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.

 

[dakotaHC8]

Well, its just my opinion, but what kind of flying you accomplished matters a lot too.

If you have international and/or over water experience, they like that. Having flown cargo (and thus being used to the enviorment is a plus. Remember that some of our senior guys came over from the C-130 (from when the company was Southern Air Transport), so "just" prop time is not a total hit.

Like I said, it's just my own personal observation, good luck.

 

[Trogdor]

So do Captain Qual'd FO's make CA or FO pay?

 

[pilotbrain]

fo pay when they fly as fo, capt pay when they fly as a capt. just like every where else that has cqfo

 

[2Green]

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

I'll say good. I was offered a job with only B1900 and Dash 8 f/o time. I turned it down because of the bond.

 

[ERJFO]

Well, its just my opinion, but what kind of flying you accomplished matters a lot too.

If you have international and/or over water experience, they like that. Having flown cargo (and thus being used to the enviorment is a plus. Remember that some of our senior guys came over from the C-130 (from when the company was Southern Air Transport), so "just" prop time is not a total hit.

Like I said, it's just my own personal observation, good luck.

I'm not trying to be rude - but how hard is the interview? How many people don't get hired? The reason I ask is because it sounds like they hire everyone. I hear alot of "have a pulse? you're hired" when it comes to SA. I guess this is just grapevine, so whats the real deal?

 

[pilotbrain]

I worked for SAI before I left to cargo 360, now I’m back at SA. Anyways when I interview you had to be recommended by someone in the company, that why most interviewees get hired. Now from what I hear, they are doing sim rides so not everyone is getting hired anymore.

 

[unwashed]

Dude,
If you aren't Ken, Pete, John, Jin, Mitch, Eric, Arlene, Greg, Mark, Dave, or Scott then you never worked for C360 as a pilot. None of the people mentioned worked for SAI prior to C360, who are you and why do keep this charade going. The only three people at C360 who flew the 400 did all of it in the SIM Jerry, Pat, and Warren. None of the aforementioned people are in the pool at UPS. Soooooooooo who are you?

 

[dakotaHC8]

I'm not trying to be rude - but how hard is the interview? How many people don't get hired? The reason I ask is because it sounds like they hire everyone. I hear alot of "have a pulse? you're hired" when it comes to SA. I guess this is just grapevine, so whats the real deal?

Well, I know they did not hire a fair number of the people in my interview class two years ago. And I know that they are trying to screen people better with a basic sim ride included in the process. But I would not describe the process as difficult, as IMO they tend to look for someone that will fit into the operation more than anything else. You are either a good fit, or you are not.

I would also agree that a rec from a current Southern Pilot or Engineer goes a long way towards getting hired here. Things in this part of the industry are probably more like the corporate community (than airlines), as it seems that the cargo community tends to have a lot of "people that know people" kind of hiring going on... Many of the people at Southern have been at other cargo operators (and visa versa), and came over to us simply on the advice of a former coworker.

I'll be honest. If there is a bunch of cargo guys looking for a job due to a recent failure, furlough, or financial meltdown of another cargo outfit(s) you will have a slim chance getting on at Southern, as that is the "preferred" kind of Pilot + PFE. But if that pool of canidates is dry, then the obvious next choice is the thousands of RJ pilots out there.

Like I said before, it comes back to what kind of person is a good fit for the operation. Former cargo guys are more used to the different kind of operations that Southern does, and the hours at which we do em. But that does not preclude a RJ driver from getting on, and doing well at Southern. Just that like most things in this job, timing is very important. Right now is a great time, because all airlines are having a tougher time finding experienced pilots.

I'll be blunt, the pilot shortage is real, and is felt more at this level, esp when the company is expanding so fast. So as a result, it is easier to get on with a growing operation like Southern right now than the more static operations.

BTW, thanks for taking the time to ask instead of just going with what some person might have heard some guy say.

FYI, straight up, most of the ACMI cargo flying is pretty much the same, with minor differences that even things out. Anyone that tells you differently either doesn't know better, or ignores reality so that they can feel better about themselves (and what they are doing).

When you honestly talk to someone that flies for Evergreen, Tradewinds, Focus, World, Atlas, Polar, (and so on) you find that each outfit has it's plusses and minuses...

And when you add them all together all of these places are pretty much alike. Much like how M+M's mostly taste the same when you get down to it, despite whatever color coating they happen to have on the outside... ACMI operations are purposefully kept pretty close to even

Southern's "outer" flavor is a tough schedule + soft work rules, tied to a home basing + quick advancement.... But at it's core it "tastes" the same as any other ACMI outfit (much like working + getting hired at most regionals is generally the same as any other regional) . It's just the nature of the job...

So good luck. If you want something different than the regionals, ACMI flying will sure provide that.

Good luck.

 

[avbug]

Pilotbrain was thoroughly discredited here...

http://forums.flightinfo.com/showthread.php?t=105613

He or she is what's commonly referred to as a "troll."

 

[pilotbrain]

Or mabey just mabey there is more then one person using pilotbrain as a handle.