Empire

[flyingid]

Any Empire guys out there that can give me some info on pay schedules qol and interview. I have a phone interview this week for a fo position. Thanks

 

[Lionofzion]

Not a good time to be there. QOL is good for a few, poor for others. The training contract is not worth what you get and you will have no control over your life. If Skywest/Ameriflight weren't hiring they, maybe. Most of the pilots I knew there were looking to go else where and many have and are leaving.

 

[dillfer]

As far as pay you can look that up on www.airlinepilotcentral.info I don't know what zion is talking about. QOL is pretty fair for most of the bases, unfortunatly you probably wont get the base you bid when you first get hired. They'll put you where they need you. As far as the pilots looking to go elsewhere, I don't think that many people come to Empire trying to make a career out of it. It's a stepping stone.

Pay could be better. QOL is good as well ast the Maintenance. And job security is of course excellent. You accrue between 2 to 4 weeks vacation a year. Pretty decent. Upgrade time right now is between 1 and 3 years. I can't believe that somebody would go to ameriflight over Empire, but to each there own.

Hope this helps.

 

[blingair]

If you're looking for a stepping stone, I would consider EA and AF pretty much the same except at AF you know what you're getting into and you will get your time faster. I'm not sure, but I don't think AF has contracts or if they do, there not as aggresive as EA's.

I do think that both Lionofzion and Dillfer have valid points and if you mix the two threads together you have EA in a nutshell.

P.S.- I believe we are hiring mainly for ANC (ATR, M-F morning back afternoon, around 2.0 hours daily, good crew, expensive and islotated city) and AFW (F-27, M-Sat. morning, hot reserve show late night and close out early morning, so you could or couldn't fly, it's in BFE Texas).

 

[tsky]

The time that it takes to upgrade will depend heavily on how much time you have when you come onboard. I believe that they require 3000hrs to upgrade-on a lot of our runs the pilots only fly 30hrs/month. At most you could expect to fly 60-80hrs a month out of certain bases like SEA, CWA or MAF.

I know of a couple of guys who have been or are discouraged because they came on board with only about 1200hrs and they only fly 30-40hrs/month and so it will be some time before they are able to upgrade. On the flip side, we have had people with fairly high time upgrade in less than a year.

 

[Lionofzion]

Just talked to my friend who is still at EMPIRE and he said that their days off have basically been taken away and that your f/o and upgrade/captain contracts run one after another. So if you upgrade you will be forced to work there for years. Way glad I fly for a real airline now without all the bull.

 

[Major Tom]

Regarding Empire's contract: 18 months, $13,500 (F27--not sure about ATR, but close). My repayment was $750 per month (sounds fair.....????). If you don't keep up, they WILL send you to collections.
What they don't tell you:
1) FedEx pays for the training, but contract is with Empire. You pay Empire back, and they're supposed to pay FedEx. I only have verbal confirmation that this really happens. 2) 12% INTEREST. That's right, I must have unknowingly signed up for an Empire credit card!
I'm still looking for a way out, but it looks like I'll pay. Your hard times don't matter, you're a weathly pilot, after all. Belinda is a real cheerleader, but I think her sunny disposition is just so you don't feel the knife until it tickles your spine. She could care less.
Anyone in my same position, if you want to contact FedEx and ask them why in the hell THEY haven't come looking for their money and why Empire has,
Barbara Dettelbach, 205-824-9494

Yeah, I signed the dang thing, but that contract smells fishier than Blingair's fingers when he walks out of the bathroom.

P.S. Good luck finding something to do with that F27 type rating. Thanks, Empire!

 

[Major Tom]

Regarding Empire's contract: 18 months, $13,500 (F27--not sure about ATR, but close). My repayment was $750 per month (sounds fair.....????). If you don't keep up, they WILL send you to collections.

What they don't tell you:

1) FedEx pays for the training, but contract is with Empire. You pay Empire back, and they're supposed to pay FedEx. I only have verbal confirmation that this really happens. 2) 12% INTEREST. That's right, I must have unknowingly signed up for an Empire credit card!

I'm still looking for a way out, but it looks like I'll pay. Your hard times don't matter, you're a weathly pilot, after all. Belinda is a real cheerleader, but I think her sunny disposition is just so you don't feel the knife until it tickles your spine. She could care less.

Anyone in my same position, if you want to contact FedEx and ask them why in the hell THEY haven't come looking for their money and why Empire has,
Barbara Dettelbach, 205-824-9494

Yeah, I signed the dang thing, but that contract smells fishier than Blingair's fingers when he walks out of the bathroom.

P.S. Good luck finding something to do with that F27 type rating. Thanks, Empire!

 

[DogBoy]

While Empire hasn't always made the best choices regarding training contracts and a few other issues,( I really don't agree with how training contracts are being enforced)-I think that they are getting a bad rap on this post-especially from Lion of Zion. I don't really know why you are so bitter. I personally don't see how anyone could compare Empire with Ameriflight.

Empire is what it is. For some people it has worked out to be a fairly good deal, and for others it has not. As far as training contracts go-don't accept a job offer unless you are planning on spending your time there or paying it out if you leave early. Nobody is holding a gun to your head saying that you have to work here and sign the training contract.

