ExpressJet Future

[citabriapilot]

I originally wanted to end up at Eagle, but with the recent chain of events, ExpressJet is looking more attractive to me. Just a few questions:

1) How does the outlook appear after the 3rd quarter earnings report...Eagle didn't fare too well.

2) How many planes and pilots are forecast (from what I can tell, looks like 30 more ERJ to be delivered)? I hope to be eligible for hire by April'05. How does the timing seem on that?

3) I have heard from the inside that Eagle doesn't disregard pilot's who have centerline thrust multi time, how bout COEX?

Everything I see right now makes this place look like a great company to work for. Any insight is appreciated.

 

[VABB]

It will be a great place to be if you enjoy volunteer work.

 

[Paul R. Smith]

Well, all conjecture until it actually happens,,,, but supposedly we are going to lose the rest of our flowbacks from Mainline, the 113 that were in the pool pre-IPO, and the 100 or so plus who wree given preferential interviews at CAL. So that means about 300 of our most senior pilots will leave in the next year so instant senioriy cushion for everyone. And on top of that we will probably add 100+ bodies in '05. Upgrade may still be 3-4 years still even after that. I gotta go eat dinner now...

 

[Prop Trash]

1) How does the outlook appear after the 3rd quarter earnings report...Eagle didn't fare too well.

ExpressJet earned $30.8 million this quarter. Keep in mind though, as long as Continental continues the Capacity Purchase Agreement, ExpressJet will never lose money. To answer your question, the outlook is very predictable until 2007, when the deal is renegotiated ExpressJet could lose it's exclusivity rights at Continental's hubs.

2) How many planes and pilots are forecast (from what I can tell, looks like 30 more ERJ to be delivered)? I hope to be eligible for hire by April'05. How does the timing seem on that?

274 aircraft will be the Continental Express fleet size when all firm orders are delivered. 240 aircraft are currently on property with 2,480 pilots on the seniority list. The pilot staffing formula is based on scheduled block hours, but it is safe to assume that about 10.3 pilots are needed for each aircraft in the fleet. If you do the math, that'll put the list to a little over 2,800 when deliveries are done. I'm sure ExpressJet will continue to hire and you shouldn't have a problem getting an interview in April of 2005.

3) I have heard from the inside that Eagle doesn't disregard pilot's who have centerline thrust multi time, how bout COEX?

I don't know the answer to this question.

Everything I see right now makes this place look like a great company to work for. Any insight is appreciated.

If you are hired in April of 2005, your upgrade time will be very unpredictable so be prepared to be a First Officer for seven plus years.

 

[Tooslow]

I was hired 6 months ago, I have moved up 240 slots on the list and now have 360 pilots behind me, this is the pace to be. I was on researve for 3 months.

 

[boxjockey]

That's weird man, I've only moved up 180 spots, and have been here for almost nine months. Must be PFM......


box

 

[Ben Franklin]

I've been here well over Six years and have only moved up about 500 numbers.


It's just crazy.


Sincerely,

B. Franklin

 

[FlyChicaga]

I was hired in early August, and now have about 100 pilots below me. It also appears I've moved up 80 numbers since then, if the Perm Bid was correct. Word is hiring may double, meaning things will move even faster.

 

[Paul R. Smith]

Ive been here for 4 years and I think I'm just now beginning to move up. I had an old seniority list from August 2001, when I was about 1400, now 3 years later I'm sitting at about 1400 once again. We were in the process of having a system bid in august 2001 where peopl at my seniority were going to hold captain, then 9-11 came and Ive been an FO ever since. Things are definitely moving fast the other way now though.

 

[Capt. JD]

Continental Express...?

Are the requirements still 600 TT / 100 Multi? What are pilots getting hired with? Hows the flying? Hows the quality of life, schedule wise...

 

[Vik]

600 TT / 100 ME / 20 actual

Apparently, you need a current flying job to work there.

I'll be applying with current time, but not a current flying job. We'll see what happens. I'm logging about 40-50hrs/month of multi PIC time. If their requirements are a flying job, and they'll take a guy logging less time than me, in a single, because he has a flying job, and not me b/c I don't, they're idiots.

I've heard both sides of the story though -- they just want current flight time, not a flying job .. and I've heard they want a flying job *and* current flying time.

