Great Lakes questions

[SiuDude]

I know of all the recent issues with the contract negotiations, however the appeal of quick PIC time is pretty great.

Does GLA provide a hotel or per diem during training? (I'm pretty sure there's no pay)
Where is training held?
Is there a formal reserve system?
Do they provide pass travel benefits on UA or F9?
Does your QOL suck THAT bad?

Thanks

 

[FurloughedAgain]

You have 750 hours total time. Pardon the question, but whats the big hurry to get the PIC time?

 

[100LL... Again!]

Disaster looms when the appeal of quick PIC time overwhelms the desire to actually excel at the job.
Patience, young skywalker.

 

[SiuDude]

What would you do? Instruct 'till you have the time to get on with Comair, Eagle, XJet or fill-in-the-blank, spend 4-9 years as an FO and then get that coveted PIC turbine time? Or get on with GLA and upgrade in a year, get 2,000 of turbine PIC, find a job that pays well, and wait for a call from a Major? I know it isn't always this easy, but that's what a lot of people have done.

 

[Ted Striker]

What would you do? Instruct 'till you have the time to get on with Comair, Eagle, XJet or fill-in-the-blank, spend 4-9 years as an FO and then get that coveted PIC turbine time? Or get on with GLA and upgrade in a year, get 2,000 of turbine PIC, find a job that pays well, and wait for a call from a Major? I know it isn't always this easy, but that's what a lot of people have done.

If you can stomach it, get the turbine PIC while you can. You can always go somewhere else after you rack out some CA time. Good luck.

 

[flyboy]

What would you do? Instruct 'till you have the time to get on with Comair, Eagle, XJet or fill-in-the-blank, spend 4-9 years as an FO and then get that coveted PIC turbine time? Or get on with GLA and upgrade in a year, get 2,000 of turbine PIC, find a job that pays well, and wait for a call from a Major? I know it isn't always this easy, but that's what a lot of people have done.

I agree bud,

Some will suggest that you should break your back instructing and not going the route you're talking about. You have to look at your career goals. Do you want to be an instructor or a 121 flight officer? If you can get on with lakes, do it. Some will say that it's a crappy company with low pay and they treat pilots like dirt. Well, it's absolutely 100% true. It's the same thing you get as an instructor. At least as a flight officer you don't have to listen to a bunch of whiney studens who won't put up the effort but question you as to why they don't have a license yet. I have seen the value of flight instructing. However, after about 500 hours as an instructor (watching someone else fly) your skills will deteriorate. Especially if you don't have many instrument students. Good luck with Lakes. Just remember, do what you do today to put you in the best position down the road.

 

[Lost]

Go where you can to get 121 time. At 750, your options are extremely limited, even at Lakes. With the way things are right now, once the smell of Jet A loses its luster, you'll realize almost everywhere sucks right now anyway.

 

[N4niner206]

Is it a one-year agreement at Lakes?

 

[Xtremepilot]

Lakes.....

15 month agreement....$15.30/hr for first year...10 days off a month and those can be moved...at scheduling's will. One hour call-out for reserves, and knee-jerk furloughing by management.....

 

[labbats]

One guy in our class made it all the way through training at lakes, only to be furloughed the day before his final sim checkout. Classy operation.

 

[Habib]

You should go to EAGLE.

 

[Captain Overs]

You should go to a place that you wouldn't mind being stuck. There is no degree of certainty that you will ever get on with a major. Things happen, 9-11. Just ask around the guys at Regionals who are going on 7 or 8 years on the job and only planned on being there for 2-3 years. Something to think about.

 

[tattoo13]

to answer your question without all the bs...they dont provide and cash during training but will give you a hotel room with another newhire. There is nothing at all good about the place except the pilot group. I have been there for 2+ years and it's a poorly run airline...if you want to call it that. You can upgrade quick..even in the worst of time, my fo last month upgraded within 13 months...'

 

[jsand757]

Hey SIU DUDE, From a former laker and siu guy. If you had a good time in carbondale you should like lakes. The pay sucks but it is some of the best people, flying and learning experiance in the industry. I was there for 2+ years and got about 1500 pic then went somewhere else. If you are married or have kids I would not recommend it. However remember that if you are low time that lakes maybe the only one that will touch you so its either CFI for 15 more months or go burn some jet a. Good Luck

 

[52Vincent]

Ok so they don't pay during training, but they do provide hotel room.
How long is the training and where is it held?
Has anyone been successfull with a 1 hour callout from COS?

