Colgan

[heywatchthis]

Heywatch this, they actually paid you under the 75 hours? Or did you still get paid 75 hours?

No I am going to get paid my 75 hours, but the point is why do we get to bid on schedules based on so called seniority when in reality I just get 75 hours pay.

Example: I bid and get awarded a line based on my seniority of 85 hours and 13 days off. But in reality I get paid 75 hours (aka $1021.00 takehome) and only get 12 days off.

Forced to work on my day off, and yet still only get 75 hours. Tell me again why I even bid. Why don't we just get paid salary, regardless of what we work.

$40 and hour should equal $40,000+ per year, NOT $36,000 per year.

The point is I came here for the quality of life not for a FAT paycheck, but in reality I get neither. I am forced to sit reserve with a 60 min call out at IAH to the airplane and have my schedule changed.

 

[chperplt]

Tell me again why I even bid

That it TOOOOOO funny!!!!

I said that for a few years.

 

[FlightTraker]

"And now for something completely different" said by Monty Python, but could very well be the first page of the crew sched manual. Glad to see things haven't changed...............

 

[BRA]

Alright i got you. What you talk about is usually worse on the FO's. They usually get taken off line and put on reserve when the checkairman does IOE. But, you should get paid for what you bid if you show up for work. However, you shouldn't really get anything, because we have no work rules. People at comair and what not are reading this and laughing pretty hard i'm sure right now. Especially all the ones that have quit here the past few years.

 

[dh82dvr]

I usually avoid working days off by never answering a 703 number. Sometimes helps to not check out on your last day on.

 

[Spitfire]

OK OK OK.
I'm tired of all this Colgan bashing. It's very simple really.
Colgan Air is an airline like any other, and a company like any other. They all have issues. Some employees love it, some hate it, some just don't care. But Colgan is good for some things.

Personally, I am quite happy to be at Colgan. It's not that bad. I don't necessarily mean to defend this company, but I wish to provide some of my personal input, so please excuse the rant. Feel free to tear it apart as you please, I don't really care.

1 Fast upgrade. The only that counts in this industry is TURBINE PIC time. You can have all the SIC Jet you want, it won't count for sh!t other than your total time. Ask all the old farts you want, that's what they all say. Majors love commuter pilots cuz they know we work harder than most.

2 Pay isn't that great, but we are the highest paid Beech pilots in the country. All companies make pay mistakes sometimes. It happens, get over it. Yeah yeah so you make more second year flying an RJ, fine. But at Colgan you're upgrading to captain. Also, if they call you on a day off, then DONT ANSWER THE PHONE. It's that easy.

3 You get to actually be a pilot, not a system monitor, or a switch flicker, or computer programmer. I know some are more interested in the instant gratification that an air conditioned jet and the QOL that can sometimes go along with that. But that ain't fer me right now. I'll go for QOL when I'm sitting in a 737 or 717 or whatever bigger stuff might come along.

4 My personal QOL here is great however. I get about 12 to 14 days off, fly about 95 hours a month, and my commute home is a one legger with Southwest. ONCE AGAIN, I realize that it is not always so perfect for everyone.

5 About maintenance. Colgan can be pretty dumb about some of their logistics, it's true. However, the airplanes are not only 20 years old, but ridden hard and put away wet. I'm actually surprised things aren't broken more often. Sure I've seen 6 stupid MELs, or even some stuff not get fixed coming out of a maintenance base. It's not that big a deal.

Finally, I realize Colgan is far from perfect. Sure I'd love to have a working VCM all the time, and not bother with st00pid pressurization issues, or whatever else can be thrown at you, but that's part of the deal that comes with Colgan. At least it's Turbine time, a quick upgrade, and HIGH-QUALITY time at that.
Colgan is to be take for what it is, nothing more. It's a steppping stone, not a career company.

 

[Spitfire]

sorry about the flaming smily faces...didn't know it'd do that....

 

[Yank McCobb]

Colgan Air...It's not that bad.

Hey. That's the official slogan of the Fresno Chamber of Commerce.

FRESNO...It's not that bad.

About maintenance. Sure I've seen 6 stupid MELs, or even some stuff not get fixed coming out of a maintenance base. It's not that big a deal.
.

"Not that big a deal"?!? Man, do you have a lot to learn about this business. I hope you live long enough to learn it.

That has to be one of the STOOOOPIDEST comments I have ever heard on flightinfo....Home of the stupid comment.

 

[heywatchthis]

1 Fast upgrade. The only that counts in this industry is TURBINE PIC time. You can have all the SIC Jet you want, it won't count for sh!t other than your total time. Ask all the old farts you want, that's what they all say. Majors love commuter pilots cuz they know we work harder than most.

The ONLY thing that counts? So you make the upgrade NOW what? HELLO there are thousands of pilots with at least 1000 pic Jet/turbine looking for a major job. How about have a safe aircraft, reasonable pay, and some benefits with a schedule why you wait for a MAJOR job that may or may not ever come.