Are the requirements still 600 TT / 100 Multi? What are pilots getting hired with? Hows the flying? Hows the quality of life, schedule wise...

 

[Nova]

274 aircraft will be the Continental Express fleet size when all firm orders are delivered. 240 aircraft are currently on property with 2,480 pilots on the seniority list. The pilot staffing formula is based on scheduled block hours, but it is safe to assume that about 10.3 pilots are needed for each aircraft in the fleet. If you do the math, that'll put the list to a little over 2,800 when deliveries are done. I'm sure ExpressJet will continue to hire and you shouldn't have a problem getting an interview in April of 2005.

Just to add to your info, we also have 100 ERJ-145XR options with Embraer beyond the original 274 jets. Not that it means we'll get them but it's a possibility.

The word towards the end of the summer was that we were to hire 700 pilots between then and the end of '05. With about 300 senior pilots leaving the top we'll end up with something similar to the numbers crunched by PropTrash.

The Continental recalls are being accelerated a bit which points to the 112 leaving sometime in the late Spring or early Summer. Any hiring we do after that will be growth unless we hear officially how those hired by CAL with the preferencial interview are going to be taken. If they go inline with the flowbacks and 112 then we'll see continued seniority movement through the summer. If they go in a ratio to off-the-street hires our seniority movement will slow come summertime.

I've been here 4.5 years and seen my seniority move up 170 numbers from my original hire seniority. That seniority though will hold jet captain in all 3 hubs thanks to our growth in that time. That seniority movement is a bit skewed still since we have CAL flowbacks on property. Our first new hires we had post-recall back in March have moved up about 150 numbers which gets them off reserve in EWR and IAH and within a few slots of a line in CLE.

 

[Britpilot]

Just to add to your info, we also have 100 ERJ-145XR options with Embraer beyond the original 274 jets. Not that it means we'll get them but it's a possibility.

Those options are for Embraer aircraft, not necessarily EMB 145XR's

 

[Nova]

Those options are for Embraer aircraft, not necessarily EMB 145XR's

Correct. Offically the options are listed as 145XR's but can be converted to other Embraer aircraft. <cough>190's<cough>

http://www.expressjet.com/fleet.asp

 

[LJDRVR]

...they'll take a guy logging less time than me, in a single, because he has a flying job, and not me b/c I don't, they're idiots.

Make sure you bring that attitude to the interview. Oh, wait, nevermind.

To those of you considering Express Jet, here are my observations. My perspective is a bit unusual, as I'm a new-hire probationary F.O., but with a lot of turbine PIC, which puts me in a small demographic. Before you consider XJT, first ask yourself what your long-term career goals are. With the small jet provider portion of the industry still defining itself while the legacies begin to attrite, there is a fair amount of risk in joining up before the dust settles. My opinion though, is that our operation, out of all the regionals, is the best career position. (If there is such a thing in aviation.)

There are paths you can take that will earn you more money. (initially) Those same career choices may also put you in the left seat of a jet faster. What kind of culture do want to be associated with? At Express Jet, you'll fly extraordinarily well maintained A/C, in an excellent safety culture. You'll have some control over your life that the pager-wearing folks will never enjoy. You'll be much less likely to encounter micro-managers, screamers, sociopaths, losers, criminals, and rogue CEO's in the 121 environment.

As far as quality of life issues, here goes: I've been on the line since the middle of June and held IAH right out of IOE. Most folks now tend to do EWR for 2-3 months. I spent 14 weeks on reserve before I got a relief line. (72 hours with 14 days off) The flying has been fun, the folks are great, and the Embraer is a nice, stable, comfortable, easy to fly jet. (It's a pig performance wise, but you won't notice.) The Chief Pilots and crew schedualing have treated me great, and I have yet to fly with a "dud". Quite honestly, the only drawback is the paperboy-like wages that I earn. However, the short-term pain is something I'm willing to tolerate, for better benefits and ultimately over the rest of my career, better earnings than what I would have made if I had remained in the 135 arena.

Are there better paying flying jobs out there? Of course. Are there better jobs as far as having fun and quality of life? Depends on your perspective. If you LOVE to fly, then 121 in general and Express Jet specifically is the place to be.