MESA Bases and Upgrades

[High Side]

I'm thinking of applying to Mesa but I have a few questions.

1) What are likely bases/aircraft for a new FO? Is PHX hard to get?

2) What are the upgrade times for the different airframes?

3) Can you switch aircraft or are you seatlocked until upgrade?

If anyone can help me out here I'd really appreciate it.

Cheers,

HS

 

[bizzum]

6800hrs and you want to go to mesa? no offense, but why?

 

[High Side]

Not enough FW time. It could also potentially work well geographically.

 

[Daytonaflyer]

Well, my good friend has been FO in the CRJ at Mesa for 3 years. He has over 4000 TT and is definitely qualified for a captain upgrade. He had the opportunity to upgrade in the ERJ 8 months ago, but unfortunatley didn't get his upgrade bid in in time and the slots filled up fast. Now, he says, the ERJ has gone just as senior as the CRJ and he's looking at another 6 months or more before upgrade.
It just goes to show that you can't count on a quick upgrade at any regional airline. Good luck if you go to Mesa. Every pilot I talk to there can't stand the company. It seems like they all hate it after 6-8 months. The only ones I know of who don't hate it still have their parents paying their rent and car insurance for them.

 

[DontFeedTheBear]

There are many better regionals out there. Try XJet, Eagle, Republic, or SkyWest (no specific order) You will be much happier in the long run. Most of the classes at Skywest and Republic are filled with x-mesa pilots. The chat around Republic is standby for a PHX base. It will go super junior as most of the company is east coast.

 

[Jet_Dreamer]

He had the opportunity to upgrade in the ERJ 8 months ago, but unfortunatley didn't get his upgrade bid in in time and the slots filled up fast.

well your friend is a slacker.

mesa is not the best place to work and things seem to be getting worse every week.

BUT, with that said they are hiring LOTS (well trying) and people are leaving everyday.

why not work here and see if you can handle it. if not use your rj experience and go some place else.

i did say things seem to be getting worse, but you never know what will happen in 6 - 12 months.

all i can say to EVERYONE looking to for a job at a regional. if have the mins, go to mesa. you are almost guaranteed a job if you show up and have half a brain. it is possible you will have choice of any domicle or at least soon after training is completed.

and of course half the people here will say NO, you are crazy, avoid mesa at all costs.

this is just my opinion of course.

and for the people with the negative replies soon to come.

If you don't have anything nice to say...don't say nothing at all.

 

[Soverytired]

I'm thinking of applying to Mesa but I have a few questions.

1) What are likely bases/aircraft for a new FO? Is PHX hard to get?

2) What are the upgrade times for the different airframes?

3) Can you switch aircraft or are you seatlocked until upgrade?

If anyone can help me out here I'd really appreciate it.

Cheers,

HS

You won't get PHX. Guaranteed. Very senior, shrinking, and rumored to be on the block for massive reductions over the next year. You're gonna need at least 5 years senority to hold PHX as a fo if that takes place.

B1900 - - probably under 2 years. Everthing else at least 3.

Fences are up all over the place for upgrades. Min 1 year seatlock, and the fences prevent fo's from moving sideways (i.e., 1900 fo to jet fo, vice versa).

You'll be signing a training contract every time you switch anyway, keeping you at Mesa for an extra year every time you change equipment.

Um, 6500 hours? Go to Skywest. They have lots of west coast bases, including Tucson, SLC, and all kinds of California airports.

 

[A-V-8]

The first post that I ever made on a board like this was in here in regards to the Mesa Airlines Pilot Development program. There are a lot of Mesa haters in here and you are likely to need to take what is in here with a grain of salt. I will say that I am approaching the 3 year mark myself. Head for www.mesahub.com for more specific information.

As of today the most junior F.O. in PHX was hired in June of 06. Some times the wait for a domicile is long and sometimes it short. A friend of mine who lives in PHX had to wait for over a year. The most junior captain in PHX was hired in Oct of 2002.

The upgrade is fast on the props. Like almost right now. Here is the problem. If you are on a jet the prop is never an option for you. Your equipment lock is permanent on the jet as an FO. As a CRJ or ERJ FO you can only bid CRJ/ERJ captain. Meanwhile guys who were hired before you who are on the props will be upgrading and you will just be stagnant. It appalls me when guys at Mesa refute me on this one but they are idiots for arguing because this is not my opinion it is a fact that is in black and white that any Mesa pilot can access and see for themselves. I usually get puzzled looks for saying it and then they tell me that they don’t really believe it. Well here goes. In Nov. of 05 we had a displacement in PHL when we lost that flying to CHQ and Air Wis. We had some Jet for Jobs captains (Folks from U.S. Airways that we had to hire in order to get that flying) who had artificial captain slots. They were for the most part not senior enough to hold captain on that equipment but Mesa had to promote them out of sonority order because our contract to fly the CRJs for Airways dictated that we had to hire their furloughed guys and do that. When the flying went away so did their artificial captain seniority and their regressed to their original date of hire. Some of them were senior enough to hold captain and some went to F.O. Some of the ones that went to F.O. just resigned and some stayed on. Anyway a Jets for Jobs (J4J) captain who was just barely senior enough to hold captain became the most junior captain in the whole company after the displacement on the CRJ. She was on the bottom of the roster in IAD for a long time. Today it has been 19 months since the PHL displacement. Only 15 captains in IAD separate her name from the bottom of the page and that represents only 77 seniority numbers globally and she is still not senior enough to hold captain in any other domicile. Sure Mesa has upgraded more that 15 captains in the last 19 months but they were for the most part very senior. Not junior. At that rate CRJ captain will soon soar to 5+ years. No expansion and loosing planes complicated by the threat of our planes moving to China is a recipe for not applying. O yea they treat us like crap too. O yea do some research on what a trip rig and duty rig means. We have neither at Mesa. You will make about 40% more at CHQ or Skywest for less work.

