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....

 

[gt1900]

Now I'm gonna have to totally disagree with what tatoo said...Sorta. Lakes sucks, everyone knows that, but if you can make it, and keep your eye on the greater goal, it is a great place to work (just don't get caught up in all the b.s.). You can upgrade fast, get two type rating in a relativly short amount of time, and get to the carrier you really wan't to fly for in a short period of time. It allowed me to be the youngest guy in class at my major airline (by almost 2 years) and I will retire close to #1 at the company (I know for sure at least 1 ex laker who will always be senior to me). So, if you are looking for short term, don't go to lakes, you will be much happier at another commuter. But if you want a fast way to get to the majors, Lakes is very very hard to beat!! Its just a matter of deciding what you want. For me, giving up a couple years and working at a crappy place was well worth gaining several years of seniority at a major!!!!

 

[northernflyer]

Thanks for the info. The multi time i have been getting has gotten really slow at the place I instuct so it is currently hard to get multi time. I am also young with few bills and willing to move so lakes isn't looking so bad for me. I am just trying to find out what works good to get the interview and the job without a recommendation.

 

[Guitar Guy]

If you can handle the pay and the scheduling, it's a definite way to a longer-term goal. Make no mistake, you will pay your dues but if you can keep focused on where you want to be versus where you are, it will pay off.

 

[Homer Jay]

It always cracks me up to see that people are still so concerned to get that coveted 1000 PIC. It sure did me a lot of good! I'm STILL waiting for my call from American! Anyways, I spent three and half years in that sweatshop and looking back it will always have been the best and worst flying job I ever had. The best because it was, and still is from what I hear, a great pilot group. Something about being abused that causes everyone to stick together. I actually have had more fun on overnights at GLA than where I am at now. But Lakes also sucked because of the numerous junior man's, CRAP pay, unproductive schedules, etc, etc... I could go on and on. Listen, bottom line, do what will make you happy, but don't cheapen yourself to fly for 15 bucks an hour if you can avoid it. I actually made the same money on first year FO pay where I am employed now as I did on the 3-4 year CA scale at Lakes. Pretty sad, huh? And chances are you will be at Lakes for longer than you expect unless the industry makes an amazing turnaround, so don't plan on getting that quick upgrade and moving on to a major. The odds of that are pretty slim right now. I would recommend going somewhere where you will be happy, make some decent money, and sit back and watch the industry turn around...hopefully. Whatever you decide, I wish you luck. If you go for Lakes and get hired, have fun and enjoy those layovers! You will unfortunately, however, never get the pleasure of overnighting in Muskegon, MI in the summer...wow, there must have been something in the water over there!

 

[Superpilot92]

You dont have to have a letter of rec to get a call. When i was in training with XJET I recieved a call from them. Of course i didnt take it and am very happy with my decision. Moral of the story send your resume in and you will probably get a a call even with out the Rec letter.

Good luck

 

[Guitar Guy]

The letter of rec is likely more beneficial to someone with lower time and limited experience. But a letter of rec never hurts, regardless of your time/experience.

 

[Crossky]

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

Gulfstream is higher up the food chain that Lakes? Why, cause they have an infamous PFT program that puts dreamy eyed jet jockey wannabe's in $25K debt, while Lakes only has you sacrificing pay till you start IOE? Sure Lakes has a 15 month $10K training bond you're liable for if you leave before them.

If you're low on quality time (like Multi, I had 40 when lakes hired me, I knew no one, although it was early 2000) and are ready to kick a & take names, why not give them a shot? Used to hear the hot ticket when times were slow was to fly to SPW (now Cheyenne CYS) and apply in person. Only reservation I would have now about Lakes is don't count on jumping from there to a major or LCC, a few win the lottery that way though. Most go to a regional from the left and right seat.

Teamsters, you suck! WHY are Lakes pilots still starting out at $15.30/hr? Even Mesa pays $3-4 more!

 

[tattoo13]

there is alot of truth to what gt1900 has said, it just my thinking that with all the regionals hiring now you may get upgrade time fairly fast at a place that will treat you better..make no mistake people have upgraded here in under a year. But a buddy of mine also upgraded at skywest just after two years..its completely what you want and nothing more...and like I said the pilot group is awesome and you would have a lot of fun on some overnights...

 

[northernflyer]

Does anyone know when they plan on calling the next round of people to interview?

 

[gt1900]

Crossky....you are sorely mistaken if you don't think you can go from lakes directly to an LCC or major (not trying to bash). I know of 3 people who interviewed at Airtran this year, 2 (at least) at Southwest, 2 people waiting in the pool at Alaska, one who interviewed at Fedex, and several who interviewed at AmWest..Hell, one guy even got a call from Amwest and southwest in the same day!! In the last year over 10% of the pilot group has either gone to majors or LCC's, or at least interviewed at them. PIC turbine is the name of the game. And you get it fast at Lakes. I know of many ex-lakers who went to bigger and better things (ie: other regionals) and are either on the street (many guys from aca) or real nervous right now (ie: the air whiskey guys). While the guys who toughed it out are sitting in the right seat of 737's or 717's after spending about 4 1/2yrs at lakes!!