Any colgan guys out there?

[suupah]

But yes a few do make the initial company change to a good major, but those have been at Colgan for 5+ years. Thats a long time to be here, and just think if the risk doesn't payoff. Now what the hell you going to do?

I will restate. Colgan is an excellent place to go for a short period of time. Just my opinion and take it as that.

five years because for the past five years there as been almost NO hiring. that time is going to come down as the majors start hiring in the next couple of years. imho

 

[BRA]

Tell me how many guys flying a E170 or CRJ900 have application with Gemini or Omni Air International?

Answer NONE.

Allegiant has guys that were CRJ and ERJ captains at air wisconsin, mesa, ACA, and comair. Also captains from colgan, Commutair, TSA, and Skyway.

 

[HughBeamont]

Anyone that hasn't landed a 7-MEL Beech 1900 in -FZRA, vis 1/2, runway 5000', 20 knot x-wind, 10 knots on the tail, braking action "poor" with a chew buzz on is a big sissy.

 

[heywatchthis]

Tell me how many guys flying a E170 or CRJ900 have application with Gemini or Omni Air International?

Answer NONE.

Allegiant has guys that were CRJ and ERJ captains at air wisconsin, mesa, ACA, and comair. Also captains from colgan, Commutair, TSA, and Skyway.

I think Allegiant is a good deal. Like AirTran when it started. Not to bad mouth them or anyone else, just trying to say it's safer to go to a flying job that you can stay at and be picky on your next move. Or take the risky-er move and get PIC and move on to something better. Both have there advantages and disadvantages. Just be aware of them.

I don't know what its like at Horizon, but I figure there has to be a reason guys go to a regional with a 7 year upgrade. On the other hand, why does Colgan have a 1-2 year upgrade without any expansion.

This career can be brutal, I know. Just choose what is best for you and do some research so you know what to expect. Let LUCK do the rest.

 

[suupah]

Attention Colgan Air Pilots!

FROM THE CHIEFS OFFICE

In an effort to improve working conditions at Colgan air we are now allowing flight crews to fly in their boxers. we are aware that it is hot up front and with no apu or english speaking ground personnel to get you an air cart it dan get down right dangerously hot up front.

We do ask however that you put your clothes back on before you exit the cockpit.

The chief

 

[BRA]

I think Allegiant is a good deal. Like AirTran when it started. Not to bad mouth them or anyone else, just trying to say it's safer to go to a flying job that you can stay at and be picky on your next move. Or take the risky-er move and get PIC and move on to something better. Both have there advantages and disadvantages. Just be aware of them.

I don't know what its like at Horizon, but I figure there has to be a reason guys go to a regional with a 7 year upgrade. On the other hand, why does Colgan have a 1-2 year upgrade without any expansion.

This career can be brutal, I know. Just choose what is best for you and do some research so you know what to expect. Let LUCK do the rest.

Back in 2002 i briefly thought i had the choice between ACA and colgan. Everyone told me to go to ACA if i had the choice, they were the better company, better AC, better QOL, UAL looked stronger then USair. Lucky for me ACA shot me down and i went to my only choice left. I wanted ACA at the time though. I say try and pick the middle of the road regional. The best one will get screwed, and the worst one will screw you.

 

[BlueCanoe]

Tell me how many guys flying a E170 or CRJ900 have application with Gemini or Omni Air International?

Answer NONE.

Uh, is that because it's a paycut and a cut in QOL??

 

[EBE]

Aside from what was previously mentioned....

How are the health benefits at Colgan and how long after being hired do they kick in?
How long are the new guys and gals sitting reserve and where are they getting based?
How many hours on average are line holders putting in per month?
How's the overall morale?

So many questions, so little time. Any info would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[CoolSidePillow]

Aside from what was previously mentioned....

How are the health benefits at Colgan and how long after being hired do they kick in?
How long are the new guys and gals sitting reserve and where are they getting based?
How many hours on average are line holders putting in per month?
How's the overall morale?

So many questions, so little time. Any info would be appreciated. Thanks!

Health benefits are ok. medical, dental, vision, LTD, STD, the usual package. 401k but no matching. medical benefits start when you are online I believe. There is no reserve in the standard sense. All depends on the base. If you are 5 out of 5 FO at a base. You will do more reserve. If you are 4 out of 4 or 3 out of 4 you will fly. Some bases 80-90 is average and some 60-70. Upgrade has slowed so now it is closer to 16-18 months or so as opposed to the 12 that I had. Moral is ok. Not the best and I am sure not the worst. Some good people worked here.

 

[bender]

Health insurance kicks in the first full month after you start training.

Ex.-If you start training June 19 then you are covered starting July 1.

With regards to reserve it all depends on where you are based. You can count on sitting reserve in Albany, Manasty, and Houston(which you won't get right out of training). If you're the #4 FO in Ithaca and there's only 3 lines then you're sitting reserve. Hours vary greatly between bases. They can go from 60-78 in Johnstown to 80-95 in Presque Isle.

 

[Prop2Jet]

Coolside, is it really that bad? I have not worked for another regional. I hear they too have issues like us.

 

[CoolSidePillow]

Coolside, is it really that bad? I have not worked for another regional. I hear they too have issues like us.

