Mesaba,Is or is it a good thing?

[4fanman]

a friend from my flight instructing days has been with little red a little over three years now, and I hear he just finished AVRO fo groundschool. that sucks.

Yup it does. Currently, 3 years at XJ = junior fo. 4 to 5 years for senior fo's.

 

[xjcaptain]

Would you prefer to be unemployed like many thousands of others? Things could be better at XJ, but that can be said about nearly every place. Just having so many furloughed friends with a gread deal of experience, I'm getting a little tired of hearing so many FO's whining about not upgrading as quickly as they would have liked. Keep in mind that many of these FO's were hired with minimum time/experience 1000/100. Not too long ago these times wouldn't have been looked at (Prior to the late 90's hiring boom). Prior to this, most had 4 years of school, 3 - 4 years instructing/135. Then 2 years minimum to upgrade. Total of about 9 - 10 years from beginning college to left seat at a regional. Now many did their 4 years at school, 1 year (maybe) as a CFI and now are about 3 years in the right seat. Maybe 7 - 8 years max from start of college. Looks like maybe biding a little more time in the right seat of a 4 engine jet shouldn't look so bad, and upgrade will be coming at about the same time frame it did in the late 90's. 9 to 10 years from start of college. Maybe some should spend a little more time LEARNING and realize that possibly more experience prior to upgrade is a good thing. Would I like to see it come sooner for some of these people sure, but let's keep it in perspective.

 

[avrodriver]

Yes I buy the whole having a job is better than not having one story....who wouldn't.

No I don't buy that spending a little bit more time flying a 4-engine jet for Twenty some bucks an hour after being at a company for 3 or 4 years shouldn't look so bad.

Most of the captains I flew with while I was at XJ all got into the Capt payscales fairly quickly.....that's probably why the F.O. scales were sold out back in the day. XJ f/o's have every right to want some da.mn movement. There's more to this than stripes. AD

 

[WrightAvia]

Maybe all the guys that left Mesaba just prior to 911 and were caught with cancelled classes at main line, or furloghed from their new main line jobs, should be allowed to come back at their old seniority at Mesaba. Then they could back flow all the low timers back out into the street, where they would have something to whine about.

 

[Cargoboy]

4-5 years as a f.o. ain't that bad for a pilot in the xj at Mesaba. They are lucky enough right now to be there and should take it easy. There time will come. Experience is always good.
Now if they can only get that contract straightened out there pay wouldn't be so bad. I can see where they are needing the money to be better for F.O.'s
I don't know if I could get lucky enough to get the XJ at Mesaba instead of the Saab I would be willing to make it a career stopping place.

 

[Saabslime]

if I could get lucky enough to get the XJ at Mesaba instead of the Saab I would be willing to make it a career stopping place.

Yeah........?? Flying that ol' XJ would be soo much better than lowering yourself to us saab drivers level. Anyone remember what that "XJ" cruises at? I've heard its something like 800 knots..................

 

[Cargoboy]

"Anyone remember what that "XJ" cruises at? I've heard its something like 800"

With a 700kt tailwind!!

Meant nothing against the Saab......just rather sit with a jet...if ya know what I mean!

 

[XJPilot547]

WrightAvia is a complete idiot... What does the guys who left XJ prior to 9/11 have anything to do with 4-5 yr FOs here. The point that the guys were making is that Mesaba isn't the greatest place right now. I don't think anyone can argue that. We don't have a new contract, we're losing flying, and at 4-5 years, FO pay here is dismal. I do feel lucky for having a job but don't bash the guys for wanting more than being a career FO. Just make your choice wisely. 99% of XJ pilots are the best to fly with. We're fighting for a good contract and we'll get it. The company will grow once again and just like any cycle I believe Mesaba will be one of the places to go. Good luck to all those who want to fly here. Your guess is as good as ours where we will be next year from now, but I'm guessing we'll be doing alot better.

 

[ERJpusher]

We don't have "XJs" at Chautauqua. We used to have Saabs, but now we just have "RPs" .

Yes, I am being sarcastic.

Cargoboy, you might want to find out what "XJ" really means before you start telling people you want to fly one!!

 

[dogman]

Yeah! Boy, that XJ! She's a real hand full!

 

[saabtrash]

Boy, if I could only fly the XJ.
If we are lucky, we will soon have some of the planes that pinnacle has, the wonderful 9E. Oh baby.

