Mesaba still hiring?

[WMUSIGPI]

Come on! You know if it's on flight info it has to be true.

:beer:

That's great, then when can I expect my Q400 manuals to show up to study?

 

[Hulk Hogan]

Too expensive?? We are one of the cheapest on the block right now. Even with snapbacks at year 4, chances are we will still be pretty cheap. Don't you remember the line graphs?

 

[marycon]

Take it for what it is worth, on the 28th in recurrent ground B.P. and J.S. came in and spoke to us. The CRJ deliveries are on schedule for 2 a month, a couple of months where 3 will show up. First 4 MSP based, then 8 in DTW, then I think it was 4 in MEM. The flight schedules are out for the first three months and they are selling tickets on them. No new previously unserved Mesaba cities. No CRJ will overnight in the hubs, looks like Cedar Rapids will end up having quite a few overnighting there and consequently that is one of several cities they are looking at establishing a mx base.

The majority of new hires for now are going into the Saab. Another Saab sim opening up in STL as the two in MSP are runnning 20 hours a day so expect Saab rft's and pc's to be more than likely in STL.

Compass is also using a couple of XJ's rooms at the MSP training center to conduct pilot interviews and I believe are using PAIFA's 727 sim for evals.

This is the best I can recollect for now, and again all can change at a moment's notice.

 

[Lazy8]

The majority of those still here, were hired during two huge growth spurts. Change over from Dash to Avro, which occured directly after another spurt (change over from Metro to Saab). The industry was slightly different then, if you weren't pushing 1500 and 500, you didn't have anything (you met the mins, but wouldn't get hired). We were a respected airline, with high safety stantards, and an great pilot group. Rebulishuttlenaqua was smaller than us (and didn't have any jets), Skywest was a nobody, and Mesa stayed on the west coast. We complained about Management, but didn't realize how much worse it would get. So definately a different landscape.

That being said, if airlines would have hired me a 600/50 my (and most others) apps would have been out then. I don't blame a anyone one bit. But realize if you come here that a lot of our pilots signed on for quick upgrades and shiney jets too, now they have sat in the right seat for almost 8 years and have become somewhat bitter on the whole situation.

Turn in you app, if you get hired great, congratulations and Welcome Onboard. Then check any attitude you may have at the door.

Thanks for the info. I've known quite a few FO's there recently that have moved over to SkyWest. I don't see why it would be the newhires that need a checked attitude at the door since (I would assume) we would just be happy to be there. The bad attitudes are already there, they aren't coming in the door. I have a hard time believing you're going to see a lot of newhires pissed that they didn't get the jet.

I'm not basing my job search on the fastest upgrade possible, but i'm certainly happy if it turns out to be fast. I wouldn't care if I was on a turboprop or jet. I'll just be damn happy to finally be in the 121 world so I can start building the experience required for bigger and better things.

Like we both agree on it's an opportunity and it's worth a shot for anyone with the minimum times. Nobody knows the future of Mesaba. Maybe it will get worse, maybe not; however, in the regional business I think most pilots tend to ignore the positives and thrive on the negatives. As they say, plan for the worst and hope for the best!

Thanks again

g

 

[pilot754]

Interview

I have an interview on Wednesday April 11. I'll fly out from LAX on Tuesday April 10. If anyone has fresh info please share.

1411TT
126 MEL
1 Turbine
BA-Degree
121-ATP Written
CRM-Trained
Flight Physiology and Alt. Chamber Trained

Thanks
[email protected]

 

[westbound]

Take it for what it is worth, on the 28th in recurrent ground B.P. and J.S. came in and spoke to us. The CRJ deliveries are on schedule for 2 a month, a couple of months where 3 will show up. First 4 MSP based, then 8 in DTW, then I think it was 4 in MEM. The flight schedules are out for the first three months and they are selling tickets on them. No new previously unserved Mesaba cities. No CRJ will overnight in the hubs, looks like Cedar Rapids will end up having quite a few overnighting there and consequently that is one of several cities they are looking at establishing a mx base.

