Mesa Questions

[cale42]

As with any Mesa post.. I will preface this with I know the thoughts and opinions on Mesa that exist here, and while that is fine it is not what this post is about.

Anyone who can provide insight into the below questions I would appreciate it, as I'm going to the group interview on Tuesday

1. Is the Dash the only aircraft that crews out of DEN?
2. Are new hires getting the Dash at all?
3. If I get assigned something else and a year from now could hold captain on the Dash can I go from the jet to the prop if it is an upgrade.

I would really like DEN within the year, overall just wondering what the possibilities of that are and what I should ask for airframe wise if i make it that far in the interview.

thanks,
cale

 

[trolleydriver]

1. Yes
2. Yes
3. No

If you really want DEN I would strongly recommend Skywest.

 

[rickair7777]

Trolley is correct.

But you WILL regret it if you take a job at mesa. You sound interested in the dash...

If you get the dash, your odds of passing training are the worst in the industry; that program is arbitrary and run by tools. And being terminated due to failure to complete training will do wonders for your future prospects!

If you don't get the dash, you will getting abused as a reserve jet FO for some of the worst wages and benefits in the industry while you watch the company hire street captains for the Dash!

I guess one good thing about mesa is that after a year or two there, when you resign in frustration and anger, you will REALLY appreciate your next regional job!

 

[cale42]

Thanks for the info guys.. I do appreciate it.

I'm more interested in DEN than the Dash specifically, I'm sorry to hear the Dash training is so bad though.. certainly gives me pause, though I would like to think you can overcome even bad training with a good work ethic.

Unfortunately trolley my skywest interview did not go so well.. they really didn't seem too interested in guys without previous turbine time.. so I'm working on a contingency plan now.

Mesa seems the next best in terms of a DEN base, unfortunately there are just limited options out there.

cale

 

[John Pennekamp]

Doesn't Lakes have a DEN base?

 

[cale42]

Lakes is all DEN based actually.. but they pay much worse than Mesa and supposedly the training has even a higher washout rate.

From what I've found out DEN is just Horizon, Skywest, Mesa and Lakes.. 2 top tier and 2 kind of bottom is seems. I couldn't get either of the first 2.. so now I'm on to the next ones.

cale

 

[flyflorida2001]

I hate to defend the company I work for...it really does pain me. However, I must point out that the Dash training program is no longer the hell it once was. It is still the highest washout rate in the company, but it is up to something like a 92% completion rate (or something like that), rather than the ol 50% rate it once was.

During my class <June 06> (53 total), 11 got the ERJ (myself included), 12 got the Dash, and 30 got the CRJ. Of those the completion rates were
ERJ 11 0f 11
Dash 11 of 12
CRJ 29 of 30

Hope this helps.

 

[trolleydriver]

Mesa is really a Jeckyll and Hyde kind of operation.

I know a Mesa pilot who was hired last year. As a first year D8 FO, that pilot has never been on reserve, has never had less than 16 days off in a bid (usually has 17 or 18 days off), blocks over 90 hours a bid, is off most weekends, and can pick and choose his schedule to not work holidays and weekends - and doesn't commute. He can choose to upgrade now to D-8 captain - but gives up his great (compared to his fellow Mesa pilots) quality of life he has now. That's his biggest dilemma. A lot of pilots wish they had his dilemma.

But that's not typical of a Mesa pilot. Most new hire pilots are stuck getting hassled by tracking on reserve or more likely ready reserve at the airport.

You don't have much of a say where you go at Mesa, you might get the Dash right away. If you get anything other than the Dash, you'll never fly a Dash at Mesa.

You can go work for Lakes or anyone else for a year then apply back at Skywest, if the lack of turbine time is what's keeping you from getting hired at Skywest.

 

[lowlycfi]

You have no say over what aircraft you will get. I wanted the Dash or the Beech and got the CRJ. If you want a better chance of being in DEN I would say try Lakes or give Skywest another shot. Personally, I would have rather worked for either of them but couldn't even get called for an interview by either one. Good luck with your decision.

 

[Cloudroller]

I thought new hires for Skywest were going to ORD

 

[rickair7777]

I thought new hires for Skywest were going to ORD

Right now SLC, DEN, and maybe even PSP look equally junior. With the expected hiring you should be able to get any of the larger bases within a few months.

 

[glasspilot]

If you're looking for advice about Mesa why don't you take this advise;

Punch yourself in the groin. Go down to the bus station and give oral until you earn $10,000. Then take said money and give 80% of it to a millionaire pimp, tattoo "J.O. Whore" across you forehead and inject yourself with HIV so you can live the rest of your miserable career in an increasingly agonizing and decreasingly profitable state of disillusion.

