Colgan, Comair, or Mesa?

[adisk811]

I currently have offers from Colgan and Mesa with an upcoming Comair interview. Living in the midwest where would you go?

 

[aussieflyboy]

Colgan... get in, upgrade, giterdone then get out. Mesa's operation sucks balls.

 

[Muppets]

I agree...Colgen, Mesa is an absolute joke..Aussie is right, the way the industry is - get in, upgrade quick, get out...dont waste your time as a right seat RJ jockey. There are tons of Colgen, Lakes, Piedmont guys at Frontier, Air Tran, etc. Good Luck!!!

 

[CoolSidePillow]

Colgan has its problems like anyplace. Comair used to be the Wall Street darling many years ago and I am sure was a pretty good place to start your 121 career but it seems things are quite up in the air with them (no pun) In the large scope of life.... flying is flying and the BS will always be there. I have heard complaints from guys flying heavies for 6 figures and guys flying B1900 for barely 5 figures. One fact remains throughout though. MESA is the worst and their pilots look like carnies. You would be better off licking the streets in the ghetto than having to wear those purple windbreakers. All in all try to get a job washing Pamela Anderson's ass but what do I know I am a schitzo..... me too

 

[time builder]

All of the things I hate about Mesa aside, you're probably likely to end up in the turboprop where you would have made more and been treated better at Colgan. I know a guy who passed his interview with Mesa in October, he's holding out for a jet class, while his friend took the BE1900 at the same time and is almost through training.

Comair, well, do a little homework, particularly in the Cinncinnatti Newspapers, they may not be around too much longer. But, hey, if you're single and don't have much to lose, go for it.

 

[bender]

Jesus, I commuted out of the midwest for Colgan and it was a n-i-g-h-t-m-a-r-e. The major reason was I had to go through Chicago. If you go to Colgan, save yourself major headaches by bidding for Houston.

 

[mozzer]

Colgan has its problems like anyplace. Comair used to be the Wall Street darling many years ago and I am sure was a pretty good place to start your 121 career but it seems things are quite up in the air with them (no pun) In the large scope of life.... flying is flying and the BS will always be there. I have heard complaints from guys flying heavies for 6 figures and guys flying B1900 for barely 5 figures. One fact remains throughout though. MESA is the worst and their pilots look like carnies. You would be better off licking the streets in the ghetto than having to wear those purple windbreakers. All in all try to get a job washing Pamela Anderson's ass but what do I know I am a schitzo..... me too

hey there cool guy...now i will never defend Mesa..yes the crystal palace is full of arses.....but to call me a carnie...that is inaccurate. i may have a faux hawk, docs and steaming cup of joe every morning, but a carnie?

and the purple windbreaker...i've been here 2.5 years and have only seen them bitches in PHX.....and not many.....so don't go round here saying us east coasters need a damn breaker not true(at least in ATL, MCO)

ok im finished...i'll make my next post sometime in 07

 

[aussiefly]

Colgan turboprops all the way. Dont hold out for the shiny jet as you will learn way more and upgrade quicker at colgan. They all suck paywise but think of the bonus of not having to tell people your Mesa when jumpseating.

Cheers
p.s Aussieflyboy stop impersonating me lol

 

[Snaab]

A regional is a regional is a regional. The skinny at Colgan: upgrade will never be an eternity, you'll be a lineholder right out of training, you'll work with some great people, but pay is pretty low and about 1/2 the bases are in the middle of the woods and are hard to commute to/from. I don't commute, and don't recommend it. Some Colgan bases rock, by the way. I know guys at both Mesa and Comair, and they have nothing good to say these days. Mesa: pay sucks and you're a whore to management. Comair: entirely tied to Delta's woes, uprgrade is very long.

Good luck.

Snaab

 

[RCA]

Think of Comair as a risky investment. Management has been talking shutdown for 2 years and we are still here. Delta awarded 12 out of more than 100 airplanes to skywest. The delta CFO recently said it was in Delta and Comairs best interest for Comair to continue growing. So what does this mean. Delta could continue to remove planes from comairs fleet and upgrade would be forever. However on the small chance Delta awards any portion of the remaining 100 airplanes to CMR with current attrition rates (30+ per mo.) Upgrade could be less than three years. Another consideration, they just put out a vacancy bid for 108 JFK based FO's anyone hired in the next couple of months would most likely be based in JFK.

 

[tomgon]

Man no love for Mesa. We're all here to get our time and get out right?
Calling us carnies...that ******************** aint cool man. Im sure you have some problems of yourself...am i right. Exactly.
You see one regional...you see them all. They all pay ******************** and take advantage of you, thats their primary business plan. Thats just how it works. And if you get an outstanding contract then you probably won't have a good upgrade time and be downsizing in a few years. Hey if thats what you want...spend your life at the regional, then we'll see whos calling each other a carnie 10 years down the road. Good' day

 

[Muppets]

you call him a carnie and he says "have a good day"....wow.

