Career at American Eagle...

[FN FAL]

I have a co-worker who is pondering the offer of a class date from AMR Eagle.

His stats are retired navy P-3 captain, almost 50 years old if not 50, married with kids, three masters degrees, two bachelors degrees and currently flies caravans in the FedEx feeder industry.

His current feeder schedule is 12 DAYS a month on an alternating schedule....M, W, F, one week then T, T, S, the next week. No ron's except for training once a year and the rare event of getting wx'd in. He flies about 50 hours a month and is up to about 40,000 a year, with about 18 days off a month. Life aint bad for a 135 pilot at this place, they fix things, don't push bad planes or weather, and have been quite a stable employer throughout the history of the company.

So anyway, he goes down to Chicago and interviews, sims, yadda yadda and he gets an offer to be based in Chicago flying the newer bigger regional Jet that Eagle has and he's thinking of making the move. His logic is that he'll be there a year and then he'll get head of the line priviledges at one of the majors.

I think he's making a bad move...what do you guys think?

 

[LAXSaabdude]

His logic is that he'll be there a year and then he'll get head of the line priviledges at one of the majors.

You've GOT to be kidding me!

I work for Eagle, and I'm not even going to get into the pros and cons of working here, because this logic (or lack thereof) needs to be addressed first and foremost. What majors does he think are hiring right now? What is he hoping to gain from a year of SIC time in an CRJ? If he is really qualified from his past military experience and Feeder time, a year in the right seat in the CRJ will not make a bit of difference.

If he wants to come here at 50 he should look at it from the standpoint that he is going to stay here. He will not see the same pay and QOL at Eagle for at least 5 years, until he can upgrade on the turboprops and hold a line.

But a year of SIC time does not a stepping stone to the majors make.

LAXSaabdude.

 

[wingnutt]

honest question...are the majors even interested in 50+ year old pilots? seems like theyd want to get more than 10 years out of ya before you have to hang em up

 

[350DRIVER]

honest question...are the majors even interested in 50+ year old pilots? seems like theyd want to get more than 10 years out of ya before you have to hang em up

Many have hired people that were around 50, logic is they will retire with the airline and not have to worry about them jumping ship in 4 to 5 years for the "greener and more lucrative pastures". He probably will never see AA in his remaining ten years or so at AE so money well invested in this individual. Even a carrier like America West he will probably not see and AE would not have to worry about this guy leaving. . . I may be wrong but with the current long upgrade times he probably would finish his career at Eagle. . .

His stats are retired navy P-3 captain,

Has he tried the likes of AirTran, AWA, JB, ATA?



3 5 0

 

[English]

I have a co-worker who is pondering the offer of a class date from AMR Eagle.


So anyway, he goes down to Chicago and interviews, sims, yadda yadda and he gets an offer to be based in Chicago flying the newer bigger regional Jet that Eagle has and he's thinking of making the move. His logic is that he'll be there a year and then he'll get head of the line priviledges at one of the majors.

I think he's making a bad move...what do you guys think?

Something's fishy...the interviews are in Dallas, not Chicago. Also, base and aircraft assignments are not given until the first day of class. So, if he is pondering a class date, he has not been offered a Chicago CRJ FO possition.

 

[FN FAL]

Something's fishy...the interviews are in Dallas, not Chicago. Also, base and aircraft assignments are not given until the first day of class. So, if he is pondering a class date, he has not been offered a Chicago CRJ FO possition.

There's nothing fishy...I might have details which I recieved mostly through the grape vine, a little mixed up (which isn't my fault) but he has already had the interview and was promised Chicago as a base. So he didn't interview in Chicago...he did interview, he was offered a class date, and he was offered Chicago as a base. I'm going on hearsay on some of this...so you'll have to give me some room for error on where he interviewed. We fly opposite of each other on a split run, so I only see him about once a year in training evolutions.

He may have details mixed up himself...but anyway, that's what I am hearing from rumor control. The main question that I am asking is, is this going to be a good move for him?

 

[-9Capt]

AirTran has quite a few ex-navy P-3 guys. We've hired 50yr olds in the past. If hired today he could be looking at 7.5 years in the left seat.

 

[plucky]

I met the guy at the interview. Great Guy. Talked to him about his dillema. I think that he can firmly believe that he will get the pick fo Chicago because of his age. The last 3 classes have had Chicago as options. Who is going to be more senior then him in the Class? He hasn't been promised anything. Unless he got into the class that started 3 days after the interview his first class option would be the 12th of April. I figured if He stayed at Eagle he would be Captain for about 4 years before retire.

 

[FN FAL]

He hasn't been promised anything.

Yea, I can understand that. We weren't given any base assignments at all at a regional I had some experience at, untill training was almost over with. And even then it changed every time you saw a new copy of list.

Yea, Harry is a good guy. I just don't know if he's going to end up liking this thing in the long run. I think "he thinks" he does at this point though. Maybe it will work out for him anyway...who knows.

 

[crowbar]

I would stay at CSA, that's a beauty run he has right now.
Let's see go to eagle and fly right seat to a 23 year old captain and work three times as hard and get paid half of what he's making now, no brainer.

AirTran would be a different story, or a good regional like Comair.

 

[GoingHot]

STAY IN THE VAN!

 

[AAsRedHeadedbro]

...23 year old captain?! What airline are you talking about, because it certainly isn't Eagle? Our "young" captains are probably at least 28 years old and the majority are from their early thirties through the mid to late forties. In fact, if this guy were to actually fly a CRJ, his captains would almost all be in their 40's and 50's and would have at least 15,000 hours in their logbooks (except for the few flowbacks from AA that fly the CRJ).

As far as working three times as hard at half the pay - you are CORRECT!

 

[jetexas]

Let's see go to eagle and fly right seat to a 23 year old captain

The average captain at Eagle is probably more like 40-45 years old. You'd have to look long and hard at Eagle to find a captain who is even in his/her 20's, much less 23.
The youngest jet captain that I know of is 30 years old..a flowback.

 

[tk855]

I think he should stay put so I can bid that Chicago slot in the April 12 class!!

I have always heard that Fedex Feeders are some of the most stable, best paid flying out there. Does your friend really want his schedule that chaotic at fifty?

tk

 

[iaflyer]

I know little of Eagle

Has he thought about reserve? I don't know Eagle's hiring picture, but is he ready to sit some reserve in Chicago?

I don't know the guy, but like another poster said, a year of SIC on a CRJ isn't going to enhance his resume enough to go somewhere he can't go right now.

It's always a tough choice whether to leave a job or stay. Maybe he wants to try the airlines before he turns 60...

iaflyer

 

[FN FAL]

Yea...the thought of sitting reserve. I never really gave that much thought.