Day in the life of Commutair Pilot

[Data]

Well, would love to hear any information about the day in the life of a Commutair pilot. I've got an interview scheduled and now that a job is a real possibility, would love to hear some more details about where you can live, what kind of trips you get, all that fun stuff. Any info greatly appreciated. How about upgrade times?

Thanks,

D

 

[Machdog1]

Get a another job, you need to work two to live at CommutAir, great company though!!!!!!!

 

[NEDude]

I don't think there is such a thing as a "typical" schedule. The different bases have different types of trips. Albany is mostly two days. Plattsburgh is mostly day trips. Cleveland runs anywhere from day trips, two days, three days, four days and stand-up overnights. Don't know much about the Rochester trips.

I think for FOs the bases are, from junior to senior, are PLB, ROC, ALB and CLE. For captains, just the opposite.

We had a few guys who upgraded in August at about 7 months, and I think those in the October class will have about 9 months.

Good luck with the interview!

 

[utahpilot]

I'm a new FO and my month is a mix of stand ups, 2 days and day trips (CLE). If you live in your base, it is not bad at all compared to the months that people spend on reserve at other regionals. One thing that is unique about us is that we bid from a pool of trips, not lines of flying. So, I fly with 10 different Captains this bid, instead of just one. I like the variety.

good luck

 

[skootertrash]

6:am wake up go to work

7 AM bash ALPA and talk about how smart you are for turning down the union that got you hired/upgraded in the first place.

8: am- 8PM work 14 legs and run out of vaseline

10m get reassigned to to a MX test flight under FAR P 91. Try to call the union to complain but realize that you do not have one.

1:am go to bed angry tired broke and hoping you girlfriend is not sleeping with an ALPA pilot.

 

[FSB99]

skootertrash: hilarious!

 

[skootertrash]

Wait I forgot about cashing the profit sharing chec............oh wait nevermind.

 

[GLSoar]

Heys hows the old Wiggy pilot Jenniferrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr doing? We miss her!

 

[Anti-Matter]

Just curious why you guys voted down ALPA. In this economy I think a lot of Commutair pilots will be there for the long haul. Was 1.95% really too much?

 

[NEDude]

Could have had something to do with all of the whining on this and other boards that ALPA does little to nothing for the small carriers.

Funny, it seems many of the same people who bash ALPA for ignoring the smaller airlines, are the same people who bash a small carrier like Commutair for not voting in ALPA. Sometimes you just can't win.

Bottom line is that ALPA failed to convince a majority of our pilots that there was much, if anything, they could do.

 

[skootertrash]

Doesn't matter. The only reason you were allowed to expand was due to the kindness of ALPA allowing CAL to LET you do it. Go call your union and complain


SCAB

 

[BeechSlapped]

Yet another unwarrented and incorrect use of the "S" word. So who's on strike? Which picket line did we cross?

Oh, are you disgruntled that we are taking "your" routes? Hopefully you've been in this business long enough to realize that there are no "your" routes or "our" routes. It's all Continental. We go where we are told, the same as you.

Now, I think the animosity you have towards CommutAir stems from a post that was put on Calforums claiming that the majority of Expressjet furloughees didn't vote ALPA. This is simply not correct and you really need to consider the source of this post, a very uninformed individual. You CommutAir pilots know who I am talking about.

As far as your other incorrect statement claiming that ALPA LET us come into CLE. You know darn well that CAL could have and would have done it anyway, with or without ALPA's blessing. Would ALPA have made a big stink and made the transition difficult for us? You bet. They do have some serious influence, but in the end Continental can do whatever they want without a scope clause stopping them. However, I will give credit to ALPA for arranging jobs for the furloughed pilots. That indeed WAS their doing.

I was on the ALPA organizing committee and I believe we did the best we could to try to give everyone all the information we could to make an informed decision. I have had great experiences with 99% of the CALEX pilots I've come across. It's just the senseless jabs and name calling that proves that there is a small percentage that simply has no clue about anything.

 

[NEDude]

Go call your union and complain

Complain about what? Did I hear anyone complaining?


The simple fact is ALPA did not "let" us into Cleveland. Nobody upgraded as a result of ALPA's "kindness". There was no prohibition against Commutair, or any other carrier, from flying 19 seat turboprops into a Continental Hub in any contract. The MOU was signed so if Continental wanted to expand operations further, there would be framework in place to do so. But there was no prohibition against us coming into CLE with the 12 Beech 1900s we started with, so ALPA did not "help" us expand.

