Comair Classes

[Lev]

Anyone spoke to Linda this week? I interviewed Feb. 21 and I am still sitting. Just wondering if I am the last of the Feb interviews.

 

[sidseal]

Got a friend in class right now (started 15 July and interviewed first week in March). Anyway, he said the Aug. 19 class was canx due to MCO guys going to school. He did say that there was already a class of MCO guys there, so, maybe Aug 19 will be one of the last classes for them. What is your background? The reason I'm asking is that he said he talked to Kathy over there and that they try to take an equal amount of backgrounds in each class. For instance, 8 person class, they want 2 military, 2 freight/135, 2 prt. 121, and 2 Comair Academy CFI. He said there was a Comair CFI that interviewed the end of April in his class. So, basically, your "seniority" for class dates is based on your background and they will pluck 'x' amount of people out of your background for each class, based on the interview dates within your background.

I interviewed Apr. 25 and have a part 121 background. Maybe we can get all the Comair "poolies" to reply and we can get an idea of where we all are in the big picture.

 

[Lev]

Thanks for responding. I am one of the many forloughed Eagle Pilots hoping for a better life. I had heard that "Interview Date" was not the only factor, but I was not sure. Hopefully things will pick up by fall.

 

[Slick]

Hey Lev...

Do you, (or does anyone) have a thought regarding the percentage of Eagle Furloughees who will be returning to Eagle, when and if recalls begin. I realize that the percentages will fall as time extends. I thought maybe you would have an idea of how many Eagle pilots have already jumped ship vs. those who plan to hang in there.

 

[Pintarski]

I just spoke with Linda this morning. There will be 2 new hire classes in August (19th and 26th). Both will have 6 people. No word on September classes yet, since there still are CRJ delivery issues. I hope this sheds some light for some folks.

 

[Guam360]

Ths last MCO class is Oct. 14

Aug 12, 26, a couple in Sept.

 

[Lev]

Thanks for the Info. I was able to get a hold of Linda today and was told the same story. Hopefully we will all be in class soon.

As for Eagle guy's returning, I have only kept in touch with six guys. Two are now working ACA and the other four are in line at Comair. My feeling is that many guy's won't return. They just have not sent their resignation letters in yet. The company's position is that ony six guys have left to date. I think you could multiply that number by at least 10 or 15 if you count the guys that have no intention of comming back but have not said so yet. Eagle would be my last choice at this point, but it's better than watching soaps!!!

 

[JTrain]

hey all you CMR poolies:

If you had interviewed at ACA in the same timeframe (Feb/March) and had been hired, you would've been in class soon thereafter (ie no later than mid-April).
You probably would've spent no more than 3 months in training, including IOE, and would've likely been online for at least a month. You'd also have at least 150+ ppl below you on the seniority list, judging by the recently published 3Q '02 list.

Just something to think about. CMR is a good place to be, ACA is as well. Keep the big picture in mind. If you had the qualifications to be hired by CMR, I can guarantee you would've been competitive, if not hireable by ACA. Don't focus too much on one thing though, because you might be letting another opportunity slip by.

JTrain

 

[Batman]

Eagle Recalls...

Slick,

I am one of Eagle's redundant children--When 20 pilots were recalled last week, it took 30 calls. So, about 1 in 3 are opting to pass. There is supposed to be another recall started later this week or next. No solid rumor on its size. All I know, is that there several guys next on the recall list that are waiting to get class dates at other airlines.

Lastly, all of those being recalled now will be heading to the "rock." There is a good chance that the SJU and MIA ATR operationd will be sold off later this year or early next.

 

[PositiveRate]

Eagle....don't get me started!

I read something tonight on the aviationinterviews.com message board about a late April interviewee getting called for the Aug 19th class at Comair.

I'm confused...I've asked Sharon more than once how people were being brought to class and she always has replied "by interview date with the exception of the military folks who were previously hired and are being deactivated."

 

[Hovernut]

I just heard 3 CAA CFIs that interviewed in Apr are in the Aug 19 class. That leaves 4 more that interviewed in Apr. I interviewed on May 21 and have 3 more CAA CFIs that are right behind me from the May interviews. There are only 3 from June. Still supposedly no new hire classes in Sep, with resumption in Oct. This is all rumor mill stuff here at CAA. Personally, I'm bailing out of the Academy in favor of my old job in Los Alamos. At least I can start paying down my student loans with a decent paycheck!!
Hopefully the class dates won't slip too far. Ahh, to fly in the mountains again! Leadville, here I come; get that certificate ready!
Good luck to all!!

