Cape Air Grounds Fleet

[Skaz]

Any Cape Air pilots on the forum ? Could you please post some info about what its like living in one of hte Caribbean bases?

Is the pay enough to live on
Housing
Cost of living
Do you rotate to other bases
How often do you rotate, if you do
Spouse
Work for significant other
Activities
etc
etc

Thanks in advance

 

[belchfire]

What is the real problem here? Counterweights do not "wear" They are part of the reciprocating assembly(crankshaft) that balances the engine and come in contact with no moving parts with the exception of oil splashing around. It seems to me a more likely problem is that the crankshaft fails and splits itself in half or a few pieces. Does anyone know the real cause of failure of these engines? HS

You are incorrect.

While all of the 4 cylinder engines I can think of have fixed counterweights, all of the 6 bangers on aircraft that I can think of have dynamic counterweights that are mounted on bushings and float.

In 1999 there was an AD (AD 99-19-01) that affected many of the TCM factory OH'd O-470 and 520 series engines due to wear in the die that was used to press counterweight bushings into the crankshaft. The die was putting a small mark on the mounting surface that was just the right depth to damage the nitriding on the crankshaft resulting in stress cracks forming. These cracks would lead to crankshaft failure at something over eighty hours TSMO.

 

[Way2Broke]

spoke to Gene Smith, no plans to EVER change the C402's, their whole infrastructure is set up around them....

Gene Smith is only a recruiter for Cape Air, nothing more nothing less. He has absolutely no say in the fleet strategies of the company. Unfortunately, 402s can not fly forever even though they are great planes.

I heard that like other piston 135 operators Cape Air is canceling flights because of lack of staffing. I also heard that upper management is calling line pilots begging them to work days off. Could this have anything to do with the extremely low starting pay of 12.81 a hour at a 35 hour a week guarantee. Sure, most lines are 40 hours a week, but even at 40 hours a week first year pay for a CAPTAIN (The Job Requires an ATP AMEL) at this company is 26,665 a year, with no company paid medical, or vacation days. Try living on Cape Cod on that kind of pay.......

The current hiring situation dictates much hire pay scale to attract qualified applicants to a PIC piston job. Or for that matter any PIC job.

 

[pinoyatc]

You know you have a pilot shortage when there are planes sitting on the ramp and [SIZE=-1]Boston-Maine Airways is flying for you out of EWB...
[/SIZE]

 

[Palerider957]

just MEL it..... Man......

Yeah, no $hit. Just do the ASA thing and put stickers all over the cockpit.....solves everything.

 

[Way2Broke]

You know you have a pilot shortage when there are planes sitting on the ramp and [SIZE=-1]Boston-Maine Airways is flying for you out of EWB...
[/SIZE]

Boston Maine has pilots? Long live the Jetstream junkies!

 

[ackattacker]

Gene Smith is only a recruiter for Cape Air, nothing more nothing less. He has absolutely no say in the fleet strategies of the company. Unfortunately, 402s can not fly forever even though they are great planes.

I heard that like other piston 135 operators Cape Air is canceling flights because of lack of staffing. I also heard that upper management is calling line pilots begging them to work days off. Could this have anything to do with the extremely low starting pay of 12.81 a hour at a 35 hour a week guarantee. Sure, most lines are 40 hours a week, but even at 40 hours a week first year pay for a CAPTAIN (The Job Requires an ATP AMEL) at this company is 26,665 a year, with no company paid medical, or vacation days. Try living on Cape Cod on that kind of pay.......

The current hiring situation dictates much hire pay scale to attract qualified applicants to a PIC piston job. Or for that matter any PIC job.

I can confirm all this is true. I would like to add that in addition to low starting pay, Cape Air has not given their "traditional" (but not contractual) yearly pay increase to current pilots despite posting a significant profit. I guess they feel low pay and low staffing levels are unrelated.