Commutair hiring and currency

[pilotguy5]

Hello,
I have a quick question for everyone.
I left my flying job August 24th, 2009 and decided to go back to school for ATC. I miss flying and I'm thinking about getting back into it. We have a baby now and the ATC career looks like it is going to take awhile and honestly not sure I want to do it anymore. Money isn't everything I guess
I'm just curious what I would need to do to become current and marketable again?
Specifically I'm looking at Commutair, I know I know, pay sucks etc etc, but it is a pay check, base close to home, and a step towards another job.
Just curious if anyone has been out of cockpit for awhile and then came back and got hired by an airline?
I have about 4000TT and about 700 multi.
I started my CFII before I left my job and I'm considering finishing that to get back into it.
Any input is appreciated.

Thanks

 

[Captain Morgan]

Hello,
I have a quick question for everyone.
I left my flying job August 24th, 2009 and decided to go back to school for ATC. I miss flying and I'm thinking about getting back into it. We have a baby now and the ATC career looks like it is going to take awhile and honestly not sure I want to do it anymore. Money isn't everything I guess
I'm just curious what I would need to do to become current and marketable again?
Specifically I'm looking at Commutair, I know I know, pay sucks etc etc, but it is a pay check, base close to home, and a step towards another job.
Just curious if anyone has been out of cockpit for awhile and then came back and got hired by an airline?
I have about 4000TT and about 700 multi.
I started my CFII before I left my job and I'm considering finishing that to get back into it.
Any input is appreciated.

Thanks

Well, I commend you for being honest with yourself. For some, the lifestyle of a pilot is meant for them, and there's no denying it. However, you have to be considerate of your family during this process, which it sounds like you have already. I would definitely recommend living near your base and it can make or break the first year of horrid pay. You don't seem to have bad time but when I interviewed with them back in 2002 I had about 901 tt and about 101 multi with 50 dual given. I've heard through the grapevine that they really like instructors. I don't know if that's true in today's world but I didn't get hired not only because I had low time, but because I didn't have instructor time. I had a lot of different of commercial flying time but they didn't seem to care much about it. Also, at that point they were flying deep in the northeast in a region where you have to really pay attention and know what the charts are depicting (MOAs, MOCAs, MEAs, etc.) I think you're doing great with the first step and hopefully someone more current with their corporate culture will chime in. Good luck, and I wish you the best in your decision.

 

[CA1900]

I can't speak to the minimums and currency requirements these days because I've been gone for a few years now. But I will caution you about one thing: Basing at CommutAir is a very fluid thing. You have absolutely no guarantees that you'll get the base you want, nor that you'll be able to keep it. Indeed, there's no guarantee the base you want will even exist next year, particularly with the Continental-United merger looming.

Cleveland and Newark might shut down, replaced with Chicago and Washington Dulles. Don't think it could happen? CommutAir used to have crew bases at IAD, ALB, BOS, PVD, ORH, PWM, SYR, UCA, ROC, BDL, PLB, and probably more that I don't recall right now. All of those were abruptly closed, and those pilots had to either uproot and move, or commute. The same thing happened when some bases were reduced in size, displacing a lot of pilots.

If you do work there, be prepared (and prepare your family) for a commute that you never wanted or expected. Many trips will not be commutable on the same day, meaning you'll be spending extra nights at a hotel or crashpad (on your own dime) instead of at home.

 

[NEDude]

I can't speak to the minimums and currency requirements these days because I've been gone for a few years now. But I will caution you about one thing: Basing at CommutAir is a very fluid thing. You have absolutely no guarantees that you'll get the base you want, nor that you'll be able to keep it. Indeed, there's no guarantee the base you want will even exist next year, particularly with the Continental-United merger looming.

Cleveland and Newark might shut down, replaced with Chicago and Washington Dulles. Don't think it could happen? CommutAir used to have crew bases at IAD, ALB, BOS, PVD, ORH, PWM, SYR, UCA, ROC, BDL, PLB, and probably more that I don't recall right now. All of those were abruptly closed, and those pilots had to either uproot and move, or commute. The same thing happened when some bases were reduced in size, displacing a lot of pilots.

If you do work there, be prepared (and prepare your family) for a commute that you never wanted or expected. Many trips will not be commutable on the same day, meaning you'll be spending extra nights at a hotel or crashpad (on your own dime) instead of at home.

If there is anyone who knows of the fluidity of CommutAir bases, it is CA1900. I can't hold a candle to him, but in my five years there it was PLB, ROC, ALB, CLE, ALB, PLB. The only voluntary moves were the ones to ALB. And with the CAL/UAl merger, who knows if and where CommutAir will fit in. But as you say, it is a step to another job. Good luck.

 

[lakemead1]

I worked there in 2003 and have two friends that I got interviews for and neither got the job, because neither had been flying in the previous 6-8 months or so. I am not saying this to discourage you, but recency is probably something they look at pretty heavily. This was also a number of years ago, so the interview is probably changed some since then. CommutAir was a great place to work, I wish you luck on the interview.

 

[shamrock]

PLB, PWM, BDL, ROC, SYR/UCA, ALB in 1.5 years at the Commode...

 

[pilotguy5]

Yeah, I was instructor I only have about 500 dual given though. So it maybe a good idea to get my CFII and renew my CFI in the process. I let it lapse in Janurary because of school.
Hopefully they will keep CLE as a base. If not, such is life I guess. Hopefully things are on the upswing and I can build some seniority if I can get hired.
I am in a better position since my wife does have a good job and I'm not working now, so anything I make is a bonus even if it is sub 20K. We can move as well since she is a nurse and can find a job about anywhere.
I have a friend at Commutair as well, maybe I can pick his brain about what they are looking for.
Thanks for the responses.