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Horizon

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CaptBuzzard

I'm back!
Joined
Nov 28, 2001
Posts
145
What is the latest with Horizon? I heard they are furloughing some pilots. I live in Portland, and I do know a couple of Q400 pilots that are not going to get furloughed now.?.? For an airline that is expanding, it seems like things would be getting better. New service to Tucson in Feb, and service from PDX to DEN, and BOI-DEN in April. Could any horizon pilots give me some insight?
Hiring?? I would love to fly for Horizon, and since I am in PDX, I wouln't have to move.

Thanks
 
The furloughs are a result of a training bubble of excess pilots that was put in place to deal with the fleet transition. Attrition was expected to gradually take care of the number of excess pilots once the training bubble was no longer needed, but post-9/11, the attrition rate has been pretty close to zero.

The original plan was to furlough 75 FOs over a 25-week period, and to move 50 Captains back to FO positions. I don't know for sure if that has changed or not, but I have heard the possibility that some of the furloughs may not happen.

While we are adding service to new cities (Palm Springs, Tucson, Denver), it's mainly to take advantage of the CRJs that are replacing the F28s. A 2 hour 40 minute flight from Portland to Tucson would be stretching the range of the F28 given the high fuel burn, and the cost associated with running the "Jurassic Jet" on that route would have probably cancelled out any potential profit.

As for additional expansion, I'm not sure how much can be done. At least in the short term, we will have fewer CRJs than we had of the F28s that they are replacing. So adding more routes will be difficult without additional equipment.

As for hiring plans, the last word I've heard so far was that there won't be any in 2002. Since the furlough plan is spread out over a 25-week period, it will take some time to bring back all the furloughees first.
 
Thanks for the info.
What kind of mins. was Horizon looking for when they were previously hiring? Would 3000 total and 400 multi be competitive?
Does anyone have any info on domiciles and general satisfaction of the pilot group?
Any info appreciated.
 
Horizon info

hiflt,
To answer your ??'s, your times are more than competitive at this point. They were hiring folks from U of North Dakota with under 1000 hours before hiring stopped. Case in point, StormChaser has 1300 hours and was hired into the f28 which means he/she was hired, over 1 year ago. People that do not come from UND have tended to have anywhere from 1200 hours on up. I would guess ATP mins are sufficient. You would have no problem. I have heard (as stated in other post) we are not hiring this year at all.
Our domiciles are now PDX for all equiptment and a small DHC8-200 base in SEA. The pilot morale is poor in my opinion. We fly terrific new equiptment, complete with all the toys (heads up displays, dual FMS's), have a new contract that pays us industry statndard or better (new hires start out at $24 and change/hour, senior jet captains make over $100/hour), fly in a great part of North America.
All of these things said, I have never seen more unhappy pilots. One thing after another has separated the pilots and management to the point of pilots making lateral moves to other regionals, something unheard of at the "old Horizon". The company succeeds, despite the managers best efforts.
Hope this helps you out, keep in mind my opinions are just that, mine. I do share them with lots of other guys here, however. If I were you, depending on where you live and want to live, I would persue other pastures where the grass grows faster and the cows are happier. Any ??'s feel free to email.
 
lateral movers

I know two people that have jumped ship from Horizen and have moved to Piedmont. They have both told me a very simular story. a lot of problems with managment, poor scheduales, not enough flying to be spread around. All the toys in the world doesn't make up for a poor lifestlyle.
 

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