For me-Empire has been a pretty sweet gig-sure, I would have gone to Skywest of QX if they had hired me first, but I got a faily quick upgrade into the ATR. I don't plan on staying here forever, they pay is a little below industry standard. It's a stepping stone job for most people.

Before you go there, be sure to research the training contracts both for initial and upgrade. If you have low time it will probably be a long time to upgrade, if you have high time and are not picky about a domicile, then you could potentially upgrade fairly quickly. Also some of our guys have recently been getting on with good companies such as Alaska Airlines-121 Multi-engine turbo-prop PIC time is still valualble.

If you go to Empire, just do your research on the pay scale, training contracts and days off. Sure, it would be nice to get more money, but I don't really think that some of they guys who are whining have much to complain about when they saw the payscale when they got hired. In reality, you are not really guarenteed anything much more that weekends off. Just know what you are getting into and you will not be dissapointed. Empire is really NOT a bad place to work if you keep everything in perspective.

 

[tsky]

P.S. Good luck finding something to do with that F27 type rating. Thanks, Empire!

The F-27 is a fine airplane. Sure, it was noisy and slow, but the ol girl never let me down. Unfortunatly, I never had the opportunity to fly the F from the left seat. I would love to have an F-27 type rating on my certificate.

 

[blingair]

While Empire hasn't always made the best choices regarding training contracts and a few other issues,( I really don't agree with how training contracts are being enforced)-I think that they are getting a bad rap on this post-especially from Lion of Zion. I don't really know why you are so bitter. I personally don't see how anyone could compare Empire with Ameriflight.

Empire is what it is. For some people it has worked out to be a fairly good deal, and for others it has not. As far as training contracts go-don't accept a job offer unless you are planning on spending your time there or paying it out if you leave early. Nobody is holding a gun to your head saying that you have to work here and sign the training contract.

For me-Empire has been a pretty sweet gig-sure, I would have gone to Skywest of QX if they had hired me first, but I got a faily quick upgrade into the ATR. I don't plan on staying here forever, they pay is a little below industry standard. It's a stepping stone job for most people.

Before you go there, be sure to research the training contracts both for initial and upgrade. If you have low time it will probably be a long time to upgrade, if you have high time and are not picky about a domicile, then you could potentially upgrade fairly quickly. Also some of our guys have recently been getting on with good companies such as Alaska Airlines-121 Multi-engine turbo-prop PIC time is still valualble.

If you go to Empire, just do your research on the pay scale, training contracts and days off. Sure, it would be nice to get more money, but I don't really think that some of they guys who are whining have much to complain about when they saw the payscale when they got hired. In reality, you are not really guarenteed anything much more that weekends off. Just know what you are getting into and you will not be dissapointed. Empire is really NOT a bad place to work if you keep everything in perspective.

It's impossible to "know what you are getting into" unless you ask people who work there and that's what this guy has done. I think the pilots who have left have a very legitimate reason for being pissed. Yes, everyone knows the old cliche that no one held a gun to your head but they also expected Empire to hold up their end of the bargin; in no place on that contract does it mention a collection agency or charging 12% interest. Maybe you've forgot the threats imposed by the company on good pilots over the companies up-grade contracts over the last year and a half? It does no one any good to "rosy" up the Empire image and have them get hired, hate it here and can't leave. Call a spade a spade...Empire used to be an awesome company and I do think it's possible for them to be one again but not over night. In the past I have recomended several friends to work here, they now have a financial nightmare on their hands and I'm completely embarresed.

As I've stated before if you take most of the posts and mix them together that it's Empire in a nutshell. I think that loinofzion is not all that off the mark. And I'm pretty sure if you re-read his post about Ameriflight he's saying if you are using the two for a stepping stone that you will upgrade sooner, get your time sooner and move on with TPIC sooner and that you'll at least know what you are getting with Ameriflight plus no twisted contracts.

 

[Major Tom]

The F-27 is a fine airplane. Sure, it was noisy and slow, but the ol girl never let me down. Unfortunatly, I never had the opportunity to fly the F from the left seat. I would love to have an F-27 type rating on my certificate.

Whoa, I freakin loved the F. My point is, they treat it like I owe them for what they've given me. When you subtract what I'm paying back from the money I made, signing that contract was one of the dumber things I've done (in a finiancial sense only). Depends what you're willing to go through to say you got to do something.

 

[Flybet3]

How often do they hire into DFW bases?

 

[tsky]

They are probably looking for some people right now to fly the F-27 out of AFW.

 

[blingair]

One street F-27 PIC, Ict-Afw-Ict. M-F morning (4 trips a week) Show around 10:00 pm local, fly to Afw. Leave Afw around 3:30 am back to Ict with total flight time of 2.8-3.0 a night. Starting pay is around 40K, o.k. medical, 401K after 6 months. You will sign a unbreakable, narly training contract for 18 months or $13,000 which ever comes first. O.k. company with excellent pilot group. This position is best for someone who is from the Wichita area and not looking to move on for a while. PM for more info.