Welcome to Flightinfo.com

  • Register now and join the discussion
  • Friendliest aviation Ccmmunity on the web
  • Modern site for PC's, Phones, Tablets - no 3rd party apps required
  • Ask questions, help others, promote aviation
  • Share the passion for aviation
  • Invite everyone to Flightinfo.com and let's have fun

FO Check Airman

Welcome to Flightinfo.com

  • Register now and join the discussion
  • Modern secure site, no 3rd party apps required
  • Invite your friends
  • Share the passion of aviation
  • Friendliest aviation community on the web
Register   Log in
J

JediNein

No One Special at all
Joined
Apr 28, 2002
Posts
1,256
What are the requirements for becoming a check airman at the current 'big four' (Xjet, Eagle, Skywest, AWAC)? How about moving into the training department, training captain, line instructor, sim instructor, etc.?

Can an FO be a check airman? I know of one that was at TSA, he was previous part 121 check airman, current DPE & 135 DO.

Thanks!
 
FOs at AWAC can become CPT instructors and in the past have been simulator instructors, but I'm not sure the latter is the case any more as training slowed down last fall and has yet to really ramp back up. As an FO you can become a ground instructor in ATW or CLT, but I believe the company wants all potential LCAs to have at least one year as a captain on the airplane.

I do know that XJT has better compensation (via an hourly override) for folks in the training department than at AWAC.
 
At SkyWest FO's can do FTD and ground school. Other than that you have to be a captain. (They will hire off the street ground instructors)
 
It's been known to happen at Mesa. If you get in with the training department, you can jump the seniority list and get a captain training spot with captain pay even if you can only be an fo on the line.

But don't hold your breath . . . it's very much a "who you know" kinda thing.
 
Eagle is pretty much a buddy system to get in at GSW.
 
At ExpressJet, there're several levels of instructors. First officers are free to apply for ground instructor positions which includes teaching in a classroom, Cockpit Procedures Trainers, and Flight Training Devices (fixed base sim). Then there are flight instructors otherwise know as sim instructors. They are all captains. After that, you have off-line and on-line check airmen, all captains as well. Off line check airmen are flight instructors who can give PCs and some are qualified as examiners. On-line check airmen are all IOE instructors and can give recurrent line checks - some are qualified to replace the FAA when observing new captains.
 
ArcherII said:
XJT has 6 mo. FOs in the training dept.
Click to expand...


Those are only Ground school, FTD, and CRM instructors. No Sim or Line instructors are FO. They have to have 1000 PIC Turbine to even apply to be on or off line instructors.

The reason why there are so many FO's that teach ground school and FTD's is pay. If you are a "Ground School Instructor" and also teach FTD's, you are paid FO rates. Even if the instructor is a CA, they get yearly FO rate. Once the FO upgrades to CA, they leave the department because there is no reason to stay. Hence 6 months FO teach ground school, because no CA will. CRM is different. That is why we see a mix of FO's and CA's teach CRM. They are paid their respective seat. More incentive to stay in CRM because pay is better when you upgrade.

To answer the original posters question, NO. There are not any, nor will there be any, FO check airmen at XJT.
 
JediNein said:
...at the current 'big four' (Xjet, Eagle, Skywest, AWAC)?
Click to expand...

Wow, that's a pretty random "big four". What exactly are the criteria for joining your "big" list? Can it only be four, or if another airline becomes eligible will it be the "big five"? What if one of the "bigs" become smaller? Holy cow, have you opened a can of worms!
 
DrewBlows said:
Wow, that's a pretty random "big four". What exactly are the criteria for joining your "big" list? Can it only be four, or if another airline becomes eligible will it be the "big five"? What if one of the "bigs" become smaller? Holy cow, have you opened a can of worms!
Click to expand...
I was thinking the same thing.
 
EMB170Pilot said:
I guess his big 4 has to do with RJs because we all know the Embraer 170 is a mainline airplane compared to all the other barbie jets out there;) :D
Click to expand...

We fell for this scam hook line and sinker.

Actually, it is a mainline airplane and should be flown by the mainlines; as are and should be (respectively) the 70 and 90 seat Canadair Challengers. Paint the word "Express" on the side of a big airplane and "Presto!" Full sized airplane at minor league airlines.

Also, if you read what EMB170pilot wrote more carefully than he wrote it he makes that exact statement not once, but twice.
 
EMB170Pilot said:
I guess his big 4 has to do with RJs because we all know the Embraer 170 is a mainline airplane compared to all the other barbie jets out there;) :D
Click to expand...
Still makes no sense to me. AWAC only flys CRJ200's, and quite frankly not very many of them at that (relatively speaking to some other operators). Eagle: I get it.
Skywest: I get it.
XJet: I get it.
AWAC: ????
Again, what is the criteria? We're all on pins and needles!

As for the comment about, "who cares about their rank if they can do the job?" That is accurate assuming that person has been in the left seat somewhere else before. Sorry to rain on the 'know-all FO' parade, but there's just some stuff that you must experience in order to properly teach. Sorry, that's just the way it is and there's no way to buy/suck your way around it.

-Blucher
 
Blucher said:
Still makes no sense to me. AWAC only flys CRJ200's, and quite frankly not very many of them at that (relatively speaking to some other operators). Eagle: I get it.
Skywest: I get it.
XJet: I get it.
AWAC: ????
Again, what is the criteria?
Click to expand...

Well if you are going by aircraft size, then yes, awac is out (along with xjet for that matter). It does seem that is what many on here base airline quality on. As far as getting it, that all depends on what you are looking for, here's how I see it:

Eagle: Mainline flowbacks with long upgrade. Things are supposedly starting to finally move, but still a long road.
Skywest: Crappy first year pay with questionable large RJ rates all without a union. Hasn't bit you yet, but hey, the upgrade is fast!
XJet: Good company for pay and contract, but the self-branded gig is still new and unproven. I hear it's doing well, but still early in the game.
AWAC: Good pay/contract, a stable contract (for a while at least) with airways, and a privately backed company with the resources to expand when they choose.

Every company has their good and bad, awac included, but the big four for me is going to be different than everyone else. Upgrade and size of equipment is not always the most important factor in someones decision.
 
G2T,

Well now, that's completely different. That's saying "my big four," now we have context. By saying "the big four," most people immediately think of numbers of pilots and aircraft or perhaps highest profits. Not sure which, that's why I was looking for a clarification. I was confused because although AWAC could well be a fantastic company, it still has only around 70 a/c and approx 800 pilots. In fact, of the companies he/she listed, it is the only one that is not even on the 'major' section of airlinepilotcentral, it's in the 'regional' section. It's similar to me saying I hope one day to work for one of the 4 big legacy carriers (Delta, American, United, Skybus).

-Blucher
 
Well your right, if we start putting some qualifiers first such as big 4 based on employees, or revenue. If that's the case, Mesa and Republic should be in the mix as well. I'm just saying size and revenue doesn't always equal profitability, and aircraft size doesn't always mean the best company. Everyone's paradise looks a little different, and I don't think most of them look like the regionals anyway. Anyway, sorry, back to the check airmen...
 

Share this page

Latest posts

Latest resources

Latest media

Carbon Cub FX-3 Shenandoah Valley
Carbon Cub at Kittyhawk
FX-3 in the backcountry
IFR Panel in a Carbon Cub FX-3
Cub-Provo-UT-c.jpg
Back
Top Bottom