 

[PositiveRate]

Is there any reasoning behind giving the CAA guys priority for class dates?

 

[54fighting]

I know Positive Rate, I feel the same. If they wanted a balance for their ground school classes, then they should have started at the interviews. Penalizing people, and that's what it is, who have interviewed in Feb and some before that, I do not agree with. I know my interview class was told classes are assigned by interview date, not a balanced mix.

However, I also know that relying on rumors will drive you to insanity and with that said, I would find it hard to believe that the Aug 19th class is made up of 50% of CAA, since there are only 6 in each Aug class.

 

[RichO]

Just imagine, you could be one of those folks out there that are reading these messages concerning the "pool" and thinking....."Man!!!, I would love to be swimming right now...it's better than not being in a pool at all....."

One question, did the mil folks that were deactived put in a class ahead of people that interviewed ahead or behind them?

 

[SQW7700]

I can't believe that no one reading these darn replies has nothing more than hearsay to write. At my previous 2 regionals it was very easy, as an employee to walk right into the training department and say " hey whats up how is the hiring going? " and get an answer on, when the classes were. how many and of whom. Its suprising to me that no Comair dudes have done a little research out to help their brothers!

 

[Anaconda]

Is there any reasoning behind giving the CAA guys priority for class dates?

well, they HAVE to give those guys something for paying all that money for a flight education at CAA, don't they!?!?!?

also, for what it's worth, the company web site lists a new-hire class for aug 26th as well...

and to SQW7700, those of us at comair HAVE been doing research to help people out, and we HAVE posted said research on this msg board. i can assure you that things are day to day at comair in regard to classes. these guys on this boards know just about as much as we do flying the line. i just flew a two-day with a guy in the tng dept and he doesn't even know what's going on...

 

[PositiveRate]

Well, talked to Linda this morning. She's by far the nicest of the bunch, but they don't keep her in the loop as much as Sharon. She confirmed a lot of the rumors here....they ARE trying to balance the class with CFIs, Military, and 121 guys/girls. Aug 19th/26th are 6 each, September classes are a maybe....she said plan on october or later.

She mentioned something about Bombardier threatening to go on strike again? Haven't heard that one yet. In any case, the aug classes are finishing up the february interviewees and then some march and CAA guys.

Good luck to everyone. I'm waiting to hear back from an ACA interview and will likely go that direction if they give me the nod. If anyone older, more experienced and more jaded than me thinks this would be a bad idea, please chime in. It's hard to think long term with only 5 more unemployment checks left.

 

[Menace]

Pay

How much, if any does Comair pay during training? Also what is first and second year FO pay?

-Menace

 

[SQW7700]

Thanx Anaconda,
I have been keeping track and have read many of you and Gaum360 replies over the last month or two. I appreciate your efforts. I really want to work for Comair and its just very discouraging how they are going about the process. Firstly they have too many in the pool, they don't even send a letter every once and a while to say your still on the list, they hire people out of sequence and to put salt in the wound they continue to hire! I personally have made the mistake of trying to follow their "carrot" for 6 months now and have missed many oportunites thinking they'll call me soon. Now I have no money and I can't even get a job as a waiter.

 

[Anaconda]

i feel your frustration...the situation wasn't much better when i got hired back in jan of 2001. i was told then to expect to wait up to six months for a class. i even took a job with another airline only to have them call a couple of weeks later and give me a class date. it can be a pain in the @$$, but trust me, it's worth it.

on top of that two weeks into it all i got my walking papers as a result of the strike. comair held out the promise of getting the 86 of us back to work after everything was settled. it was a stressful three months but i can tell you that comair came through on their promise, and i believe they will with all of you in the pool as well.

i'm willing to bet that the 20 or so people that didn't come back after the strike (out of 86) are regretting that decision.

the only thing i can suggest is if at all possible let them know you will take a shortfall for a class, and be ready to go on a few hours notice. i know that has worked for a few people.

i'm not sure what the story is with the military people, but expect that comair is going to have to dangle at least a little bit of a carrot to the people that went through the academy. they paid too much for their ratings not to at least get something out of the deal. i saw it myself after we got "terminated", and it was understandable...

i will be in cvg in two weeks for crj tng, and if i hear anything i will try and post it on here, but i expect to be pretty busy so you guys might just get the gouge before i do...

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