Great Lakes

[Lynxman]

Anybody care to confirm the rumor I heard of hiring going on?

 

[brokeflyer]

i hope not...we dont need anymore people taking low paying jobs....

 

[belchfire]

i hope not...we dont need anymore people taking low paying jobs....

Unless things have changed drastically there, Great Mistakes is a place to run from-it's not like anyone is hiring people from regionals right now!

Bide your time and go somewhere you can be stuck at until you hit 65...trust me, any outfit who would pretend to be a "stepping stone"(with commensurate low pay, pathetic benefits and abominable employee relations) to a better job in this market is more likely a puddle of quicksand!

If you really love flying my recommendation would be that you get into some job where you can afford to own or rent you own and fly on nice days when you want to...

the industry is not, nor will it ever be what it once was.

 

[ePilot22]

26 starting a class on the 10th. 15 more to follow? Low time guys.





eP.

 

[Bluestreak]

"If you really love flying my recommendation would be that you get into some job where you can afford to own or rent you own and fly on nice days when you want to...

the industry is not, nor will it ever be what it once was. "

THAT is the best advice you will ever recieve,take it to the bank !

 

[CX880]

What's the deal with Great Lakes? Tehy're the only true regional out there, the guys flying RJs are the ones outsourcing for peanuts. What's the difference between a 4 year pilot at Skywest Vs Great Lakes? One's a CA, the other one's not, that's it pay is the same for both. I say go for it if you can afford 16 dollars an hour.

 

[spudskier]

See if you can afford to work for them first... http://www.airlinepilotcentral.com/images/stories/airlines/pay_greatlakes2007.gif

 

[wrxpilot]

See if you can afford to work for them first... http://www.airlinepilotcentral.com/images/stories/airlines/pay_greatlakes2007.gif

That's a very good idea, too bad most people don't do this.

I was recently offered a job at Colgan, but after crunching the numbers I decided it was not going to work for me financially. I don't have any debt either, so that's really saying something. I have no clue how these guys and girls with crazy flight training loans, credit cards, car loan, etc. can afford to work for some of the regional carriers.

 

[Lynxman]

It's more than I make now and probably as stable as my current non flying aviation job. I'm fully aware of the place and what it entails, and I appreciate your concerns thanks all.

 

[wrxpilot]

It's more than I make now and probably as stable as my current non flying aviation job. I'm fully aware of the place and what it entails, and I appreciate your concerns thanks all.

Great Lakes pays more than your current non-flying job? How is that even possible?

Great Lakes:
1st year f/o hourly rate: $16
Monthly guarantee: 75 hours
Monthly pay: $1,200

Minimum wage:
$7.25/hr
160 hours/mo
Monthly pay: $1,160

Now I see, you must be making minimum wage. If that's the case, you're right... You're going to be making $40 more per month as a Great Lakes pilot than a minimum wage worker. Nice.

 

[Lynxman]

You can't just factor in monthly guarantee as your only pay there is per diem too even though it doesn't equate to much more. At any rate I can stand by and wait for the day to get laid off all the while hating my job more an more or possibly have my hourly salary completely taken away and work on straight commission. Or I can be proactive with my aviation career and do what I really want to do which is fly. I can hack it through first yr pay and build my time so that when it gets better I'm in a better situation.

 

[Salukipilot4590]

That's a very good idea, too bad most people don't do this.

I was recently offered a job at Colgan, but after crunching the numbers I decided it was not going to work for me financially. I don't have any debt either, so that's really saying something. I have no clue how these guys and girls with crazy flight training loans, credit cards, car loan, etc. can afford to work for some of the regional carriers.

Same here...jumped on the application bandwagon then completed a monthly budget...I cannot afford to work there. Just cannot. Period.

 

[Lynxman]

Some can some can't. I've been saving for the day I get laid off or 1st yr FO pay. I should be good for a bit.

 

[Salukipilot4590]

Some can some can't. I've been saving for the day I get laid off or 1st yr FO pay. I should be good for a bit.

Isn't that sad.

1) You're not going to have money when you get furloughed because you're going to be dipping so far into your savings just to SURVIVE on 1st year pay.

2) Don't you think you're worth more than that?


C'mon cuzz

 

[belliott]

That's a very good idea, too bad most people don't do this.

I was recently offered a job at Colgan, but after crunching the numbers I decided it was not going to work for me financially. I don't have any debt either, so that's really saying something. I have no clue how these guys and girls with crazy flight training loans, credit cards, car loan, etc. can afford to work for some of the regional carriers.

I don't have any debt and made it through first year pay at Colgan without too much trouble... yeah it sucks but it is better than being unemployed.... I got hired by Eagle, PSA, Pinnacle, and Air Whisky and never made it to class after having my employer close the doors... Colgan was not on my initial list of places to work but my worst day flying is better than my best day welding... and I spent 6 months welding between flying jobs. Everyone's experience in life is different... everyone chooses different path's in life.... and I enjoy volunteering my time with our union working towards a decent contract.
Have a great mothers day folks.

 

[Lynxman]

I'm worth more behind a yoke than a computer selling avionics.

 

[wrxpilot]

I'm worth more behind a yoke than a computer selling avionics.

It's too bad you guys don't think you're worth more, it really is. I think you are...

 

[Lynxman]

I am worth more lol that's why I'm trying to get out of my current job. Don't think for a second I want to be at Lakes for anything other than the fact that its a place to get hours.

 

[Salukipilot4590]

yeah it sucks but it is better than being unemployed....

No hate at all but this is exactly why you'll never make money.

I'm worth more behind a yoke than a computer selling avionics.

You're worth 16K to 20K? Did we go to the same school?