 

[wt219200]

Does Colgan make you sign another training contract when you upgrade. I know the FO contract is around 16K.

 

[aussieflyboy]

Man no love for Mesa. We're all here to get our time and get out right?
Calling us carnies...that ******************** aint cool man. Im sure you have some problems of yourself...am i right. Exactly.
You see one regional...you see them all. They all pay ******************** and take advantage of you, thats their primary business plan. Thats just how it works. And if you get an outstanding contract then you probably won't have a good upgrade time and be downsizing in a few years. Hey if thats what you want...spend your life at the regional, then we'll see whos calling each other a carnie 10 years down the road. Good' day

Not true...

XJT is a rockin place to be, uncertainty over the jets we lost flying with CAL aside. We have a fantastic contract, the equal of no other, and upgrade is running around about 2 years. Our management is awesome, they truly have our best interests, and the company is full of very happy people.

I'd say forget all three of your options and hold out for XJT... we're hiring over 60 guys a month at the moment, which does alot to ease my nerves about finding work for our jets.

Aussiefly, we've been through this mate. All I can say is you have good taste in name choices

 

[Soverytired]

I currently have offers from Colgan and Mesa with an upcoming Comair interview. Living in the midwest where would you go?

Go to Skywest!

If you can't swing that, go to Mesa for one year (max), then go to Skywest. Put your app in at Skywest the second you get a couple hundred hours in the Mesa CRJ 200.

Mesa is increasingly becoming the "Skywest Training Airline" by more and more Mesa FO's. Heck, Skywest is conducting interviews in a couple of our major CRJ domiciles .. . the interview in PHX is at a hotel that's about 1 city block away from the PHX corporate headquarters, and 3 blocks away from our training center.

(yeah, I know SKYW is getting alot of flak right now, I'm just comparing Mesa to SKYWEST)

 

[pgcfii2002]

Mesa rules!

 

[adisk811]

Which Colgan bases would be commuter friendly out of the detroit area?

 

[Thurman Merman]

Direct flights from detroit on Northwest(and/or express) go into Norfolk, Ithaca and a whole bunch others, I'm sure, but not motivated enough to check. If you stay with affiliated companies your looking at a 2 leg commute. With the addition of Cass it will make commutin' a lil' easier(maybe).

 

[Mr Wu]

Does Colgan make you sign another training contract when you upgrade. I know the FO contract is around 16K.

8 grand, six months.

 

[wmuflyguy]

Which Colgan bases would be commuter friendly out of the detroit area?

For Comair JFK will be doable out of DTW. We have 3 direct flights a day there. Not sur ehow many NWA has to LGA and JFK.

 

[aussieflyboy]

Does Colgan make you sign a contract as a new FO?? Holy crap that blows, I did not know that

 

[Hootie9750]

Anywhere but Mesa.

 

[Snaab]

Which Colgan bases would be commuter friendly out of the detroit area?

I think the following are good for Detroit (don't quote me though): Charlottesville, Ithaca, Rochester, Allentown, Manchester, Providence, Charleston, Buffalo, and Albany. If you can handle the daily rigamorole of being based at HDQs in lovely Manassas, Va. (HEF), Washington Dulles IAD is 25 minutes away and you can fly anywhere in the world. Reagan National DCA is 35 minutes away.

***If you try getting to either IAD or DCA during rush hour, add at least 2 hours and a LOT of blood pressure.*** Nothing makes sense in Northern Virginia.

Snaab

 

[rhino3040]

Wow, called the Mesa dude a carnie.....thats the funniest S&#^ I've heard all day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[jtrain609]

rhino3040, is your nickname 'Frosty' by chance?

 

[PURPLEHAZE21]

This ain't the 90's when everybody was hiring (Majors). Where ever you go, plan on staying there for 5 years...choose wisely...and good luck !!!

P.S. After your 1st 1000 PIC, quality of living is what it's all about !!

 

[CopilotDoug]

Not true...

XJT is a rockin place to be, uncertainty over the jets we lost flying with CAL aside. We have a fantastic contract, the equal of no other, and upgrade is running around about 2 years. Our management is awesome, they truly have our best interests, and the company is full of very happy people.

I'd say forget all three of your options and hold out for XJT... we're hiring over 60 guys a month at the moment, which does alot to ease my nerves about finding work for our jets.

How's your second week with XJT working out?

 

[BoDEAN]

I currently have offers from Colgan and Mesa with an upcoming Comair interview. Living in the midwest where would you go?

Honestly? None. I live in the mid-west (DTW) too, and would pass on all 3.

 

[B-J-J Fighter]

Honestly? None. I live in the mid-west (DTW) too, and would pass on all 3.

How do you like Eagle so far?

 

[RP170]

I'd say forget all three of your options and hold out for XJT... we're hiring over 60 guys a month at the moment, which does alot to ease my nerves about finding work for our jets.

Or could it be as a result of attrition due to the uncertainty of what is going to happen at XJT?