Well here is the real deal. If you are looking for a fast upgrade and you come to Mesa you will be delighted if you are one of the few that gets the props but if you get the Jet expect a long wait. We are loosing planes in PHX at 5 per year and that contract is up in 2013.

Like I said earlier almost 3 and no upgrade in sight. Meanwhile back at the training center folks more that 2 years to my junior are upgrading on equipment that I can’t bid cause of this f---ed up contract.

Just my 2 cents worth.

 

[Soverytired]

As of today the most junior F.O. in PHX was hired in June of 06. Some times the wait for a domicile is long and sometimes it short. A friend of mine who lives in PHX had to wait for over a year. The most junior captain in PHX was hired in Oct of 2002.

At that rate CRJ captain will soon soar to 5+ years No expansion and loosing planes complicated by the threat of our planes moving to China is a recipe for not applying. O yea they treat us like crap too. O yea do some research on what a trip rig and duty rig means. We have neither at Mesa. You will make about 40% more at CHQ or Skywest for less work.

Well here is the real deal. If you are looking for a fast upgrade and you come to Mesa you will be delighted if you are one of the few that gets the props

.

Excellent post on all counts A V 8. I would like to state that my personal belief that the days of new CRJ FO's getting PHX are OVER. Even now, to be a line holder in PHX as a CRJ FO you have to have almost 3 years senority . . . 4 or 5 if you want to avoid "camping trips" on the CRJ.

Everyone else: 8 days off, most at 6/2, 10 hours of ready reserve is temporarily on hiatus in PHX only . . . but will return, mark my words. And they've recently instituted yet another cost cutting measure that will trim 8-10 hours of pay from the reserve lines (no more "mixed lines" for you Mesa contract lovers)

Mesa used to have one thing, and one thing only, going for it: fast CRJ upgrades. Those days are gone.

Choose wisely, you've been warned.

 

[High Side]

Thanks for all the good info.

Cheers,

HS

 

[Pilot124]

To answer all 3 of your questions:

1) Don't do it

2) Don't even think about mesa

3) DON'T DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Jet_Dreamer]

I would like to recant my previous post on this thread. Finally home, tired, and a little bit to drink really affects your judgement.

 

[Shaheen]

The first post that I ever made on a board like this was in here in regards to the Mesa Airlines Pilot Development program. There are a lot of Mesa haters in here and you are likely to need to take what is in here with a grain of salt. I will say that I am approaching the 3 year mark myself. Head for www.mesahub.com for more specific information.

As of today the most junior F.O. in PHX was hired in June of 06. Some times the wait for a domicile is long and sometimes it short. A friend of mine who lives in PHX had to wait for over a year. The most junior captain in PHX was hired in Oct of 2002.

The upgrade is fast on the props. Like almost right now. Here is the problem. If you are on a jet the prop is never an option for you. Your equipment lock is permanent on the jet as an FO. As a CRJ or ERJ FO you can only bid CRJ/ERJ captain. Meanwhile guys who were hired before you who are on the props will be upgrading and you will just be stagnant. It appalls me when guys at Mesa refute me on this one but they are idiots for arguing because this is not my opinion it is a fact that is in black and white that any Mesa pilot can access and see for themselves. I usually get puzzled looks for saying it and then they tell me that they don’t really believe it. Well here goes. In Nov. of 05 we had a displacement in PHL when we lost that flying to CHQ and Air Wis. We had some Jet for Jobs captains (Folks from U.S. Airways that we had to hire in order to get that flying) who had artificial captain slots. They were for the most part not senior enough to hold captain on that equipment but Mesa had to promote them out of sonority order because our contract to fly the CRJs for Airways dictated that we had to hire their furloughed guys and do that. When the flying went away so did their artificial captain seniority and their regressed to their original date of hire. Some of them were senior enough to hold captain and some went to F.O. Some of the ones that went to F.O. just resigned and some stayed on. Anyway a Jets for Jobs (J4J) captain who was just barely senior enough to hold captain became the most junior captain in the whole company after the displacement on the CRJ. She was on the bottom of the roster in IAD for a long time. Today it has been 19 months since the PHL displacement. Only 15 captains in IAD separate her name from the bottom of the page and that represents only 77 seniority numbers globally and she is still not senior enough to hold captain in any other domicile. Sure Mesa has upgraded more that 15 captains in the last 19 months but they were for the most part very senior. Not junior. At that rate CRJ captain will soon soar to 5+ years. No expansion and loosing planes complicated by the threat of our planes moving to China is a recipe for not applying. O yea they treat us like crap too. O yea do some research on what a trip rig and duty rig means. We have neither at Mesa. You will make about 40% more at CHQ or Skywest for less work.

Well here is the real deal. If you are looking for a fast upgrade and you come to Mesa you will be delighted if you are one of the few that gets the props but if you get the Jet expect a long wait. We are loosing planes in PHX at 5 per year and that contract is up in 2013.

Like I said earlier almost 3 and no upgrade in sight. Meanwhile back at the training center folks more that 2 years to my junior are upgrading on equipment that I can’t bid cause of this f---ed up contract.

Just my 2 cents worth.

Good Post!