Inside info on EVA

[taiar]

Hello everyone.. First Post, but been reading for a while.

As stated in the Title, was wondering if anyone has solid Info on EVA, mainly the 747-400 schedules, pay rates and how its of a company to work for... whats are the good things and the bad things... Read some of the post but they are dated... so I was looking for some fresh info... any info would be very much appreciated

regards to all

 

[typhoonpilot]

Good question. While I haven't actually worked there I know numerous people who have. Five friends of mine went to work there in 1997. Of those five all either quit or were fired within 2 years. Further to that there are two guys at my previous company who did the full 4 year contract as cruise captains and, seeing no definitive chance at an upgrade in sight, decided to leave.

The reality of working as an expat is that companies can promise a lot, but rarely ever deliver on that promise. Your contract will always be it's best on the first day of employment, it will never get better. Often times it will be cancelled and you will be unceremonioulsy dumped on the street.

I would never fly as an F.O. or IRO for an Asian airline ( excepting Dragonair and Cathay ). Life is too short to put up with the incompetence and arrogance of the captains in that region.

Typhoonpilot

 

[LAZYB]

EVA pilots

 

[iluvetops]

I totally agree with typhoonpilot.

typhoonpilot, how's the training? happy lunar new year to you

 

[taiar]

Thanks for the info and the link.... trying to get as much info as possible.....

For those of you who have been around the block a few times with this industry.... what advise would you give for someone if they want to move up in career from the left seat of CRJ, but the only option now is to leave the US and go fly over seas...until thing pick back up here. If EVA calls and offers the right seat of a 747... what would your advise be?

thanks

 

[typhoonpilot]

Hello ILT, Happy New Year to you and your family as well. Ground school is finished and sim starts Sunday.

taiar:

You have to ask yourself the question, " what can I do with 747 SIC time ? " I see EVA as a dead end because you come out of a four year contract with X number of hours in the right seat of a 747-400 and that doesn't get you much in this industry. If they had a reliable program to upgrade it would be very different. If there were carriers in the States that liked wide body SIC time as a requirement for a job then it would be different. Now, if you see a four year stint at EVA as a stepping stone for a chance at a non-sched cargo company in the States or possibly a place like Cathay or Emirates then it could be worth a chance, but it is a chance.

Again, I'll say, flying as an F.O. in Asia can be quite unpleasant at times. There can be a very steep cockpit gradient that westerners are not used to.

Typhoonpilot

 

[taiar]

Typhoonpilot,

Thanks for the words of wisdom and opion, I am taking your advise to heart.

Again thanks alot...

I am just thinking of how I can defrenciate my self from others... by the time hiring picks back up I will be a dime a dozen...stuck in a CRJ, with +8000 hours and looking for a move up, I need to get some heavy iron time to be more competative,and the international experiance will be also a plus.

Anyone elses opinion is also very much appreciated.

thanks

 

[ineedajob]

Have you looked into JALways?

They are hiring 747 Classic FO's for the HNL base. They currently have about a 3 year upgrade, and you fly with mostly western crews.

Check out www.wasinc.net

Good luck.

 

[sleepy]

I have time sitting in the right seat of a heavy jet. It did help me get a job offer from another non-sched after I was furloughed, but I was tired of the lifestyle. Now I sitting in an RJ, a dime a dozen, etc........ and I still can't get hired at Airtran because I don't have enought PIC 121 time. So the heavy time is worthless, get the 121 PIC time, that seems to be what they all want now.

 

[apu hunter]

It seems like pilots' intuitions are a very sharp source of info sometimes.

I've been working for EVA for almost two and a half years and all I can say for a guy in a situation like yours is stay where you are, unless you are unemployed and without any nice perspectives ahead of you.

Facts and figures:

Typhoon is right: SIC time is worthless here in the US. Forget this 'heavy iron' thing... this is blah-blah-blah... when it comes down to landing a nice job what you really need is PIC time, some jet time preferrably, a good attitude and some luck throughout the selection process. Flying 744/MD11 SIC won't add anything to your resume, so if you really want to differentiate yourself, continue on your left seat there at the CRJ... I am flying right seat at EVA and I would not hesitate to swap positions with you...

Being a SIC in Asia is not as bad as people say. Specially in Taiwan. A lot of their captains are unexperienced, but humble and very respectful guys and you will get a fair treatment and most of the times a good CRM, pleasant cockpit environment and, just like anywhere else, some jerks on your way here and there. Many of the captains are expats, lots of nice people from all over the world.

This is not the problem. The real problems in EVA are (1) the very intense, regrettably ingrained fear and punishment corporate culture. The crew morale is very low because most of the pilots are always afraid of getting punished for something... decision making for the EVA pilots, rather than a normal part of a pilot's life, is here seen as a complex process in which there's a great chance of not pleasing the company and therefore getting punished. This is awful. The airplanes are equipped with those snitchy FDIS systems and everyone here feels like they're part of one of those TV Reality shows... specially the locals, who have nowhere else to go and a slave-type 15-year training bond!!! The company says the FDIS is not meant for punishing pilots, but the fact is that whenever a rough landing happens, or some deviation from the SOP is detected by the FDIS, both pilots are sent back to the sim... as if a pilot could learn how to land a plane in the sim... as awkward as this might seem, it is a fact. Draw your own conclusions over this;

and (2) Schedule: it sucks. In the MD, it is unbearable. 35 ON/14 OFF, but it takes you roughly 2 days to get in/out of the island, so your real days off are more like 10-11. If you're married or somehow engaged, kids etc., think well before coming here. It seems like you can handle it the first year, but further down the road you see what a mistake it is to be so much time away from home. If you go to the 74, the situation is a little better, you usually fly 23-28 days, but you only get around 8-10 days off, and considering the time it takes to get there...

Training: it is very serious and keeps you very sharp, although within the punishment/fear cultural environment...

Pay: pay is not bad,considering the industry levels nowadays. As a 744 or MD11 FO you can expect to make 3,750 net based on 50-hrs. It is very common to hit the 90-95 hr mark, which can boost your income to around 5,300 plus per diem. Per diem is at $3/hour trip time (from signing in for a flight to returning to home). That takes you to somewhere around 600-1200/month. You also get up to 200 bucks/month for medical (even though you do get coverage by their excelent public health system there at Taiwan). You also get a 13th salary bonus every year (about $2,5k).

Interview and selection: go to willflyforfood.cc I posted a summary there of what the selection process looks like.

Bottom line: if you're flying PIC jet, continue there as it will be a lot better for you down the road. As Typhoon said, SIC time won't do you any good. If you've been furloughed and can't get a decent job anywhere else, it might be an option...

Good luck on your decision!