Great Lakes Question

[northernflyer]

Just wondering what times great lakes is actually hiring people with. And if they pay for your flight to the interview, and if you get paid during training and if they pay for your hotel room. Any suggestions on things that help to get an interview with them would be great.

Thanks

 

[flyhard]

Although it has been a while since I was Laker, let me see if I can recall.


1. Yes they will standby pass you to the interview.

2. Yes they will pay you in training if you turn tricks in your hotel room that you share with a "training buddy".

3. Of course GLA pays for the hotel room, for you and your training buddy.

To get the interview, well just be persistent. I would check to see what the upgrade time is going. It is not the kind of place you will want to be for more than a couple of years. I spent almost three years there and thought it was about a year too long. Good luck and remember once a laker always a laker.

 

[T-prop]

They will hire pilots with 500 hrs on up. When the current chief pilot was a new hire he had 290 hrs so, don't be afraid to put your resume as soon as you pass your comm. multi. checkride. If you have lotsa actual instrument 15-20hrs+ most likely you'll get the interview as long as you have your ratings.

Upgrade is about a year. Sometimes they will upgrade you as soon as you get your 1500hrs.

 

[Guitar Guy]

Pretty much what the others have posted. As for travel to the interview, they only offered pass travel on Great Lakes (ZK). They did not offer travel on their partner airline, which was United at that time.

During training, you split a room with another new-hire. Unless the policy has changed, you don't get paid until you pass your checkride. That can take 5-6 weeks (pretty much a minimum) to 2 months or more, depending on schedules, sim slots, etc.

The training is pretty intense - a lot of material is laid on you in a short amount of time. As for what to study, have your FAR/AIM knowledge down pat. In the sim, make sure your basic instrument skills are there and be darn sure you understand how to actually use an RMI. (It's not enough to understand "how" it works.) You'll spend a good amount of time memorizing profiles, emergency procedures and limitations, too.

If you can make it through training (and I do wish you the best), you'll get a lot of experience that many other pilots at your experience level won't ever get. You'll fly high density altitude airports, mountains, Class B (DEN and PHX) and Class E airports, and you'll have to learn how to hand-fly very well because there are no autopilots in the 1900D's. That, and maybe 40% of the planes have a flight director on the F/O's side. But you will fly with a small, tight-knit group of people and the Chief Pilot is a stand-up guy.

 

[northernflyer]

Also wondering if anyone knew how many people they plan on hiring. And where the new hires get trained at?

 

[Guitar Guy]

Also wondering if anyone knew how many people they plan on hiring. And where the new hires get trained at?

Don't know about hiring plans. Indoc training is done at company headquarters in CYS. Sims for the 1900D are in either Greeley, CO or near APA in the Denver area. Can't remember where the EMB-120 folks went, though I think a few went to California or ATL for the sim portion.

By the way, the best way to get on with Lakes is to get a letter of rec from a current line pilot for them. Check out their website.

 

[northernflyer]

don't know any pilots there so getting a rec isn't possible.

 

[Whiskerbizkit]

why dont you set you sites a little higher than Lakes....maybe GulfStream!!! LOL

 

[flying4food]

why dont you set you sites a little higher than Lakes....maybe GulfStream!!! LOL

I think anything would be higher than Lakes!!! I hear they don't have a training dept, only a check ride Dept. Had a friend that left there about two years ago, said capt upgrade ground school was only 3 1/2 days long, wow, really going all out there!! Also heard their training dept was shut down by the FED's for a few days!! I think there are much better choices than that place!!

 

[tattoo13]

Well first of all I wont defend lakes in anyway, however flying4food should get his/her facts straight straight...I heard this I heard that...you dont know unless you work here dumb a$$...


Anyway I have been here for over 2 years and it sucks...management is made up of a donkey, a chicken and I believe a goat. I upgraded in about a year, have had a few lines with 11-13 days off and have been junior manned down to 10 every time. We have had a few guys recently leave..FED-EX, EXPRESSNET..flying a A300, SOUTHWEST and two people in the pool at ALASKA that should be gone sooner than later.. With all the regionals hiring, I would not come here unless your time is so low that you cant go anywhere else. Why put yourself through hell. Upgrade times at some of the regionals are getting better and better. Pay here sucks, probably wont change, contract will take a act of god to solve. If you dont care about money, life style, and like being treated like Sh^t day after day, come on over you will love it. Otherwise save yourself the hell and go somewhere else..The only thing this place has is a cool bunch of crew members, but we all want out ASAP as well...?Good luck with whoever you pick and if you end up here flying with me you can join me and Wild Turkey to easy the pain....