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Getting on at ASA, likely, and what's their story?

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PositionandHold

Truthiness
Joined
May 17, 2006
Posts
335
Anyone know what the situation is for pilots at ASA right now? The ATL base is what attracts me right now because of the several non-stop trips to my home airport per day on DL. ExpressJet is my other option, but I'm open to ASA.

I don't know much about the company, but if someone who knows about it or works there could give me some insight, it'd help me out. I've done some searching, but all I really know is that there are some problems there with the contract.

For a guy with 620/50 (to 60) ME, and about 25 hours of Turbine time, anyone know what my chances would be of getting an interview at ASA? If I wait another couple of weeks, I could have my TT up to 650 pretty easily, and my ME to maybe 60 or 70.
 
PositionandHold said:
Anyone know what the situation is for pilots at ASA right now?
Click to expand...

I really, really hate to be a smartass...but read through a couple pages on the Regionals board and you'll get a good idea about what the situation is at ASA.

I'm just waiting for the "July Lines at ASA are the worst EVAR!" thread to start...
 
Your chances are pretty good - ASA is recruiting hard right now. Delta is hiring many ASA pilots from the left and right seats so attrition will pull you up the FO ranks fairly quickly and you can get off reserve.

With any airline you take risks that the time you invest in seniority will not pay off. The risks at ASA are higher than SkyWest, where you could bid ATL and hold CRJ900 Captain in as little as two years (if you meet the other mins). SkyWest offers preferential hiring to ASA pilots, so you could go over with loss of your longevity if you wanted.

ASA's scheduling is much friendlier than it has been in the past. Many four day trips would be available which might make for an easy commute. (For the senior guys it is much worse, but for the junior guys it is better)

If you are thinking "career" stay away. This once had a good shot at being a career airline, but our new owners have taken us in a different direction. But for a time builder, it is a better job than some others out there.

If in your shoes I would try:
Chautauqua / Republic Airlines holdings
SkyWest
Express Jet
--- then only if those choices are not available the following in order of growth / hiring projections which I don't have in front of me.

Pinnacle / Mesaba
Eagle
ASA
Mesa
 
Have you applied to Skywest? The new ATL base went junior. You'll probably upgrade faster in ATL at skywest than at ASA. It's not fair, but it is the reality.

Scott
 
PositionandHold said:
Anyone know what the situation is for pilots at ASA right now? The ATL base is what attracts me right now because of the several non-stop trips to my home airport per day on DL. ExpressJet is my other option, but I'm open to ASA.

I don't know much about the company, but if someone who knows about it or works there could give me some insight, it'd help me out. I've done some searching, but all I really know is that there are some problems there with the contract.

For a guy with 620/50 (to 60) ME, and about 25 hours of Turbine time, anyone know what my chances would be of getting an interview at ASA? If I wait another couple of weeks, I could have my TT up to 650 pretty easily, and my ME to maybe 60 or 70.
Click to expand...

If you can fog a mirror, you can get a job offer these days. I'm guessing it would take a day to get a call back if you faxed in your resume.
 
Don't let these guys scare you. ASA is still a good company to work for even with the 4+ year controversy. The contract should be done before the end of year which would be good for you as a new hire as you would be able to take the benefits of it and reserve will be short. Also the upgrade times have been dropping and will continue to do so. If anything, I can see the ASA name going away as SKW Inc. tries to clean up ASA's brand image ala ValueJet to Airtran.
 
~~~^~~~ said:
Your chances are pretty good - ASA is recruiting hard right now. Delta is hiring many ASA pilots from the left and right seats so attrition will pull you up the FO ranks fairly quickly and you can get off reserve.
Click to expand...

Really? I thought Delta had a strict PIC req. So how are FO's being hired with only SIC time?
 
sstearns2 said:
Have you applied to Skywest? The new ATL base went junior. You'll probably upgrade faster in ATL at skywest than at ASA. It's not fair, but it is the reality.

Scott
Click to expand...

I live in the LA area, and Skywest requires 1000/100. I could try for XJT, but I don't meet the ME mins either. I'm thinking ATL would be a good change of scenery, have fam there, and there are a few non-stops to SNA from ATL per day should I feel like coming home often.

We'll have to see, though. ASA has lower mins. ME time is really hard to come by. I'm going to be renting a twin this weekend, getting checked out, and then spending all my CFI-earned cash on twin-time.
 
Do a little digging on Pinnacle. There are a lot of mixed feelings on the board about QOL, etc.

I haven't heard where the 17 900s for Delta are going to be based, but I presume ATL is a good guess.
 
Pinnacle's OK. I wouldn't mind going, and I applied . However, they "encouraged" more time, and "encouraged" some programs like "JetU" and some other "jet transition courses".. I have been getting jet experience, and can do a fair job at programming an FMS, starting the engines, how to figure power settings (no FADEC), the normal operations, etc. In the real airplane, at that. I'm not going to spend 30K on some course that will teach me the same thing in a Sim. So if that is what Pinnacle requires right now, I'm not going any time soon.

I'm going to get checked out in the twin this weekend and work on my ME time, maybe I'll rake in about 30 hours next week just flying continuously in it. Will cost a good 5K, but oh well. Or I could do AriBen and get my 100 hours, which will total to about 150ME. Would do that real quick just flying continously, as well. We'll have to see.

But ASA doesn't require 100ME, so they're looking like a good option. If I go to AriBen, I can qualify for XJT, which seems like a good place to work right now, AND I can get an ONT base.

A lot of options right now.
 
I would not come to ASA at this time. Right now we are looking at two very bad scenarios which other regionals are not facing:

1. We will get released and go on strike. You will get no strike benefits as a new-hire.

2. We will get parked by the mediator and see our planes slowly get transfered to Skywest. Our pilot group will actually shrink and you will be furloughed.

Not to mention the fact that our reserve system is horrible (it's all two hour callouts), the company is very anti-commuter, schedules have become uncommutable four days on then 3 days off for 85% of the lineholders, and the whipsaw going on between us and Skywest has made it a very not-fun-anymore place to work.

My advice is go to skywest and enjoy the benefits which will come at our expense. Hopefully you won't be forced to scab out when we strike, but who knows. Even we flew Comair planes during their strike and there wasn't much we could do about it.

Happy times!!!
 
Back in 97 (or 98), UA was hiring tons of guys with no PIC time. A good friend of mine over there, been there 10 years, no PIC time, and neither did anyone in his class who worked for a regional (not counting the military guys).
 

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