2 Pay isn't that great, but we are the highest paid Beech pilots in the country. All companies make pay mistakes sometimes. It happens, get over it. Yeah yeah so you make more second year flying an RJ, fine. But at Colgan you're upgrading to captain. Also, if they call you on a day off, then DONT ANSWER THE PHONE. It's that easy.

OK so tell me. How many other Beech pilots are there? Now lets move on to the SAAB guys in IAH. We aren't the highest paid. We aren't getting 92 hours, we don't get 16 days off, we don't even really get a schedule. And if they call you on RESERVE to tell you your working on your day off, do you not answer the phone too. Please come visit the HOT side and then preach.

Also pay count's for more than just an hourly wage. How about 45 min repos, or swaps, or min days, or 16 hour duty days worth 4 hours. Hell if I get paid $100/hour and work 16 hours duty, but only credit 1 hour - I guess I can't bitch because I would be the highest paid SAAB driver right.

3 You get to actually be a pilot, not a system monitor, or a switch flicker, or computer programmer. I know some are more interested in the instant gratification that an air conditioned jet and the QOL that can sometimes go along with that. But that ain't fer me right now. I'll go for QOL when I'm sitting in a 737 or 717 or whatever bigger stuff might come along.

So you get to be a pilot and not switch buttons, but your waiting to fly a 737. Yea I get it. I don't really care what I fly. I love the SAAB (minus the cabin temperture), but can I have a QOL if I can't have the pay? PLEASE!

4 My personal QOL here is great however. I get about 12 to 14 days off, fly about 95 hours a month, and my commute home is a one legger with Southwest. ONCE AGAIN, I realize that it is not always so perfect for everyone.

And if I had that QOL I wouldn't bitch either. But then again these are the BITCH boards right. So if I want to rant and rave about my F-up schedule, I can. Thanks for reading. Now would you bitch if you had our schedule down here.

5 About maintenance. Colgan can be pretty dumb about some of their logistics, it's true. However, the airplanes are not only 20 years old, but ridden hard and put away wet. I'm actually surprised things aren't broken more often. Sure I've seen 6 stupid MELs, or even some stuff not get fixed coming out of a maintenance base. It's not that big a deal.

NO COMMENT - Maybe I just strive for a hire standard.

It's a stepping stone, not a career company.

I guess I just had hopes of being more than a stepping stone, at least not a small step!

 

[Spitfire]

All I meant to say was that not all of Colgan is bad. Sorry you're having such a difficult time, really.

 

[BRA]

I don't think the beeches are a whole lot older the 10 years? I think they are all around 1995 or so. I think IAH will get better with time, it is having a lot of growing pains. Overall, i think this company has only gotten better and better since i started here. IAH is probably causing the company to go backwords a little, but it will go forward again. It's nice not being completely under the usair umbrella, a few months ago I remember the big question around the company was "what if usair sinks, and when are we gonna get another code share?" I know in january a lot of people here were really watching the news for stuff on usair like hawks, i know i was.

 

[heywatchthis]

Well I'm over it. The only thing I really complain about is when the schedule gets bad. My schedule is my life. With a good schedule I think my QOL will be good. Thats all I am looking for right now, and I have hopes that when things get figured out in IAH, COLGAN will be a good deal for me.

All the people in IAH are great, so thats a bonus. If I could just get on schedulings good side. Hummmm. Not that its there fault, but I got to blame someone.

Keeping the fingers crossed.

 

[chperplt]

Originally Posted by Spitfire
About maintenance. Sure I've seen 6 stupid MELs, or even some stuff not get fixed coming out of a maintenance base. It's not that big a deal.

Dude,

You need to get your head out of Mikey Colgan's ass before you die. Do you realize the history of that MX department? Were you paying attention a few weeks ago when another SAAB lost an engine.

With that mentality, I feel bad for all your passengers as you'll obviously accept a sub par aircraft because it's not that big a deal....
.

 

[HughBeamont]

There is no doubt that Colgan is going through some major growing pains, and they like to share the pain with as many people as possible.

I can't speak about the Saab side of the operation, but currently they are short Beech FOs. So the Beech FOs get the shaft - less days off, changed schedules, etc. Not having work rules gives the company great flexibility at the expense of the pilots.

To a large extent, outstation basing causes the majority of misery at Colgan. If someone calls in sick in the afternoon, the morning crew keeps working (since it's extremely unlikely that anyone at the base is on reserve). If you have a check airman at your base, you'll be pulled off the schedule, put on reserve. And the aircraft maintenace suffers greatly, as they only see maintenance bases infrequently. This last point screws not only Colgan employees (who expect a certain level of screwing), but our flying customers.

 

[dh82dvr]

surely it depends what the mels are right?

i've seen long lists of every possible cabin and cockpit light...big deal.

at the end of the day you are the one who decides if the thing is good to go. If you are right you are right, but you need to know your stuff and back yourself up.