 

[MarineGrunt]

If you're looking for advice about Mesa why don't you take this advise;

Punch yourself in the groin. Go down to the bus station and give oral until you earn $10,000. Then take said money and give 80% of it to a millionaire pimp, tattoo "J.O. Whore" across you forehead and inject yourself with HIV so you can live the rest of your miserable career in an increasingly agonizing and decreasingly profitable state of disillusion.

I'm sorry, but I'm going to say that this isn't very good advice....

 

[cale42]

SkyWest new hires are across the board. DEN, SLC, and ORD in the jet, PSP, FAT in the prop... they will put you in the prop if you don't have previous turbine time...

cale

 

[glasspilot]

I don't know. Everyone these days with a $100,000 student loan to pay for flight school and a $14,000 a year job is looking for a way to "get ahead". Think about that; You make $1,166 a month before taxes and you owe almost $1,000 to just pay the interest on your student loan assuming it was for just flight training. If you're paying for a four year degree on top of that then god help you. Anyway, how ya gonna spend your $166 per month? Buy food? Rent? Beer?

Maybe you find a chick to help out. Yea, that's it. She brings in more money but she also costs more cash. Especially if you want a hot chick. An ugly chick might "get you through the tough times" but then your stuck with an ugly chick. Either way your screwed.

My advice was to cut to the quick. Avoid all of the pain your going to suffer with your "traditional" career path. Trust me. The bus station and the shot to the groin aren't going to kill ya. The HIV injection is just going to make the rest of the pain end sooner.

....Or you can enjoy J.O. and his wonderful company.


(yes, I'm bitter)

 

[pgcfii2002]

Or you could just punch yourself in the face a bunch of times.

 

[labbats]

Thanks for the info guys.. I do appreciate it.

I'm more interested in DEN than the Dash specifically, I'm sorry to hear the Dash training is so bad though.. certainly gives me pause, though I would like to think you can overcome even bad training with a good work ethic.

Unfortunately trolley my skywest interview did not go so well.. they really didn't seem too interested in guys without previous turbine time.. so I'm working on a contingency plan now.

Mesa seems the next best in terms of a DEN base, unfortunately there are just limited options out there.

cale

A buddy of mine just started class at Skywest, and the majority of people in his class were hired from flight instructing.

Go to Mesa and then move on. It's not that big of a deal and life sucks first year at every regional, the only problem is that you have to do it twice if you work at Mesa. Either by going to another regional or hanging on that second year at Mesa.

JO is going on record to newhires saying that he's the only regional that will make you a jet captain in two years and he has never furloughed. Yes, upgrade is two years now, but it hasn't always been and I'd like to see him offer captain pay after two years to everyone who gets shanked in the future when United and Delta drop them from their immenent shake-up of feeders.

 

[rickair7777]

A buddy of mine just started class at Skywest, and the majority of people in his class were hired from flight instructing.

Go to Mesa and then move on. It's not that big of a deal and life sucks first year at every regional, the only problem is that you have to do it twice if you work at Mesa. Either by going to another regional or hanging on that second year at Mesa.

JO is going on record to newhires saying that he's the only regional that will make you a jet captain in two years and he has never furloughed. Yes, upgrade is two years now, but it hasn't always been and I'd like to see him offer captain pay after two years to everyone who gets shanked in the future when United and Delta drop them from their immenent shake-up of feeders.

I would agree with using mesa as a stepping stone, but if you stay for a year (essentially working for free) you have helped JO to further undercut the industry and any future jobs YOU might want. If you have to do mesa, try to get out of the training contract (be creative) and go to another regional immediately after training (they will hire you then). I think the training contract kicks in AFTER completion of IOE (which will probably be delayed). Take your checkride, get your CL-65 type, and beat down the door at SKW or whoever else you want. You can probably be in SKW groundschool before mesa calls you to do IOE...

 

[glasspilot]

..........

 

[deadstick]

If you have to do mesa, try to get out of the training contract (be creative) and go to another regional immediately after training (they will hire you then). I think the training contract kicks in AFTER completion of IOE (which will probably be delayed). Take your checkride, get your CL-65 type, and beat down the door at SKW or whoever else you want. You can probably be in SKW groundschool before mesa calls you to do IOE...

LMAO --some kind of jailhouse lawyer. Hmmm....

 

[rickair7777]

LMAO --some kind of jailhouse lawyer. Hmmm....

Actually I know of several people who have done this (quit during training for abetter job), and I know one of them personally. I also personally know people who bailed around the 6 month point and never repaid a dime.

Just trying to help some folks get a leg up, and if they can screw JO in the process, well hey, that's great!