigh this. Pay as posted above, in the current market is reasonable for a bare 250TT comm multi FO hopeful or a slightly better than ATP requirements 1500-2000TT captain. Then when you take into consideration how large the aircraft being flown is, it looks even worse.

Pilots with much less experience than required can get much better jobs that pay more and are with much more established companies. I'm personally pretty saddened by what Lynx has to offer... it shows a general lack of respect and value for their employees and pilots in general. Sure, there are odd situations for some that may make them choose Lynx over other options, but I assume this will be the exception... not the norm.

The idea behind Lynx has a lot of potential to be a great place to work. Its too bad that the powers in charge have not chosen to make it a desirable rewarding option for a pilot of the skill and experience they desire.... if things were different, I might be interested in sending my resume there.

 

[katanabob]

ASA's first year ATR-72 CA pay rate = $55 / hour.
Eagle's first year ATR-72 CA pay rate = $58 / hour.
Mesa's first year DHC-8 CA pay rate = $37 / hour.
Piedmont's first year DHC-8 CA pay rate (300 / 100) = $47 / $43 / hour.
Colgan's first year Q400 CA pay rate = $53
CommutAir's first year DHC-8 CA pay rate = $37
Horizon's first year Q400 CA pay rate = $65
Average of the above = $49.37 / hour.

Other than Horizon, we don't have another domestic Q400 operator to directly compare pay rates with. (Yes, Colgan has a RATE.. but they aren't operating any airplanes yet.)

Also kinda curious (in reference to an earlier post) how pilot pay directly relates to aircraft maintenance reliability. I could see how mechanic experience or even pilot experience could.. but pilot pay?