 

[WrightAvia]

XJPilot547...piss and moan some more...I love to hear it!!!

 

[Cargoboy]

enlighten me on the real meaning of XJ.

 

[SpocksBeard]

XJ=Mesaba just like 9E=Pinnacle and NW=northwest

 

[cathal]

The real meaning of xj? If you don't know then I don't think we should tell you. Actually, it stands for Xerxes Jehosephat, the founder of Mesaba airlines back in 1602 when the pilgrims landed at Jamestown.
Don't bash Mesaba unless you're here. You have no idea what you're talking about. I wouldn't trade with anyone at any other regional- and this place is only going to get better because we are possibly the most united any group has ever been.

 

[WrightAvia]

Don't bash Mesaba unless you're here. You have no idea what you're talking about.

Who's bashing Mesaba? Are you in the right thread? I think you're going to have to scroll down or do a search, to find the Mesaba bashing thread.

 

[Cargoboy]

I am just trying to get into Mesaba. I guess I got my XJ mixed up with my RJ, probably because my RH was trying to do what my LH was doing and they overlapped on the KB. Whoops I am under 90% Ng the valve won't open and my brain just shut down. Where's the tylenol.
So..........Would anyone be able to walk my resume into Dan L.
Make sure to give you one year's pass to Sheik's.

 

[cathal]

WrightAvia- I won't stand for you calling us whiners. Yes, I'm in the correct thread. Having read what you've written, it would appear that you have a low opinion of the pilot group here, and that you think it unreasonable the we expect to be treated like human beings, not numbers.
We complain about a management that are puppets, about being someone's whipsaw, about management hiding our profits in another airline's losses, and the fact that despite 4 or 5 years of loyal service flying a DC-9 equivalent aircraft we can barely support ourselves, never mind a family.
Our whining is for everyone. It is all pilot's whine, that the jobs go to those who will do it for the least, not who do it the best. That the money hidden and buried away from those that earn it goes to folks who would rather have several hundred employees of theirs on food stamps rather than cut them a several dollar an hour raise.
The current management style will fail, and it will be because pilot groups like ours have stood up for themselves and told the powers that be that we will no longer accept nominal wages and treatment.
Please, to all those considering Mesaba- apply here. Join the group that is working as hard as possible to end the separation of mainline vs. regional because we recognize that the only difference between us is the number on our paychecks. It sure as heck ain't the aircraft, routes, responsibility or skill.
Who's with me?

 

[Cargoboy]

Walk in my resume and get me the interview.....I will take it from there for you.....and I am behind you.

 

[WrightAvia]

WrightAvia- I won't stand for you calling us whiners. Yes, I'm in the correct thread. Having read what you've written, it would appear that you have a low opinion of the pilot group

You are extrapolating. I never said anything about THE PILOT GROUP. You knew when you took the job what the pay scale would be. You knew that positions are based on seniority. You knew that unless someone retired, died, moved on or unless there was some expansion, you'd sit right seat till you could bid upwards. If you don't like the job...jump ship like eric and joel did or shut up and fly.

I'M not picking on the XJ pilots as a group. Just the whiners. During the last downturn, guys sat right seat at American Eagle for 7 years and then got passed over for major jobs, by 6 month FO's from their same airline when hiring picked up. Maybe when that happens to you, you can come back and whine some more.

Main Entry: ex·trap·o·late
Pronunciation: ik-'stra-p&-"lAt
Function: verb
Inflected Form(s): -lat·ed; -lat·ing
Etymology: Latin extra outside + English -polate (as in interpolate) -- more at EXTRA-
Date: 1874
transitive senses
1 : to infer (values of a variable in an unobserved interval) from values within an already observed interval
2 a : to project, extend, or expand (known data or experience) into an area not known or experienced so as to arrive at a usually conjectural knowledge of the unknown area <extrapolates present trends to construct an image of the future> b : to predict by projecting past experience or known data <extrapolate public sentiment on one issue from known public reaction on others>
intransitive senses : to perform the act or process of extrapolating
- ex·trap·o·la·tion /-"stra-p&-'lA-sh&n/ noun
- ex·trap·o·la·tive /-'stra-p&-"lA-tiv/ adjective
- ex·trap·o·la·tor /-"lA-t&r/ noun