Furloughees in 135

[Freight Dog]

How does your company feel about hiring furloughed regional/major airline pilots? I heard that Ameriflight does if the pilot is willing to resign. Any truth? How about others like Flight Express, Ram Air Freight, Flight Express, etc.?

 

[Rick1128]

We have hired them in the past and will likely hire some in the future. We do not require them to resign their seniority number, mostly because of past experience where furloughed pilots had 'resigned' when they had not really done so. We tend to look at the whole person and where they sit on the furlough list. We had had a couple who left after being recalled with no notice. And that tends to hurt the chances of other furloughees in the future.

 

[Deftone45075]

Every Captain I've flown with in the year and a half I've been at my company has been a furloughed guy. There were a lot of guys on the street with the 31/32 type.

 

[mobs]

Not furloughed but retiring and was offered a 135 job on the condition I would pay for recurrent on the LR 31 and work for $35,000 as pic. No Way. None of us(esp retiring pilots)should work for slave pay. By the way my retirement was cut by 70% is the reason I am looking for work. Mobs

 

[Rick1128]

My current employer and my previous employer have hired retired airline pilots. And they both have been pleased with the results. The biggest problem I have had with them is that some had forgotten how to operate without a dispatcher.

Mobs, I agree with you that NO ONE should accept or work for slave wages. Add paying for recurrent yourself, I wouldn't work for that operator either.

 

[Deftone45075]

Although the furloughed guys see it differently, in a way I'm glad to see airline guys around the 135 world. Because of it I have been able to fly with a lot of them, and I've learned more in the last year and a half working with these guys than I have ever before, both about flying, and the industry in general. Although they're obvioussly not happy about their furlough and being back in a Jetstream, the ones i've had the pleasure of flying with have kept great attitudes overall. It would be great to see them get back to where they were and I wish the best of luck to all.

 

[Deftone45075]

Someone's bitter about something.

...their guys went back to the first airline gig they could get their hands on.

I don't blame them.

 

[Freight Dog]

Boy you sound like a real winner underdog. Makes one wonder what kind of skeletons you got in your closet.

Judging by your types of airplanes, you fly bizjets. If you have a job opening and you offer an attractive package to a pilot (career-type package), you wouldn't worry about your investment going down the drain, would you? I wouldn't.

Treat pilots like whores, and you seem like you do, carry a chip on your shoulder, and you seem like you do, you can bet any sane pilot will jump ship the first chance he/she gets. Funny how some employers never look at it that way.

 

[jamhamms]

so, why would a resume indicating a Flight Engineer rating be disqualified?

 

[Rick1128]

Underdog, Where do I sign up? Is your neighbor still looking?

I do understand Underdog's point. We have hired furloughees before and they have left us hanging. But in our part of the industry that is not uncommon.

As for the FE, I believe you really need to look at the whole picture. A 45 year old pilot with some freight airline experience 15 years ago as an FE, then nothing but 135 and corporate would be a good candidate.