In case you don't believe me, here is a segment of your own unions' information about the turboprop flying - Check out the statement in bold:

"CAL management recently announced its intention to use a carrier other than CALEX to fly small turboprops between the CLE hub and other cities. The most likely carrier to provide this feed is CommutAir. Nothing in the CAL or CALEX collective bargaining agreements prohibits this type of operation . The CAL and CALEX Negotiating Committees recommended, and on Dec. 2, 2002, the CAL ALPA MEC approved, a Memorandum of Agreement covering this operation because it provides jobs and benefits to CAL and CALEX pilots and gives the pilot groups the right to discuss and agree to any expansion of this operation in the future if pilots are still on furlough. Section 6 negotiations at CAL and XJT will include substantial additional discussion of these important scope issues."


So tell me again, how did ALPA help us expand? And how exactly are we scabs?

 

[skootertrash]

Yet another unwarrented and incorrect use of the "S" word. So who's on strike? Which picket line did we cross?

Pronunciation: 'skab
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Swedish skabbr scab; akin to Old English sceabb scab, Latin scabere to scratch -- more at SHAVE
Date: 13th century
1 : scabies of domestic animals
2 : a crust of hardened blood and serum over a wound
3 a : a contemptible person b (1) : a worker who refuses to join a labor union (2) : a union member who refuses to strike or returns to work before a strike has ended (3) : a worker who accepts employment or replaces a union worker during a strike (4) : one who works for less than union wages or on nonunion terms
4 : any of various bacterial or fungus diseases of plants characterized by crustaceous spots; also : one of the spots [

 

[acaTerry]

skootertrash,
Gimme a break, man. The definition you highlighted only applies to the situation where a union IS PRESENT AND ACTIVE ON PROPERTY. I suppose SKW is a bunch of scabs?
Perhaps you should look up the definition: "bigmouth"
...one who opens mouth when he should keep it closed.....

 

[NEDude]

Skootertrash

You have a lot of misdirected anger.

Your company, Expressjet, was offered the flying but turned it down because they wanted to be an "all jet fleet". Your Union failed to negotiate a scope clause to prevent it. You union also negotiated a flow through with mainline that included the flow back provision, so despite your incredible growth, you guys have pilots on the street.

It seems to me there are a lot of people you should be angry at before being angry at the Commutair pilots.

 

[skootertrash]

Well Actually............CAL went to ALPA and said if you LET us do this than blah blah blah. So if ALPA had said NO than you would not have expanded into the CLE market. So 1/2 of your captains would still be F/O's sweetin' it out fo da man.


Snot the CA guys that gets my goat. Its the Express people who voted against it. They got a free ride to CA AND health bennies paid for by their union peeps and then slap us in the face. Remember it only lost by 13 votes.

 

[CaptainCrunch]

8:am wake up for commute to work

9:am Catch mainline CAL flight to CLE. Sit in jumpseat and bash COEX and talk about how they have been f@!*ing mainline for years and they are finally getting to see what it's like to have someone picking up cities they used to serve and that it doesn't make sense for an RJ to fly to these cities anyway.

11:am- 5m work 4 legs and contemplate what your going to do with your wife when you get home tonight.

6m Catch mainline CAL flight home and resume bashing COEX with new mainline crew that feels the same as the morning crew who brought you to work.

8m Get home and log onto Calforums and look through threads of whining bitching COEX pilots who deny jumpseats because thay are unprofessional and have anger because the CommutAir pilots had the sense to understand that ALPA would not really benefit the CommutAir pilot group.

9m Go to bed with wife and thank god your not ALPA because you would probably be stuck in a crashpad in CLE sitting reserve.

 

[skootertrash]

Well since you can log into CAL FORUMS you must be a furloughed pilot. And since you have such a distaste for ALPA I bet you voted no.

Tell me how did you enjoy your medical bennefits that we paid for. Tell me, how do you enjoy the captains seat that you will be getting shortly while your "brothers" at coex still sit in the right seat? Those same brothers who helped afford you the opportunity to have a job.

You sir a worthless scum and I would rather fill my a/c with MESA pilots than the likes of you.

 

[Airpiraterob]

bottom line is this...

you get to wake up in the morning....and go fly airplanes and get PAID to do it. some chics even dig it too. compared to that, everything else is pure drivel.