Fine Air

[greasy8driver]

I worked for the Big A for three years. One of which was after the fine air buyout. Arrow was a fun place to work (for a young single guy) alot of BS but a good group of pilots. When I left I was at 66/hr. and 1.80/hr per diem. After Fine bought Arrow it went down hill fast (Frank and Barry are dirt bags) and into bankrupcy. I guess Frank and Barry were escorted off the property and there is a new owner and they are currently out of bankrupcy. As the earlier post stated they always beef up for the holiday season and furlough around feb. march, I bypassed that luckily. If you don't mind long duty days and some BS go do it. Its not a career job but you will get great international heavy jet experience. I got to fly through just about every continent in 3yrs.

Good Luck,

 

[buckdanny]

Sounds like a nice company as a starting job to build time and experience, but what kind of minimums are they looking at? Flying DC8s, they must have some pretty high mins, wouldn't pilots that meet them want to go fly for a better airline like fedex?

Buckdanny

 

[mrvmo]

You mean formerly Fine and now Arrow right? I thought that's what you meant. You had me worrying for a second.

 

[Snakum]

"Flying DC8s, they must have some pretty high mins"

Possibly, they do now. But, the guy I mentioned previously moved from FE to FO at 1200 TT. And one of the hang-arounds at the airport I used to haunt (a retired USAir Captain) also knew someone at Arrow who was right seat on the DC-8 at "around 1000 hours".

That said however, this was happening during the time COEX hired a CFI friend of mine at 650/200. From 1998 to early 2001 when everyone was hiring I imagine operators like Fine/Arrow, ATI, Tradewinds, etc. lowered their mins considerably.

I can just imagine their thinking ... "Who wants to fly an old, ratty, smoking DC-8 to stinkholes all over South America when Eagle and Coex can put 'em in a spiffy new ERJ? We'd better lower our mins to fill some seats!".

Now, with so many experienced pilots out looking for work ... their mins are probably in line with Polar and Atlas. Now, the answer to the "Who wants to fly an old DC-8 ..." question is "About a thousand guys in a ten-mile radius!".

Best of luck with 'em. If you do get in, how about filling us in on what it's like? We hear alot about regional and corporate lifestyles but rarely anything on the second-tier freighters.

Minh "Praying for a flight this month." Thong

 

[buckdanny]

I never really about this company until this thread came in.. I wish I could apply with them, but unfortunatly with the situation today I can say that I only have 1200 hours.. Now you friend who upgraded with 1200 was an FE before, so he knew the airplane inside out. I wish I could have a shot at flying a 4 engine jet, even if it's old and smoky at least just for the experience. Right now I'm more looking at ameriflight. Don't worry, I will fill in with info about anything that works out for me.

Buckdanny

 

[Publishers]

old ratty DC8

that really hurt to someone who thought that the DC8 was one of the all time great jets.

Frankly, this kind of flying is one hell of an opportunity for some. Interesting flying to interesting places where you meet interesting people. There is a lot of cool flying in places that are not like America.

 

[greasy8driver]

I agree with the above post that old smokey worn out dc-8 is a classic mans jet. Not many people can say they have flown a four engine heavy to every country in south & central america, Japan, Diego Garcia, Russia, middle east, all over africa and other various locations. It beats flying eagle and coex and other regional flying to places like IAH, ATL, all day long. I will admit quality of life for a family man is much better at a regional but for a single guy the type of flying at Arrow is great experience.

My 2 cents,

 

[buckdanny]

Greasy driver

I'm married and still would take that DC8 job!!! But, I think we might need more hours still.....arrgh

 

[ultrarunner]

looking for a Fine Air contact

Anyone know of a Steve McDougal at Fine Air? If so, send me a PM.

thanks.

 

[DarnNearaJet]

Had a friend who worked at Fine back in the mid-90's. He paid $8000 to go to their in house FE school on the slim chance that they might hire him. (Only about half his class was offered a job, and half of them were furloughed after Christmas.)

Not much of a union, upgrade based on ass-kissing rather than seniority. Furlough based on seniority in your seat (thus upgrading took on a risk of furlough when times were hard!)

He left for Rich a year or two later. Now (6 airlines later) he's at Spirirt.

Don't think for a minute that all that "glamorous" international flying impresses the majors. My friend has had several interviews with no luck. His problem: plenty of right seat heavy time (DC-8's, 747's) but zero PIC. Someone from American actually told him they would rather see left seat time in a J-32 than right seat time in a 747.