commutair

[i'mbatman]

Does anyone have any idea when Commutair will resume hiring? Also, how is it working there? Can you commute? What are the schedules like, etc? Are they currently accepting resumes? Thanks a ton!

 

[SuperD]

batman,

Apparently we interviewed a few folks in the past couple weeks and they will be placed in a pool until we need them. I don't think they are going to interview again any time soon unless we have a mass exodus like last February. With very few people leaving (and actually a few coming back from military leave) we have plenty of pilots right now. However, there are rumors flying around about serving CO hubs and getting larger planes, but nothing has been told to us.

As far as the working conditions at CommutAir, they are markedly better than last year at this time. The morale is much better, that's for sure. The trips are okay. We have a very unique bidding system which allows pilots to bid individual days or trips instead of whole lines. So in effect you could tailor a bid period to fit what you have going on that month, if your seniority allows. Everybody gets 12 days off every 28-day bid, regardless of seniority.

Commuting is certainly doable, but only if you're based in ALB or ROC. If you're in PLB, forget it unless you live in the Northern NY area. Commuting from a CommutAir city is pretty easy as long as you can bid commutable trips. Most ovenights start at noon on the first day and go to noon on the second. Four-day trips start at 2 on Sunday and end at noon on Wednesday. As a junior FO, you will have to fly Friday day trips which make commuting by air impossible. I'll let some other pilots who actually commute give more info since I live in ALB.

SuperD

 

[NEDude]

I commute to ALB and don't have much trouble at all. Southwest is great. Some guys commute from the west coast and say they don't have much trouble either. Commuting isn't fun by any means, but it is doable.

I will second the remarks about morale. I was here last year before the furlough and morale is much better now.

SuperD is right on about the rest.

 

[Flight_Line]

What times are competive for CommuteAir now? What do they look for in pilots? Does being local or wanting to be local help (I'm native to Albany and want to return.)? Thanks.

 

[Wowjack]

Regular Updates

Being from the west, I also don't mind to re-locate. I've been sending in my online updates. Now I have 1600TT, 286 multi, and 123 IFR, do you guys think I can compete?

Last question, where are the local resorts in relation to domicles for my snowboarding addiction?

Wow

 

[NEDude]

ALB and PLB if you want to snowboard. Gore Mountain and Whiteface mountain are drivable. Whiteface hosted the skiing events for the 1932 and 1980 winter olympics. If you are in PLB you could probably get to many of the Vermont ski areas such as Stowe. Now that I think about it, Killington and Pico are both about two hours from ALB.

 

[SuperD]

Wowjack,

Your times are right on par with what CommutAir hires. However, don't waste your time with the online application since I don't think they even check that. If you want to get noticed, send it here:

CommutAir
Attn: Chief Pilot
518 Rugar St.
Plattsburgh, NY 12901

Or better yet, fax it to (518) 562-8030 with a cover letter addressed to Henry Wurster.

As I mentioned above, I don't think that we will be interviewing for awhile, but they will keep it on file until we do. Being from the West Coast isn't a problem, especially if you're willing to move. We have numurous pilots who aren't from around here. NEDude is correct about the snowboarding domiciles. PLB would be right up your alley if you like to do that stuff. In fact, that's pretty much all there is to do in PLB!

SuperD

 

[I.P. Freley]

Whiteface?

That's MISTER Whiteface to YOU!!

At least, that's what the billboard on I-87 north of Lake George says.

 

[CA1900]

Hey IP, you seen that laser pointer anywhere? <grin>

 

[I.P. Freley]

You mean the one I keep in my flight case to blind the rampies?

BTW, the rampies in PIT are even worse than those USAirExp rampies we used to hate in Boston. Really, they are. I think that the continents move at a greater speed than those orange vest-wearing glaciers!

 

[CA1900]

You mean the one I keep in my flight case to blind the rampies?

Naw, I meant the one we used to mess with that snowboarder on the hill and make him fall! Ahh, good Plattsburgh times.

BTW, the rampies in PIT are even worse than those USAirExp rampies we used to hate in Boston. Really, they are. I think that the continents move at a greater speed than those orange vest-wearing glaciers!

Ack, I didn't think that was possible! I distinctly remember one afternoon when I volunteered to have the Captain shut down the left engine, and I went down the stairs and parked us in BOS. (This was after blocking the service road for a good 10 minutes, with nary an agent to be found, and 19 people about to miss their connections.) The ramp guy finally showed up just as I was chocking us (hey, I had to pee), and was actually mad at me because I was "doing his job." I can't repeat in good company what I said to him that day.

So, are they hiding in a trailer watching Wheel of Fortune and Jerry Springer in PIT the way they were in Boston? <grin>

 

[Wowjack]

Holy Crap!!!

This whole time I've been applying online wondering why I wasn't getting any response. Thanks for the address, I'll update this way from now on. Sounds like a place I should be...PLB here I come!

 

[chperplt]

So, are they hiding in a trailer watching Wheel of Fortune and Jerry Springer in PIT the way they were in Boston? <grin>

They've been out of the trailer in BOS for almost a year now... But I can't believe that ANY group of rampies in the world could come close to those ALG rejects in BOS.

He!!, one Saturday last month the ops guys didn't bother coming in. We sat just off the access road for almost 30 minutes waiting for someone to show up. You would think the ramp idiots would take a peak outside and see if anyone was there... nah.. Too much work for them!

 

[I.P. Freley]

For what it's worth...

About two months ago my FO overheard some of the senior ramp people in PIT berating a new-hire for working too fast, believe it or not. They were actually being THREATENING about it.

I have yet to see more than one or two of this crowd amble toward an aircraft at a pace greater than that one would "amble" toward a particularly hungry-looking grizzly bear.

 

[CA1900]

About two months ago my FO overheard some of the senior ramp people in PIT berating a new-hire for working too fast, believe it or not....
I have yet to see more than one or two of this crowd amble toward an aircraft at a pace greater than that one would "amble" toward a particularly hungry-looking grizzly bear.

Arrrrrrrgggghhh..... and you wonder why the whole organization is imploding. I still remember a couple of years back in Rochester, a US Airways ramper drove a belt loader up to our 1900, handed me the paperwork, and drove it back the 50 feet or so back to the building, parked it, and walked back inside.

Stunned, I asked my captain what that was all about.

"It's their new contract. They don't have to walk to the planes anymore."

Sad.

 

[I.P. Freley]

Wouldn't want them to get any EXERCISE or anything!!

Here's another example... I "waved off" the signal to start engine #2 last week in PIT.

Why would I do such a thing?

Because the rampie WAS STILL STANDING INSIDE THE TERMINAL. I barely even noticed him, looking through the plate glass doors and all, because of reflections off the glass... Then I see this retard signalling me to start! I just shook my head in a rather animated manner, figuring he'd figure out that I wanted him OUTSIDE for this, even waving to him to entice him outside... And wouldn't you know it, he just shrugged his shoulders and WALKED AWAY.

*grrrrrr*

 

[SnowBoardBum]

Im looking for a friend of mine who works for Commutair, can anyone help me out PM me.

Thanks
Bum

 

[Capt.SpongeBob]

Capt. Freley, The rampies in PIT may put a hair across your a$$ but think back a few months when you used to fly into PHL. This is what I actually heard on the OP's frequency in PHL " You might wan't to send someone out here the tug driver is either sick, dead or asleep." Oh and thanks for the ride Sunday.

 

[I.P. Freley]

Somehow this doesn't surprise me... Gotta love unions.

Oh, Sponge, remember... You were only there for "operational purposes" LOL!!!