I am worth more lol that's why I'm trying to get out of my current job. Don't think for a second I want to be at Lakes for anything other than the fact that its a place to get hours.

:facepalm:

 

[Lynxman]

I'm on track to make 17K this year. Am I worth more than that you're damn right. There is no career progression in my job right now. A lateral move financially to fly a plane (what I went to school for) and possibly make much more in the future sounds like a great idea.

 

[CX880]

Great Lakes pays more than your current non-flying job? How is that even possible?

Great Lakes:
1st year f/o hourly rate: $16
Monthly guarantee: 75 hours
Monthly pay: $1,200

Minimum wage:
$7.25/hr
160 hours/mo
Monthly pay: $1,160

Now I see, you must be making minimum wage. If that's the case, you're right... You're going to be making $40 more per month as a Great Lakes pilot than a minimum wage worker. Nice.

You're talking about first year, everyone knows it's almost equal to flying for minimum wage, probably below.... The problem is that by second year you should be upgrading and making more than some regional places and by third of fourth year you should be gone. So in the long run, you end up making more money going to GL.

 

[Lynxman]

I'm not exactly sure it will work out upgrading that quickly, but you get the point.

 

[embpic1]

Guys what is the big deal? This is how it has been done for ages. Yes commuter pay sucks big time. It is a stepping stone. For those that start early it is easier because you are not making much money anyway. For those that are older and have careers in other fields it is much harder. I was at Lakes for several years. Yeah the pay sucked but I had a blast and got some great experience. When I started I had a $300 car, recently finished college and had no mortgage or large loans. Starting pay was $10/hour. Things were tight but I got by.

 

[Lynxman]

Exactly although I do have a large loan it's managable provided I'm not a idiot with spending money. My biggest concern with going to Lakes is washing out of training and screwing myself over with that on my record.

 

[embpic1]

Exactly although I do have a large loan it's managable provided I'm not a idiot with spending money. My biggest concern with going to Lakes is washing out of training and screwing myself over with that on my record.

The training at Lakes is tough I will give you that. When I was there all limitations and memory items had to able to be recalled. If you missed a limitation or memory item on an oral you were done. We all studied hard and made the best effort. My very first training flight was in the airplane. No simulators back then. On my first takeoff I was given a V1 cut followed by a single engine ILS to a landing. So on my first flight in the 1900 I only had one engine with the exception of the takeoff run. That was just the way things were done back in the day. Now they have a 1900D sim so things are a little easier. I have a friend that is an instructor at Lakes and he said one of the biggest problems they see is guys that flew glass (Cyrus etc..). They have a heck of a time with situational awareness without the moving map.

 

[Kalifornia]

It's sucks how bad it's gotten, but it's more unbelievable that reality hasn't set in enough to deter enough perspective pilots to shut down the zero to hero training schools in mass quantities including university programs. A $100,000 loan at 5% interest rate spread over 10 years = $1000 a month!? When people are clinging on per diem to live, something is seriously wrong.

 

[Lynxman]

The training at Lakes is tough I will give you that. When I was there all limitations and memory items had to able to be recalled. If you missed a limitation or memory item on an oral you were done. We all studied hard and made the best effort. My very first training flight was in the airplane. No simulators back then. On my first takeoff I was given a V1 cut followed by a single engine ILS to a landing. So on my first flight in the 1900 I only had one engine with the exception of the takeoff run. That was just the way things were done back in the day. Now they have a 1900D sim so things are a little easier. I have a friend that is an instructor at Lakes and he said one of the biggest problems they see is guys that flew glass (Cyrus etc..). They have a heck of a time with situational awareness without the moving map.

No glass here for me. For the time being I'm going to rent a twin an hour or two a month to get back up to snuff on ME work.

 

[Lynxman]

It's sucks how bad it's gotten, but it's more unbelievable that reality hasn't set in enough to deter enough perspective pilots to shut down the zero to hero training schools in mass quantities including university programs. A $100,000 loan at 5% interest rate spread over 10 years = $1000 a month!? When people are clinging on per diem to live, something is seriously wrong.

My loan isn't 100K, rather 63K to be exact that's ratings plus degree. Nobody pays loans back in 10 years unless they can afford to. I'm looking at around $450-550 a month much more reasonable. Obviously as I make more money I'll pay more to get rid of it asap.

 

[wrxpilot]

Guys what is the big deal? This is how it has been done for ages. Yes commuter pay sucks big time. It is a stepping stone. For those that start early it is easier because you are not making much money anyway. For those that are older and have careers in other fields it is much harder. I was at Lakes for several years. Yeah the pay sucked but I had a blast and got some great experience. When I started I had a $300 car, recently finished college and had no mortgage or large loans. Starting pay was $10/hour. Things were tight but I got by.

Here's the thing...

Most of the of majors are going to be hiring for a long time... Delta might, but I've heard that is mostly going to consist of bringing back furloughs. I think anybody thinking about going to a regional today needs to realize they may be stuck there for a VERY long time as an F/O. Maybe they will even need to make a career of their particular regional.

 

[Lynxman]

Here's the thing...

Most of the of majors are going to be hiring for a long time... Delta might, but I've heard that is mostly going to consist of bringing back furloughs. I think anybody thinking about going to a regional today needs to realize they may be stuck there for a VERY long time as an F/O. Maybe they will even need to make a career of their particular regional.

Def a possibility so I ask you this... Would you rather work at a dead end computer job selling avionics day in day out in a somewhat hostile enviroment making between 17K and if your lucky and I mean real lucky 25-30K tops? Or make around the same flying at Lakes and possibly move on to bigger and better things? That's an honest question.