American eagle question...

[rubberducky]

Have an interview date and I did a search on here but most info was old.

Upgrade time? (don't laugh too hard)
Junior base?
Average time at junior base before you can switch?
overall pros and cons (i.e, lots of growth, little growth etc...)

thanks in advance for any help

 

[Bill Lumbergh]

Upgrades......well, I'd look elsewhere if thats your priority. Lets just say more then 6 years less then 10 years.
Junior bases- ATR SJU, LGA EMJ, ORD EMJ, DFW EMJ. Thats where Id look for movement up for junior pilots. I wouldn't choose the CRJ since senior pilots may take the right seat from the turbopops keeping you on permement reserve in ORD. Thats where they all will be by late summer 2005.
You will be able to switch bases when there are openings and your seniority will hold it. It can be awarded months prior to actual movement so keep that in mind when you initially choose, but usually not a problem to get what you want.
Im still here cause the people are fun and I like where I fly right now. Figure out whats important to you and go with it.

Good luck if you come to Eagle.

 

[T-prop]

Expect to get ATR in SJU, unless you are old. It is usually a 12 month "seat-lock" which can, has, and does occasionally come down to 10 months. A lot of FO's seatlocks will be expiring soon so SJU will be short on FO's in the next couple of months. Upgrade looks bad. People are good to work with. Moral is low due to flowbacks stealing Capt. seats. This will be the place to be if/when flowbacks are called back to AA. Look at aviationinterviews.com for the latest gouges.

Good Luck

 

[V2plus25]

With all your time you might better be served looking for turboprop PIC time than sitting right seat for the next 8 years. I got the he!! out of there after hoping things would get better for 4 years and they didn't. Thank God I'm finally building some d@mn turbine PIC time after 3000 hrs in the right seat.

One of my buddy's 8 years looks something like this at Eagle: ATR FO - ATR CA - SF340 CA - CRJ FO - CRJ CA ... and he's getting bumped back to SF340 CA if not jet FO with all the AA flowbacks coming in.

Nope, since no one's actually decided how many AA flowbacks are allowed to come back to Eagle, I would seriously steer clear. If you're really looking for 121 time, didn't Colgan just post on Climbto350 looking for 1900 captains?

My 2 cents...

 

[EagleRJ]

rubberducky- I see you've flown the CRJ200, 1900, and J-41 already. This isn't a lateral move, is it?

I'll give you the facts straight:
Applicants who have a "class date" will most likely not be scheduled for training for a long time. The company recently warned new-hires that they are not protected from furlough due to the flowbacks, and many here think that as more flowbacks arrive, a furlough is inevitable.

There is currently no outlook for new upgrades. Flowbacks are taking many of the RJ seats, the Saabs are being phased out, there is a chance the ATR operation will be sold off, and senior Eagle pilots will hold the rest of the captain seats. Pilots who have been here for 6-7 years are being sent back to the right seat.

There is currently little if any growth, and we will likely shrink as other "competetors" are given our flying. This is a great group of employees, but morale is low, and most pilots here are actively looking into other employment.
Sorry if this sounds overly pessimistic, but that's how I see it...

 

[English]

I'd personally recommend to any DFW based Saab FOs to go to Colgan as captains on the Saab. Although the flying is out of Houston, it's likely they'll do outstation basing - places like Tyler, Killeen, Waco, College Station, etc.

 

[rubberducky]

It is a lateral move but I am on the chopping block at Independence...you know the rest of this old story.

rubberducky- I see you've flown the CRJ200, 1900, and J-41 already. This isn't a lateral move, is it?

I'll give you the facts straight:
Applicants who have a "class date" will most likely not be scheduled for training for a long time. The company recently warned new-hires that they are not protected from furlough due to the flowbacks, and many here think that as more flowbacks arrive, a furlough is inevitable.

There is currently no outlook for new upgrades. Flowbacks are taking many of the RJ seats, the Saabs are being phased out, there is a chance the ATR operation will be sold off, and senior Eagle pilots will hold the rest of the captain seats. Pilots who have been here for 6-7 years are being sent back to the right seat.

There is currently little if any growth, and we will likely shrink as other "competetors" are given our flying. This is a great group of employees, but morale is low, and most pilots here are actively looking into other employment.
Sorry if this sounds overly pessimistic, but that's how I see it...

 

[inthepool]

Rubber ducky, really sorry about your luck at indy. I interned there back in college, got hired, but never saw a class. I've been with Eagle almost a year now, so here's a newhire's perspective:

I was the third junior guy in a class where 8 people went to SJU on the ATR, and I still got LGA EMJ. There's hope even if you're young. I bid ORD the first week I was able to, and was awarded it. The actual move didn't occur until 3 months after I got on the line. I spent 4 months on reserve, but I'm absolutely certain that time frame will increase dramatically for recent and future hires.

Upgrade sucks, as everyone has said. Flowbacks = no upgrades. It's a shame because of all the growth. Between newhires and flowbies we added around 700 pilots this year.

There's a lot of great people to fly with here, even though the mood is pretty sour right now. As previously mentioned, most people are trying to move on to places like Netjets, Skywest, EJet, etc.

Good luck, and I hope you find something soon.

 

[Av8trxx]

Upgrade time? (don't laugh too hard)
Junior base?
Average time at junior base before you can switch?
overall pros and cons (i.e, lots of growth, little growth etc...)

Upgrades? It'll be forever (5-6 years?) 12 month seat lock for equipment, but you can switch bases even while in training if you can bid it and hold it. It happens often. Don't look for anything but LAX & DFW Saab or SJU ATR though. No more jets for the newbies. Captains are being downgraded and many are taking the jet.

Apply with Skywest instead. They are having a career fair in DC soon:

[font=verdana, arial, helvetica]Tuesday 02/01/05
Washington, DC, Holiday Inn Washington-Dulles 1000 Sully Rd. Dulles, VA
2 Open Sessions (1st begins at 9:00 AM / 2nd begins at 2:00 PM)

Thursday 02/03/05 Chicago, IL, Marriot O'Hare 8535 West Higgins Rd. Chicago,
2 Open Sessions (1st begins at 9:00 AM / 2nd begins at 2:00 PM)

*Please complete an on-line application before attending the Group Interview. To fill out an application and bring a printed copy of the on-line application with you in order to participate in the Group Interview. Get one here-[/font]

https://www.skywestjobs.com/sign_in.cfm?JobWorkCode=PILOT&jobID=56YXH40000K0&job=Pilot&net=off
[font=verdana, arial, helvetica]"They take your resume as you walk in the door, they talk about the company, their hiring plans, and all that sort of stuff. Then they give everyone the written exam, while they sort through the resume's and figure out who they're gonna interview. Then they posted a list of names and they split the group in two (those who will interview that day, and those who won't). Those who intervew that day will get the technichal/HR interview and if they like what they see they invite you to SLC to finish the interview. Those who don't interview that day are sent home and may be called in to interview later. " [/font]
[font=verdana, arial, helvetica]-via the J.C. forums[/font]