Class Dates at Southern Air and Focus

[Caboclo]

Anybody know the hiring plans for the immediate future for SAI and Focus?

 

[gear_yanker]

Southern Air:

Fog a mirror + sign a training bond = immediate start.

 

[Hocus Focus]

Focus will have a class in the first quarter FO's/FE's

 

[gear_yanker]

Southern just announced that they will not be getting any -400s. I'm sure this news will cause even more C360 pilots to resign.....so many more jobs available to you bottom feeders who are willing to sign a training bond to fly with this scumbag outfit.

 

[axman]

Stay away

Fear the reaper at SA!!

 

[dakotaHC8]

Not sure if you just wanted a bunch of so called industry expert's opinions of Southern Air..., Or some actual info...

But just in case you actually wanted info, hiring at Southern has been brisk, and will continue so well into next year.

We have hired 68+ Pilots and 21+ FEs since July. This includes people that started this month. We have began addig 3 new aircraft to the fleet from Cargo 360 starting this month. We will probably take delivery of the last aircraft from Cargo 360 in February. The most recent class started on December 3.

The planned addition of 747-400BCFs has been halted. Not much info on if that fleet type will ever be added in the future.

Additonal contracts have been added, as well as a large number of ad hoc/DOD flights. Our flying has expanded from pretty much just Korea and China..., To all over the globe now.

Upgrades are coming fast, both internal, and a number of "Captain Qual'd First Officers" hired off the street (use you in left seat as needed until your number comes up for "upgrade"). 2 year training contract (like World and others) in place, so plan to commit at least that long if you wnat to sign on.

New scheduling operation being phased in during the next few months. Same outfit C360 used. Not sure if it will make any real difference to the average pilot, but just passing along the info.

I will not sugarcoat anything. Southern is, if you have a decent knowledge of the industry, exactly what you should expect. It is a non-sched, supplemental, international cargo carrier that has contracts and flying all over the place...

Reread that part again a few dozen times, and you will understand the nature of the "SAI beast". You can expect the unexpected, and trips tend to last a long long time.

So yeah, there are, and probaly will be (for a long time) many issues, but many of them stem from the nature of the flying that is accomplished and the fleet growth.

But in return there is a lot of new places to fly, rapid upgrades + senority advancement, and at least this company is financially strong. The pilot's in house union is getting better organized and working towards improvements, but it is going to be a long time until things settle down with the planned growth.

So make your own mind up. Good luck to you, and hope the info helped.

 

[Caboclo]

Dakota, thanks for the info. Do I understand correctly that you're outsourcing your scheduling? Or just buying some new software?

 

[unwashed]

Its outsourced to rsconsultants out of Atlanta.

 

[dakotaHC8]

It is a Company that handles scheduling + travel for various airlines, one of which was Cargo 360. It is meant to improve our operation and hopefully provide better schedules/QOL for the Pilots + PFE's.

The transition proces has just started though, so it will take time to see what kind of change it brings. The C360 guys seemed to like 'em, so we'll see.

 

[corpflunkie]

What are the chances for someone to get hired at Southern with no "large" or "Heavy" jet time. Basically all tp time.