 

[Sberry]

To answer your questions:

The training (ground school) is held in Cheyenne, WY. It lasts about three weeks. You are not paid but you are provided a hotel with a roomate, if you go to the 1900 the sim is in Greely, CO or in Denver the Brasilia in ATL. Sim lasts about one week then for flight training you will be either in Cheyenne or one of the outstations at night.
As for a formal reserve system there is one normally, the callout is one hour so making it from COS could be a problem.
As for pass benefits we get them on Frontier
As for quality of life it depends, if you live in Denver it is not that bad if you commute it can be very bad because a normal schedule is 10-12 days off .
Hope this helps

 

[52Vincent]

To answer your questions:

The training (ground school) is held in Cheyenne, WY. It lasts about three weeks. You are not paid but you are provided a hotel with a roomate, if you go to the 1900 the sim is in Greely, CO or in Denver the Brasilia in ATL. Sim lasts about one week then for flight training you will be either in Cheyenne or one of the outstations at night.
As for a formal reserve system there is one normally, the callout is one hour so making it from COS could be a problem.
As for pass benefits we get them on Frontier
As for quality of life it depends, if you live in Denver it is not that bad if you commute it can be very bad because a normal schedule is 10-12 days off .
Hope this helps

PERFECT, Thanks. I like it when people actually answer questions.

 

[SiuDude]

To answer your questions:

The training (ground school) is held in Cheyenne, WY. It lasts about three weeks. You are not paid but you are provided a hotel with a roomate, if you go to the 1900 the sim is in Greely, CO or in Denver the Brasilia in ATL. Sim lasts about one week then for flight training you will be either in Cheyenne or one of the outstations at night.
As for a formal reserve system there is one normally, the callout is one hour so making it from COS could be a problem.
As for pass benefits we get them on Frontier
As for quality of life it depends, if you live in Denver it is not that bad if you commute it can be very bad because a normal schedule is 10-12 days off .
Hope this helps

Thanks!

 

[platinumclub]

Try Lakes man, that's what my options have gone to. Anything beats instructing, and with any luck, you may get furloughed after about six months putting you in a good spot to go anywhere, including a corporate job. My old roommate was furloughed just before his checkride and because he had completed training there-at least the ground school, he was picked up by Air Whiskey about two weeks after his furlough with only about 1000 hours. Plus if you can tough it out, that PIC turbine is sweet. A college buddy of mine spent four years there and is now at America West. Best of luck.

-plat

 

[greyhound]

If you are furloughed before you 15 months are up, are you still liable for the contract?

What if you go somewhere else?

 

[Sberry]

If you are furloughed before the 15 months, the contract no longer applies to you.
However if you are not furloughed and decide to go somewhere else the contract stiill applies, so unless you are furloughed the contract still applies.

 

[350DRIVER]

Habib,

Love your avatar, whould you mind if I steal it to send a friend?.

 

[Buck Turgidson]

One guy in our class made it all the way through training at lakes, only to be furloughed the day before his final sim checkout. Classy operation.

I heard their management keeps changing and getting younger and younger.

 

[propjockey]

I used to live in Parker (SE suburb of DEN). From my house to the employee lot was 34 miles. I usually left the house 1:05 before my showtime and sometimes made it there basically right at my showtime (if you miss the bus, it's a 10 minute wait for the next one, which can really hose you if you cut it close). So, just to clarify for the person who asked about the one hour callout coming from COS:

There is absolutely NO WAY IN THE WORLD you will make a one-hour callout from COS to DEN.

(Even if you commuted in a C182, you'd have a tough time making it!)

 

[tattoo13]

Actually the company is now run by a monkey, timmy of southpark, a skunkape and or course a donkey (i should be PC a Jackass)

 

[Flyingdutchman]

I can do COS-DEN within 50 mins! (empty I-25, speed 110)

just kidding

 

[Buck Turgidson]

Actually the company is now run by a monkey, timmy of southpark, a skunkape and or course a donkey (i should be PC a Jackass)

That correlates. Voss is one heck of a ringmaster. It's like farging 'Animal Farm' and 'Lord of the Flies' all rolled into one.

 

[ampropilot2b]

If you don't have anywhere else to go, Lakes is a great deal. I was a Laker, but was furloughed. I had very low time when I was hired (especially multi), but left with 200 hours turbine, enough to get me on to a great regional flying a jet. Everything at Lakes is at the bottom of the industry, except for the pilots. Pay is un-livable, even the Captain pay is less than a first year FO at many regionals. I say, go anywhere else if you have the opportunity, but if you don't, better to earn multi turbine than more single engine. If you go in with the lowest of expectations like I did, you won't be dissapointed.


Lakers Rock!

 

[Visceral]

If you go in with the lowest of expectations like I did, you won't be dissapointed.

Hehe

This is going to be my new motto in life. It applies to women, cars, etc. I love it!