Ameristar DC-9 pilots

[pilotyip]

I saw an ad on climbto350 that Ameristar is hiring DC-9 F/O's off the street. Don't they move pilots from the DA-20 and LJ into the DC-9? Don't they have a single seniority list at Ameristar?

 

[tk855]

I don't think they do move guys out of the Falcon or LJ unless they have the time requirements for the 9. I know they ran a posting on their company website for quite a while last year looking for DC9 FO's. The minimums for the 9 FO's were different than the LJ of Falcon. Maybe some of the Ameristar pilots will chime in with the real truth.

 

[Freight Jock]

I don't think they do move guys out of the Falcon or LJ unless they have the time requirements for the 9. I know they ran a posting on their company website for quite a while last year looking for DC9 FO's. The minimums for the 9 FO's were different than the LJ of Falcon. Maybe some of the Ameristar pilots will chime in with the real truth.

Ameristar funnels qualified 135 captains to the 737s instead of the DC-9s because the 737s pay is better (based on what I was told). We've had several guys move over to the 737s, but nobody has gone to the 9s..

 

[X man]

ameristar

Where are the 737's based and are they looking for pilot's on those aircraft?

 

[cherry20's]

I was under the impression that Ameristar had to ground three of there 737's. I heard it was the ones from Southwest that were high time and had an AD that they couldn't afford to do. I saw one sitting in ELP for months now and thought there was one in Brazil getting a hole cut it. I don't know for sure though, but I have some buddies that work there and said that they upgrade from in house but haven't in a long time.

 

[Proximity]

I was under the impression that Ameristar had to ground three of there 737's.

This isn't exactly true, Ameristar didn't have to ground them, they are choosing not to do the heavy checks until they feel the aircraft are needed. The aircraft in El Paso has a completed executive interior, it just needs paint and a heavy check so that it can go online.

Ameristar funnels qualified 135 captains to the 737s instead of the DC-9s because the 737s pay is better (based on what I was told). We've had several guys move over to the 737s, but nobody has gone to the 9s..

This isn't the case anymore. Any openings on the 121 side should be offered to approved 135 captians in senority order. They have former 135 captains flying the DC-9 now as FOs, and they have offered it to 135 captains also.

For some reason they are shafting the 135 pilots right now. I assume it is because of the staffing situation, the 135 side is very short on crews. However, hiring from the outside for the DC-9s is not going to fix the retention problems. We have the least days of, and pretty much the lowest pay (even with our "raise") of all our competitors (excluding Cherry in some situations). We need a schedule without the blackout months and no more 11 days on, 3 off. A bump in base pay would be nice also, my fellow captains at USAJet make a base pay $1200 a month higher then mine, and he or she is only rated on one aircraft.

Basically, Ameristar doesn't care about their crews at all and will flip them the bird whenever it suits them. I know I plan on being out of here as soon as possible.