Airnet Base closures

[starchkr]

Just to let everyone hoping to get on with airnet and move down to the Dallas or New Orleans areas.

Dallas prop base will be closed within the next month. It will remain as a lear base only.

New Orleans will become a single Caravan base within the next month as well.

From what i have heard, Telesis will be taking over flying the light loads for us out of DAL, and i don't know what will happen in NEW.

THAT'S JUST GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now my temporary killer day has just become permanent. That really $ucks!!!!

 

[starchkr]

I don't know if it has so much to do with competition as much as loads. I know 1 run has no more than 300 lbs on it the entire day...5 legs...with two of them empty. Another had a little more, but we have found a way to cover it using other planes from other runs (ie: mine and then the one van out of NEW).

As far as scope and unions go, i will have one at my next job...come on Frontier or America West.

 

[IP076]

Also within the last month...

One prop run (603) lost out of STP, currently contracted out the Central Air. STP down to 3 Runs now, all C208. I really doubt any of the those runs are close to getting cut. Most are pretty heavy.

One (432) gone from MKE. Guess they made a MKE Floater position for the pilot though. This run is also now operated by Central Air.

I heard they were charting one run out of DAL, didn't know they we're closing the whole base though. I guess thats one way of dealing with the pilot shortage at the company now....

Anyone know of any other runs closing?

Any info out there on the HEF run I saw on the bid sheet a few weeks ago? I thought that might be a new one? Are they going to bid out all the CMH runs now, or just the weekend one that showed up this week?

 

[Flyingmike]

WOW....

I was sorry to not work there anymore after the 17th of Feb.....

I sure do miss the guys I flew with (greatest group of pilots I have met yet)...but,

D A M N....I hope you guys all get yourselves to good places before things go sour for the jet crews like they are for the poor prop guys.

I must have floated 603 about 10-15 times (years ago). Sorry to see it go. Do they still have a prop floater up there?

Hope you all get to something good before the whole **CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED** ball goes up in flames!


L8R T8R!

 

[IP076]

I'd like to get a definition of "good places".

If you mean slaving 14 hours a day, or bored off your ass on reserve, with 10 days a month off, operating the gear handle in an RJ, I'd have to disagree.

I'll take my set schedule with known days off. Not to mention 50+% more pay.

Spend 2 minutes on the Regional Board and you can pretty much figure out how your life as a regional pilot will be.

I'll stick it out here, upgrade to the jet (Which is getting quicker and quicker) and hopefully end up in a good place....where I don't have to worry about what Delta will negotiate for a pay cut, what MidAtlantics rates are for the EMB170, or who MESA will **CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED** over this week.

ps, not trying to pick a fight, and **CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED** good avatar man...

 

[Flyingmike]

I was less than 6 months from the Capt seat on a Lear...

I am telling you, if you have a life, wife, or anything that might rhyme with the above....YOU WILL BE SO HAPPY WHEN YOU ARE NOT FLYING NIGHTS ANYMORE....


even if it is for a less money and more days off (eventually).

My one peice of advice after 3.5 years there....don't wait for the Lear. Do your time, get the experience, and move on. 1 year is enough....trust me.

 

[starcheck1]

I have heard rumors from CMH that AirNet will be switching to a 7 day a week airline in the not so far away future. Sounds like we would be out on trips for 5 days or so then get a couple days off like normal airlines. Anybody else hear this and have any thoughts on it.
Lots of runs being cancelled or changed around out east also...guess its time to streamline the operation and save some $$.

 

[Mason]

Any Idea as to which Caravan run out of NEW that will be cut. I'm in training now and have been assigned the NEW-BTR-BHM-ATL-BHM-NEW run after I get through training. Also heard rumors of putting a Baron down there????

 

[IP076]

Don't know about the NEW runs... doesn't one of the guys down there always have a van that has dual Garmin GPS/COM's? I think its the only one in the fleet with them.

I would think you would be able to ask the Chief Indians back there in CMH if that run was closing or not, and they should be able to tell you...

How much block is that run? (Not familiar with distances in the south... ) That sounds like one of those runs where you could possibly get to penetrate a single line of thunderstorms several times in one night!

I've heard lots of emphasis on a 5 day airline...actually, we already are a 7 day airline... I think they're talking more of working Monday thru Friday nights than the current schedule.

 

[HAZ-MAT]

281 wont be going anywhere... because that would affect the 486 (mem) run on friday. They cut 198 (DAL) and 282 (NEW) 2 weeks ago, and if they are going to cut the other NEW run it'll be 283.. which is the one that has 2 empty legs (I think, but might have been changed a few weeks ago) The 281 run is a combined Bank and Lab run, so i doubt that'll go away. Talking to Dispatch the other day, they were saying that they are short Vans.. ie, need to take vans away from areas where they arent full, and replace it with a Navajo, or something like that. But have to agree... sounds like they are streamlining (sp) operatons.

 

[jaybird]

I'd like to get a definition of "good places".

If you mean slaving 14 hours a day, or bored off your ass on reserve, with 10 days a month off, operating the gear handle in an RJ, I'd have to disagree.

I'll take my set schedule with known days off. Not to mention 50+% more pay.