It will be slow in the summer then 2-3 CRJ's a month from fall into 2008.

 

[saabservant]

Not fresh, but why come here? SLoooow upgrade, into a saab. Mgmt. treats you like s***, and all the new jets in Minneapolis are going to COMPASS.
With your time and education, go to the quickest upgrade.
I've said it before, Mesaba is a black hole for your career...

 

[MesabaDriver]

... and all the new jets in Minneapolis are going to COMPASS.
.

Can you explain that one too me please...

 

[SEVEN]

I have an interview on Wednesday April 11. I'll fly out from LAX on Tuesday April 10. If anyone has fresh info please share.

1411TT
126 MEL
1 Turbine
BA-Degree
121-ATP Written
CRM-Trained
Flight Physiology and Alt. Chamber Trained

Thanks
[email protected]

Couple new gouges on www.aviationinterviews.com

 

[xjhawk]

I am not one of those basher type guys......

Couple new gouges on www.aviationinterviews.com

but this is too hard to resist. an e mail like "jetpilot" @whatever mail.com. mmmmmm does he realise we have a lot of saabs? that there are a lot of bitter people here at XJ that take any chance to hate something and run with it? When I was hired into the AVRO, i made sure to check any ego at the door and just be thankful that I had the opportunity to fly a great plane. Once when my sunglasses case broke and I left my sunglasses on my head in the crew room so they would not get broken in my bag, i had more than one saab guy, who i did not even know try to rip me a new one for being a too good jet pilot. So, leave you glasses in your bag, change your email, if you will ever up grade at XJ, I am sure it will be in the saab.....oh yes, and do not let the haters and bitter FO's here get you down,and do not hate 9E (pinnacle) either, they are just as we are, screwed by the color of our tail of the planes we fly.

 

[Hulk Hogan]

ha ha hawk is a jet princess!

 

[xjhawk]

nope, i am a Saab bi otch

 

[WMUSIGPI]

Interesting, I don't remember anyone being looked down on for flying the Avro instead of the Saab. I do remember a few Avro captains that didn't really like the CVG base and thought it took away from their schedules. But that was about it, FA's on the other hand......

 

[CptMurf]

Just to clarifly my post abit... And for the record, this is in no way pointed at you Grove, just a broad statement.

I don't see why it would be the newhires that need a checked attitude at the door since (I would assume) we would just be happy to be there. The bad attitudes are already there, they aren't coming in the door. I have a hard time believing you're going to see a lot of newhires pissed that they didn't get the jet.

The attitude is not a "bad" one, it's a "cocky" one. To hold out for the jet over the Saab...Get over yourself. As a former Avro newhire, during deliveries. Your schedule and paycheck will be better on the Saab and the upgrade comes at the same time no matter what. In either aircraft, it will realistically take about 6 months to catch up, settle in, and be a productive part of the crew.

 

[gnx99]

Here's the latest Mesaba article in the StarTribune.

Last update: April 01, 2007 – 6:21 PM

Mesaba hopes to be flying high soon as NWA-owned airline
Hiring is becoming a priority for the regional carrier as it begins moving toward exiting bankruptcy this month.

By Liz Fedor, Star Tribune

After surviving a rough ride in bankruptcy, Mesaba Airlines is planning to hire about 800 employees between now and the end of 2008 as the airline expands its fleet by 36 regional jets.
About 350 to 360 of those new jobs will be in the Twin Cities.

Mesaba, based in Eagan, is poised to exit bankruptcy this month and soon will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Northwest Airlines.

In October 2005, Mesaba followed Northwest into Chapter 11. Both carriers have restructured, and Mesaba has been tapped to fly new regional jets that Northwest is acquiring from Canada-based Bombardier.

Last year Mesaba employees accepted pay and benefit cuts and work rule changes that allowed the airline to cut labor costs by nearly 16 percent. Since 2005, Northwest cut Mesaba's fleet in half, from 100 to 50 planes.