Hey all places have issues. There are guys at every regional, mainline, cargo, corporate, fractional etc... that complain about something. I think Colgan has some pros and cons like any other place. I like my job and I like a good portion of the people I know, known, work with and worked with. There are some facts though that have nothing to do with opinion. The planes are old, hot, and some smell real bad. Nobody likes flying on them. They break... a lot. We fly to a handful of places. We almost never have a crew room at any place we go even our bases and sometimes our stuff is out in the hallway. No APU's. The company does reactive maintenance and not preventive. They dont do enough to make the planes nicer. Simple fact.... if you are going to buy and fly old planes especially A-models you HAVE to do more to keep them running and to make them presentable to your customers. They have been saying since I was hired that "we sell service". Well not really. We sell something because we are cheap to operate and there are fewer and fewer T-prop operators to compete with. If your planes dont have APU's then you have to make sure the ECS filters are changed and cleaned and that the ducts have integrity and dont leak out the cool air before it enters cabin. When something is written up and MEL'd they should either fix it or get a part for it but not just sign off the MEL to get it back in service to be written up 7 times. The training should be a bit better. I have seen FO's who dont know how to do their paperwork or dont know what to check on a walkaround. So is Colgan the worst there is? Of course not but to think you can upgrade quick and get 1000 PIC and move on is fantasy. Most of the guys you did move on went to places that were low on anyone's list and they did it after 5 years on the line and many were check airman. So if someone asked me if they should come here I would say they might want to consider one of the top of the line jet operators like Republic, Air Whiskey, or even ExpressJet once they get back on track. Yeah you sit FO for longer but 1000 hours is a 1000 hours. Jetblue will look at you better with 1000 PIC turbine jet, glass than t-prop and first generation EFIS. Colgan is good if you LIVE at your base. Then you are home every night and 90% of pilots would love that unless they dont like who they married. Colgan is good because there really isnt reserver and you start flying right away. Colgan is good because they fly markets that most dont want or cant afford to do, so for now the biggest thing that can hurt Colgan is Colgan. If you have to spend many years at a regional and dont live at your base anyway you might as well fly nicer equipment and make more money is all I am saying.

 

[30West]

There are whiners at every airline. I know people who are like that everywhere they go. Guys will bitch and moan about how bad the company they work for is. Then they get hired flying a bigger jet. A few months after IOE what are they doing? Bitching and moaning.
Your airline experience is what you make of it.
You want to move? Get the PIC as fast as you can, and MAKE CONNECTIONS! That's what gets you in. There are ex Colganites at Gemini like myself as well as Jet Blue, Air Tran, Continental, Southwest, Kalitta, North American to name a few.
Don't think for a second when you finally get hired at one of these places you're not going to get bitch slapped a little.
Had a long day? If Jet Blue gets their way, you'll be doing JFK-LGB TURNS. Going to Gemini? Plan on a 16-18 hour day flying from Brussels to Lagos, then on to Entebbe. That's 12 hours on the Hobbes in some of the most primitive airspace on Earth. APU? What's that? Oh, right that's that thing that's MEL'd 90% of the time. Ask the Piedmont or Allegheny guys about that one.
Going to Southwest? You'll STILL be doing 6 legs a day with 20 minute turns. It ain't any easier in a bigger airplane. The time I spent hand flying raw data approaches to the nuts with 8 MEL stickers in my face for the Colgans prepared me more for flying the big rig than 1000 hours of shiny new RJ time.
Personally I enjoyed my 5 years there and would recommend it to anyone.

Fly safe

 

[30West]

Most of the guys you did move on went to places that were low on anyone's list

Like Jet Blue, Air Tran, Southwest, Continental? All have ex Colgan pilots flying for them at the moment.

Who's "list" are you reading from? Gemini was my first choice, actually. You should see the stack of resumes on our DO's desk right now.

 

[30West]

The planes are old, hot, and some smell real bad. Nobody likes flying on them. They break... a lot. No APU's. The company does reactive maintenance and not preventive. They dont do enough to make the planes nicer. When something is written up and MEL'd they should either fix it or get a part for it but not just sign off the MEL to get it back in service to be written up 7 times. The training should be a bit better. I've seen FO's who dont know how to do their paperwork or dont know what to check on a walkaround.

Is this by chance your first airline? Your entire post could have been written by anyone at any airline. Just the nature of the beast these days.

P.S. In 5 years of doing PC and line checks I've seen captains do much worse than dick up the paperwork. it happens everywhere, all the way up to heavy jet skippers, more than you think.

Fly safe

 

[BRA]

Is this by chance your first airline? Your entire post could have been written by anyone at any airline. Just the nature of the beast these days.

P.S. In 5 years of doing PC and line checks I've seen captains do much worse than dick up the paperwork. it happens everywhere, all the way up to heavy jet skippers, more than you think.

Fly safe

Taxi in reverse 2000 feet down a runway in BOS? Or navigate by sextant?

 

[BRA]

Is this by chance your first airline? Your entire post could have been written by anyone at any airline. Just the nature of the beast these days.

P.S. In 5 years of doing PC and line checks I've seen captains do much worse than dick up the paperwork. it happens everywhere, all the way up to heavy jet skippers, more than you think.

Fly safe

Accidentally spit a chew out on a passengers small child, while on a fed ride??

 

[30West]

Leave an aircraft completely unattended during a single engine turn?

 

[BRA]

Leave an aircraft completely unattended during a single engine turn?

Just the cockpit was unattended, unless you have something better?

 

[Prop2Jet]

Great points about the pros and cons. I think that the new guys should read this stuff while they determine which airline to apply to. I for one agree with both sides but understand that I am happy here, like cool said, being home every night is great. I for one am having a good time no matter how bad the day is or how many MELs are on the airplane. Nothing could be worse than flying single pilot night IFR cargo in the winter and summers in the Mid-West with a strike finder! I am always optimistic about the day and if (we) get the shaft then I make the best of it.

C yahs