Spend 2 minutes on the Regional Board and you can pretty much figure out how your life as a regional pilot will be.

I'll stick it out here, upgrade to the jet (Which is getting quicker and quicker) and hopefully end up in a good place....where I don't have to worry about what Delta will negotiate for a pay cut, what MidAtlantics rates are for the EMB170, or who MESA will **CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED** over this week.

ps, not trying to pick a fight, and **CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED** good avatar man...

I have to disagree there buddy. Once you leave you won't wanna go back. I feel like a new person since I've left. Sure you make more than me now, but you also work twice as much as me. Plus in another year I'll be making more than you. You also talk about the upgrade to the lear, that's great, but it's an upgrade to a Lear FO. Who knows how long it will be before your a CA. And the talk of raising gear and only using autopilots is BS. I know Craig likes to use that line. I can hand fly all day if I want to. Oh yeah I've had more than my share of 14 hour days at AirNet too.

 

[IP076]

Hey, to each his own right?

I'm not saying one is better than the other...it depends alot on the person... Me, I'm happy with my 4 ten hour days finishing shortly after midnight and a short 5th night...

Depends where you want to be in the end. If you want to eventually work at a major you're probably better off getting the 121 time in an RJ. Me, I think I'd rather end up at a Corporate Department...So, I'm probably better off with the Lear time and rating.

I know you guys do more than operate the gear handle, just giving you some sheit jay...

You still in CMH? Could you pm me Matt's number, my phone broke and I lost it?

 

[starchkr]

As said, to each his own. For the past few years i have understood why our guys leave for the regionals after their 1 year with the company. The upgrade was to lear was very long. Now however i kind of have to side with the hanging out part. The upgrade time is coming down every day. The upgrade to Capt from FO is even shorter now with the airlines hiring our capt's away. I myself have been in the lear since Jul 2003 and have had two opportunities to upgrade to Capt already...that's a whole 8 months. Now i have not taken them because of personal reasons(read this as i do not want to move right now and i will not commute again with airnet). So upgrade from right to left is quick now. Plus for those who have been here before...you must agree that a lear beats an RJ any day. The things we can do without pax is amazing...try some of that stuff with pax and they will be cleaning the a/c for a month before they get the stench out.

So all in all, upgrade to lear capt here is now in line with upgrade to capt on an RJ at any regional...except Eagle Plus you can stay off welfare your entire time here...try that at those pesky regionals. I myself believe that there is no benefit to going to a regional after airnet...it actually might even slow your career down...airnet is a regional, you can go straight to the majors from us...in fact many will be headed away from here in the next month or two. Just check out the SWA seniority list here shortly...our guys will be on there...which is good, I want one of thier capt spots.

But all in all, who really cares...at least we can say we have a flying job. Go the way you want to go, just don't b!tch about the way others do it, someday you may be begging for their old jobs if this kind of downturn happens again.

 

[starchkr]

Just heard NEW will remain 2 Van's...281 and 283.

DAL will still be a lear only base.

 

[IP076]

Rumor on Pay Scales

Just heard a rumor that our pay scale (procedure) whatever you want to call it may change.

I've heard 5th night time and a half going away, and being replaced with any time over 80 per pay period will be paid at double time.

Don't know if they will keep the 10 hour minimum rig per day, or go with 8, or what.

Anyone else hear this? I think it's pretty mixed, some runs will make more than they do now, and others less.

 

[starchkr]

Let's NOT get started on payscales right now...very sore subject as many may know.

We still have no idea of what our "management set" raise will be for this year. I do however feel that the pay scale might go the 40 hour way as you said. But i think that 4 day runs will be paid at 10 hours per day with OT after 40 and 5 day runs paid at 8 hours a day with OT after 40. Other than that...????????????

 

[IP076]

Yeah, I was just wondering if anyone else had heard the same thing I had. It is a touchy subject.

In theory, that could amount to a rather large paycut if you had a 5 day run that never went over 8 hours of duty rig.

I guess we'll wait and see what happens.

 

[jaybird]

i knew it would only be a matter of time before they screwed the fifth night pay. good luck to you guys.

 

[StarChecker]

Yikes...no more floater pay and now no OT for the fifth night???....YIKES. Good luck guys.

Me and Jay are on vacation.

 

[Jmmccutc]

how do you guys think this will affect the airnet SIC program starting up again? will the cutting of flights slow hiring? i'm guessing it will but just wondering...

 

[IP076]

I think one of the main contributing factors in closing these runs is the fact that AirNet does not have the pilots to fly them. I have heard hiring is steady, class of 4 or 6 every two weeks. I've heard nothing official about the SIC program, just rumors on this board.

 

[HAZ-MAT]

A little of what IP076 said about closed bases. The DAL base is a pure Lear base now, contracted the prop runs out to Tele- however you spell it. A prop run out of NEW has been closed, but the other one is being chartered out till they can get a body out of class to fill it. I'm thinking that some of the prop runs that were closed are 1) to get the Be-58's to BHM, and 2) because we might be losing money on those runs.. and if we contract them out and fly a Be-36 or something it makes sense... kinda sucks for those people that were flying those runs... but most of those runs that were closed... those guys recently left for regionals/corporate positions elsewhere.. so nobody was really displaced.