Just remember, its your ticket and you worked hard to get it. Don't subsidise any airline be it Colgan, southwest or whatever with it.

 

[tuna pimp]

Just curious...how difficult is it to get the base that you want? This outstation base system is pretty different to most carriers.

I live in ATL so a base somewhere up in Maine would obviously be problematic however Augusta is just a chip shot away for me.

 

[Spitfire]

Of course it matters what the MELs are. If it's cabin lighting or some basic cockpit lighting then big deal. If it's bigger and more important, then I'd deal with it and consider NOT Flying. Don't think for one second that my head is up a Colgan rear-end, nor think that I'm willing to fly just anything. But if I pick up an airplane at a maintenance base with 3 MELs still on it and they're all pretty benign, then it's just not that big a deal.
Basing planes at the outstations is definitely part of the equation.Maintenance isn't always on top of every little tiny thing, but this is no Southwest, and I've yet to be asked to fly anything even remotely unsafe.

 

[MECH]

If you look at Continental's current hiring practices you will see that they are hiring pilots from the right seat of a CL-65 or EMB -145. They are not hiring to many turbo prop captains.

This might change in the future!

There is no promise of going any where after you get the majic 1000 hours PIC. So I would only look at companies that I could retire at. Hopefully I will be able to move on. But if not, I do work for a company that will provide a good career.

 

[JATAGA]

I live in ATL so a base somewhere up in Maine would obviously be problematic however Augusta is just a chip shot away for me.[/QUOTE]

You do know thats Augusta ME?

The bottom line is you get based where they need you. I don't think its the norm to get the base you want until you can bid into it.

 

[tuna pimp]

Yikes! A bit more than a chip shot...I thought maybe Colgan was doing some 1900 flying for USAirways from CLT or something. Thanks for clearing that up.

 

[BSkin]

Yikes! A bit more than a chip shot...I thought maybe Colgan was doing some 1900 flying for USAirways from CLT or something. Thanks for clearing that up.

No worries, the Augusta Country Club (in ME) is pretty sweet, though only open about 5 months (if that) out of the year.

 

[beechcowboy]

2 WORDS for everyone....Scott and Steve...

Once again my casino faring brother, you have nailed it on the head. Any plans for a 2 year memorium for our brothers in the sky? It's hard to believe it's been 2 years and MX still doesn't get it.

Amen, I'm glad someone will say it out loud. MX so quickly forgets, and so it seems, do the Colgans.

 

[scott's girl]

Thanks

Thanks everyone for not forgetting about Scott and Steve. Remember them always.

Lisa

 

[Thurman Merman]

Not that bad....

There is a world of difference between the Saab and Beech crews, though that difference seems to be diminishing somewhat. The Beech crews get screwed a lot more since Colgan treats them like a 135 operation. As for the Saab it depends on where your at and the standing in the company. As an FO it didn't take long until I had good lines with no less than 80 hours with weekends off. This was with a lot of attrition and I became a senoir FO rather quickly.

Now as a Captain I've had my fair share of headaches with the new idiots they have answering phones, because they have not earned the right to be called dispatchers or schedulers. Since in the left seat I have not flown less than 90 hours with days off ranging from 13-17. I am single so I don't mind picking up open time. Keep in mind this is a relatively small company still so you can make an impression. I have helped out scheduling and saved their butts on a few occasions and they have repaid the favor. The reverse is also true, if your a problem, upgrade will not come as quickly and Brink will call. In the past I've been able to put on a bid sheet I need a day off and sure enough I get it the following month's schedule. You do have open Mel's a lot and you also have to get creative to get a day done on time. "Home early and overblock" is a good motto.

Obviously you have to remember this is a business and Colgan will screw you in order to get the job done. 34 passengers do not care if you just flew 5 days in a row with this being your 6. It all depends on perspective If you get a good base with good flight time for everybody then you'll build hours for upgrade and get a decent paycheck. If your single then why not work on your days off to get more experience, they will remember you as a go to guy but remember your days off are just that, "yours." Do not answer your phone if you don't want to work. If you do, be proactive, call up scheduling and ask for open time. If you do have to ferry to manassas turn it into a positive. Use it as an oportunity to talk to dispatch and crew shceduling face to face so next time you talk to them on the phone they can put a face to a name.

Before anybody brings out the whoop'n sticks this is only a microcosm of life at Colgan from one person, these are my views and no one elses. I am someone who enjoys my job and most people I fly with, even on a bad day I'm relaxed with a smile on my face. Yes it could be better, but it could be a heck of a lot worse as well. From time to time Colgan will do you wrong as they have with me and I have stood my ground knowing I was in the right. I did not do it in an obnoxious manner, so know how to deal with and treat people repectfully not subserviantly.

If you do get a base with anyting ending in ....town keep requesting a new base. And avoid being based at the mothership (HEF). It should also be said that I have not not been here 5+ years so I could be posting something with a little different tone in years to come if i am here.

 

[Tram]

Wow.. good thread..