Great Lakes

[Butler]

**CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED** guys, CHILL OUT!! I was referring to crappy management in the sense that they treat US like crap! And flying4food, if you think that maintenance is shoddy here, what then are you implying about the pilots? That we intentionally fly around with broken planes? I for one, would NEVER take an unairworthy plane for the sake of getting a couple more PIC hours. It's not worth it. That shut down YEARS ago was as a result of Lakes having a hard time converting their maintenance program from PT 135 to PT 121. And if you ever set foot on a Great Lakes airplane, you can be sure that all inspections have been performed and that the airplane is safe. Don't get me wrong, I am NOT defending Lakes, but please don't draw the conclusion that poor management implies unsafe airplanes. Fly Safe!

Who said I was gay?!

 

[flying4food]

Hey I wasn't saying anything bad about the pilots, or for that matter the company. My only point was these guys keep whinning and complaining about Lakes. My point was if was truly that bad, they wouldn't be around!! It seems some of these guys like to dump rain showers on other parades!!!

We all have to start somewhere, some out there seem to forget that!! I know for a fact that there are a lot of pilots at Skywest, Air Wisconson, Mesa and others, that got there start at Lakes. So if was good enough for you MENACE maybe it would be good enough for others!!!

Can anyone say BONEHEAD!!!!!

 

[Menace]

Come on

Does it make you feel like a better person by piling on and calling me names? If you were to actually read what I've posted you'd know where I stand. So, for the record:

Great Lakes is one of the most poorly run businesses that I have ever experienced......BUT.......it IS a place to get your foot in the door! I spent several years there and built some really great flight time and I've flown with a lot of great pilots (yes, Butler, you're one of them). I don't know another airline that will let someone upgrade as soon as that person thinks he's ready. You can get quality 121 flight time and a lot of it, depending on your domicile.

If you feel like being treated (by management) like a second class citizen, then by all means, go work at GLA. I'm not telling anyone not to work there, just don't go in there with your eyes closed. If you don't believe anything I've written here, just ask ANY pilot who currently works there or do a search and read the posts.

Yes it is common knowledge that Great Lakes was shut down for maintenance reasons. Fortunately, I came on shortly after that all happened so I don't know all the details, but it wasn't because of poor management. The FAA doesn't care how a company treats or pays its employees as long as they don't break any regulations.

Does anyone think that United or most of the other majors are in their current situation because of GOOD management? The terrorist attacks only sped up the inevitable. United was losing millions every day before the attacks. Of course it's absured to compare United to GLA, but the point was that United has had bad management for a long time. We'll all see how the current management will do. Hopefully the whole industry will start doing better and we all won't be so edgy.

One final point: Aviation is an unbelievably small community! Calling people names and thinking that it'll never catch up to you could be a big mistake. You never know who might be your next captain, interviewer, line check airman, etc......

I'm not trying to make enemies here, so lets all just have fun!

-Menace

P.S. Butler = gay

 

[KingAirer]

Lakes

I was just reading your post on how management treats the pilots there. Could you explain or give examples of the bad points of Great Lakes.

 

[skyking1976]

No one has answered the previous question about hiring captains off of the street. I, for one, would like to find out if they are and I really don't care if Butler is gay or not. Just as long as he keep his hands to himself.

Skyking

 

[bestpilotever]

I care if Butler is gay. He doesnt have to keep his hands off me!

 

[Menace]

Examples

Doug Voss was asked (in a meeting with the pilots) what asset was his most valuable. His answer was an eye opener. He said he knew he should say his employees are, but the BE1900 was his most valuable asset. Voss is the CEO/owner.

Voss has been known to call F.O.'s "paid passengers".

They refuse to staff reserve pilots. Any reserves are just transitioning from training to a line.

Pilots are afraid to call off duty, because that is usually when you get junior manned to cover a trip.

The current (expired) contract is only honored when it is to the company's advantage. Grievances are routinely denied, then appealed and forgotten about for years.

I could go on, but you get the idea.

By the way, I don't think they are hiring street captains anymore. I think they decided that it wasn't working out very well.

Oh, and skyking1976, Butler pretends to reach for the trim wheel and massages your leg in the process. So I think it should be public knowledge.

 

[Wiskey Driver]

look, disco bob, or whatever... I've seen your posts before and I see that you just like to argue with someone. I watched the childish fight you had with whisky driver. I won't be responding to any more of your insults. Grow up and act like a mature pilot.

Menace, as much as I like a good debate, I think you are wasting your time. There are those who just love to throw insults and then run and hide or post under an assumed name. Let me direct your attention to that childish episode and have you recall that I NEVER ONCE SAID ANYTHING ABOUT HIM PERSONNALLY, NOR DID I RESPOND WITH ATTACKS AGAINST HIS CHARACTER, he can't say the same... BTW did do some checking and pulled his IP off his posts and can give you his home email if you want it

 

[discostu]

Whisky driver,

Why don't you just drop it!!

Go back and read some of your posts if you don't think you are attacking someones character or worse making threats.

Menace is right that this board is for fun period.

No one should be so unprofessional as to take what is heard on this board to work. And no one should do anything other than make a reply to the person they disagree with.

To take it personal if someone calls names is crazy we don't even know who or what the other person is all about.

If you need to email me about this then please feel free, but we don't need to start a smut campaign or threats of exposing one another.


that is all

 

[Wiskey Driver]

Ok then!!! You are correct, we don't need that period. What you said about me and my abilities in that last unprofessional series of attacks was not right plain and simple. I work very hard when I am on the line because there are 53 people counting on me every time I go up and hundreds more that are waiting on them to arrive the same way that I picked them up. Unlike most I ask every capt that I fly with to tell me if they see anything that needs improving, I can only fix that with which I know. Am I Chuck Yeager? NO, Do I think that I am the best pilot on the property? by no means. I am safe and professional and I think that I am also fun to work with. Flown the line here with most of the LCA's on the a/c and not one of them said that I am a bad pilot or that I need to work on my skills. I took that very personal from you. If I upset you by my comments about Lakes, I am sorry it was never intended to hurt or insult anyone. I do hope that we can put this incident behind us and continue to grow...

The one, the only

TRIIIIIICK DAddddddddy

 

[canadflyau]

Street Captains

No we do not hire street captains at Lakes anymore.

 

[khsgt]

commuting

Does anybody know if GLA allows commuting. Thank for your help

 

[ERJpusher]

They allow commuting, but don't recommend it. the schedules are pretty brutal and don't allow much time for travel between trips. I was told that if i were to commute there that I could expect to be away from home up to 23 days a month.

 

[Menace]

commuting

I commuted for three years with Lakes and had pretty good luck with it. I only missed one trip and that was because of a blizzard covering the Midwest. The current chief pilot gives very little mercy to commuters. It can be done though. Also, the only time I was gone for 23 or more days was during initial training. I was usually home about 13 or 14 nights (give or take a few) every month.

 

[khsgt]

Gentlemen,

Do you have any advice for attempting to get an interview within GLA. I have 1300/100, BS and I am sick of flight instructing. Thanks in advance for your help.