In an interview with the Star Tribune, Mesaba President John Spanjers characterized the past 18 months in bankruptcy as "a very stressful and difficult time" for Mesaba employees. "We are starting to build and move forward again. There is a lot of excitement," he added.

The first new Canadair Regional Jet (CRJ) will go into service in June, and another dozen planes will arrive this year. By the end of 2008, Mesaba will be flying three dozen new planes. Spanjers said the cities to be served by the 76-seaters, which have first-class cabins, will be chosen by Northwest in coming months.

Tom Wychor, chairman of the Mesaba pilots union, said the CRJs represent the future of the carrier, but they are "replacement aircraft" for the old four-engine Avros that Northwest phased out of the fleet. Since those planes were removed, virtually all Mesaba pilots have been paid less to fly small Saab turboprops.

"The toll of the bankruptcy period and the retraction to the smaller, lower-paying Saabs for many of our pilots has been immense," Wychor said.

"We've already hired 100 pilots and have them assigned to new-hire [training] classes through June," Spanjers said. He acknowledged that there is tough competition to hire regional pilots in the current marketplace, but said Mesaba has attracted high-quality pilots in the past and Northwest's purchase of the company provides some stability for the future.

He anticipates Mesaba's employment will grow from 3,200 currently to 4,000 by the time all of the jets arrive next year. Mesaba had 3,897 employees when it entered bankruptcy.

Mesaba expects to employ 320 additional pilots, including 88 who've been recalled, Spanjers said. About 300 more flight attendants will be needed to staff the new aircraft, and 85 mechanics.

Spanjers also indicated that Mesaba will hire an additional 30 mechanics to do heavy maintenance on the Saabs near Wausau, Wis. Previously, that work was outsourced to a company in Nashville.

Nathan Winch, Mesaba Airlines representative for the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association (AMFA), said the heavy maintenance work was outsourced in 2003, but it is returning to Mesaba mechanics as a result of the new labor contract that was negotiated last year.

"We'd like to see the airlines do all of their maintenance in-house," Winch said. "We believe it is good for us, good for the airlines and good for passengers."

Under the union contract, Winch said newly hired mechanics would earn $12.08 to $13.84 per hour.

When AMFA mechanics went on strike at Northwest in 2005, many mechanics at the top of the scale were making about $36 an hour.

Based on the wages that Mesaba is paying, Kevin Wildermuth, lead Mesaba AMFA negotiator, said, "I don't think they'll be hiring experience for that wage." Instead, Wildermuth said, he anticipates that Mesaba will be hiring beginning mechanics.

Creditors are currently reviewing Mesaba's reorganization plan, which includes a total of $1.1 million in incentive payments to Mesaba's top five executives.

Spanjers, who is set to receive a payment of $308,348, said the executives declined incentive pay last year. They also took base pay cuts of 9.1 percent.

Spanjers said the proposed payments for the executives were deemed fair by the creditors committee, and they are tied to completing the bankruptcy process.

Wychor said airline employees have taken "drastic pay and benefit reductions" and that "we expect our sacrifice to be shared by management."

Liz Fedor • 612-673-7709 • [email protected]

©2007 Star Tribune. All rights reserved.

 

[afpilotselect]

Are there any A model saabs left or is it just the B's? Does anyone think Mesaba will actually pick up those CRJ-200's? Sounds like NW just grabbing pinnacle by the balls.

 

[gnx99]

Vacancy Award 07-03 is out. Looks like all 32 new hires are going to Memphis Saab.

 

[WMUSIGPI]

Are there any A model saabs left or is it just the B's? Does anyone think Mesaba will actually pick up those CRJ-200's? Sounds like NW just grabbing pinnacle by the balls.

Only B+ models remain.
I doubt we are getting the Pinnacle CR2's but I suppose it could happen... Don't have a clue how we could possibly train enough new pilots for those in addition to the CR9's