Great Lakes Airlines?

[Firefly]

Five weeks of training with no pay, A $7500 training contract, Low FO pay for at least 300 hours before becoming a CA (probably 4 - 5 months) How can anyone afford to do this? Not to mention you have to pay your own way to get to the interview. What's the appeal?

 

[kingairyahoo]

...121 PIC in 4-5 months, some folks will sell their souls for less

 

[ALIMBO]

Upgrades are not that fast anymore but I'm sure its still faster than others.

 

[Kingair1181]

What are current upgrade times at GL?

 

[ALIMBO]

Couldn't tell ya but there is at least a few Lakes guys here on the board maybe they can chime in.

 

[Vegaspilot99]

They're still advertising captains under job postings on their web site. ATP, 1500, and 300 121 time. Don't know that they'll actually hire any captains though.

 

[lookin4better]

Who knows how people afford it .....some may have no choice and ignore bills for a few months, maybe they dont have any bills, maybe they have enough saved up.. however its no secret that there are many a Mommy and Daddy subsidising the regional airline industry by paying rent, car payment and other bills while their child ' pays their dues ' .

 

[ALIMBO]

^^^ Too bad we couldn't be in the same circumstances. But there's a plus to doing it all on your own I call it pride and hard work and it feels better in the end when you see the results and you know you got there because of you and no one else.

 

[Aviation Geek]

Nobody gets there alone.

 

[Midnight Flyer]

Nobody gets there alone.

said by a true PFT'er

 

[moonship]

Alimbo, just wondering where your getting your information from? There has been absolutely no change in our upgrade. ATP min's and 300 hours in type is all you need to bid upgrade. It comes as quick as you are ready for it legally. The process has not gotten any easier though and there is a high wash rate in upgrade. Only "street ca's" on property right now are returning lakers on furlough.

 

[ALIMBO]

Guess its hear say but a few Lakers said it was slowing down this was on the GLA forum though....

 

[ALIMBO]

Not to mention you have to pay your own way to get to the interview. What's the appeal?

I interviewed at Hawaii based airline and was told the same thing. There was no way I could afford those tickets.

 

[Salukipilot4590]

I interviewed at Hawaii based airline and was told the same thing. There was no way I could afford those tickets.

You should have whored yourself out for them...then you could go party it up with JM.

Would be fun I think...

 

[embpic1]

Five weeks of training with no pay, A $7500 training contract, Low FO pay for at least 300 hours before becoming a CA (probably 4 - 5 months) How can anyone afford to do this? Not to mention you have to pay your own way to get to the interview. What's the appeal?

Because there are people lining up at the door to get a job there.

I got hired by Lakes in 95. Back then you had to pay $10,000 to fly the EMB120. Starting FO pay was $10/hr. Upgrade was two years min. I got lucky and got into the BE1900 for $0 training cost. However they had people lining up at the door with $10,000. It is just the nature of the biz.

 

[ALIMBO]

You should have whored yourself out for them...then you could go party it up with JM.

Would be fun I think...

No thanks JM is a good guy but being a gate agent 2/5 days doesn't quite tickle my a$$hole enough to get me there. Plus Caravan time isn't really ********************. on top of it way underpaid to live in Hawaii. I'd rather CFI for twice as much pay. That or be a sperm donor heard they pay 2 grand a pop well guess that's nut but you get the point.

 

[Cardinal]

Five weeks of training with no pay, A $7500 training contract, Low FO pay for at least 300 hours before becoming a CA (probably 4 - 5 months)

In other news, water is wet.

How can anyone afford to do this?

If you have a mortgage, two car payments, a dog, and 2.2 children you can't. For a college grad or a flight instructor it's probably a raise, it was for me.

Not to mention you have to pay your own way to get to the interview.

I can't think of a US carrier that will buy you a ticket to get you to their interview. You only get a pass within their brand. Lakes is exactly the same, but being independent means they don't have a nationwide network to get you to Denver. I've been invited to an embarrasing number of airline interviews, and not once did a company pay for a revenue ticket.

What's the appeal?

DEN base, quick upgrade, good times, frat party atmosphere. Take it or leave it.

 

[Trogdor]

Upgrades are not that fast anymore but I'm sure its still faster than others.

100% not true.

7 open captain lines in Denver for the month of October, add in the reserve coverage we need and you'll be looking at 20-25 new Beech captains needed at ZK yesterday. Upgrades are as fast as you want, if you can handle the training that is.

 

[ALIMBO]

I stand corrected.

 

[Can8dn]

ALIMBO , Seems that may be happening to you on both RTC and FI now. Sometimes saying nothing is better than saying to much man.

On topic with a bit of prior planning not getting paid during training did suck but it was manageable. for anyone considering Lakes its about 7 weeks from start of training to first paycheck. But 121 Pic time is priceless.......