Mesaba

[saabservant]

See www.alpa.org for two updates on the lawsuit filed against the company for bad faith bargaining and attempts to go around the union...

It's a good company, with some great people, and the pilot group is well led(by the union), and unified.
The new mgmt. team are all NWA appointed accountant and lawyer jackals. As a senior ALPA official put it to me recently, its all about "what is a pilot worth?". Not much, according to NWA...

Note to all young hard-chargers chomping for a flying job...
we've all been there, and any job flying something larger than a 172 sounds good, but try to remember your long term career and family goals before going somewhere like freedom airlines, which was set up only to drastically lower any living standards that may exist in this pathetic industry. Unless you are happy to continue living in someone's basement, eating beans and rice. The ATA, RAA, and executives like Ornstein would be happy to accomodate you.

We hope this battle is over soon, and we see you on board!

 

[SeaX]

For our route map just look at A/C 454. It is painted over the whole fuselage.

you mean 439 and 441 right

 

[CWASaab]

xj info

Yep, Simon Says has been out of the saab too long... it is 439XJ and 441XJ that have the route maps on them, but then again, who can read the map through the grime & flaked paint?

Of course those route maps probably still show BEH. Boy it would have sucked to be doing a BEH overnight earlier this week, we would have needed that armoured police car I saw on CNN as a crew car to get through the 'hood and to the hotel.

If memory serves 454XJ is the "500th Saab Airliner".

As far as flying the saab, I loved it, but then again I didn't have to fly it in MEM this time of year. It is underpowered, prone to W&B issues and I think the Swedes did all the test flights during the winter with no one aboard, but it was a blast.

As far as hiring goes, we are currently recalling all of our pilots on furlough. Considering that they *had* to cancel some Saab Vacations in July this is overdue. There is rumor that we might hire some (the number I have heard is approx. 20). Pure rumor as far as I know at this point, no facts to back this up.

If, and I stress, IF, we hire think long and hard and be nice to your current employer. The company recalled last summer, only to furlough those pilots again in the fall when the summer flying went away. That could be in your future as well.

Please also consider what others have said here, and I will reiterate: We have a great group of employees here, a great company with history, pride and industry-leading performance. We do however suffer from mis-mangement NWA style, and a lack of leadership from the plush offices in the GO.

If you can weather a seasonal furlough, or possibly a strike in the next 6-12 months, getting in now could be a gold mine. Many of us think that when this contract gets settled XJ will be getting CRjs, and growing again, and being on the list before that happens could be golden.

One last caution, take anything said by Mesaba2425 with a judicious grain of salt... we don't know who he is and he won't say, needless to say the suspicion is that he is not a pilot but rather somewhere on the management organizational chart.

CWASaab,
well... Not anymore

 

[WrightAvia]

hey...whatever happened to ERIC ASHERMAN...he was an RJ85 FO. I also heard that Joel Boozeman left Mesaba to go to Air Willy probably just after his 1 year hire contract was up.

 

[Simon Says]

HEHEHE.......it has been too long.

 

[Gator1999]

Yep,
Aschermann left here a few months ago for Comair and Buseman has gone to Air Wisconsin.

 

[flyn96]

For all of you who actually care 451 is the 500th Saab Regional airliner.

 

[WrightAvia]

Thanks Gator 1999!

Sorry to hear that guys are jumping ship over there at XJ but it was good to hear what them guys are up to. I had heard about Joel moving, but the guys I bumped into over by the RJ ramp at memphis said they had never heard of Eric.

That means out of the four of us that went to Berlin in that class, none work for XJ anymore. Danny Chapmann went on to FEDEX to be a 727 flight engineer.

 

[whiff]

hi there- Anyone know if Scott Hafferkamp is still w/ you guys? Last I heard he was on the Saab out of Detroit.

 

[Cargoboy]

Well I am glad I am waiting for Mesaba and not just jumping to the first thing that comes down the pipe. I know your conracts are going to go great. That is why I want to fly with that pilot group cause they are a great group of pilots and you for the most part all stick together.
Hey is Scott Lyndsey still working there in the HR Dept.?
Or is it Hoppe or Fierke that are in that spot?
thanks for the info.

 

[FO for life]

whiff:

Scott Hafferkamp is still here. we were in initial together - sits a number or two above me in DTW on SAAB and commutes from LAX.

 

[ksu_aviator]

Cargoboy-

I use to work at Mesaba, and I can't stress enough how far behind I am in my career for doing so. Everyone I know that worked outside Mesaba built a lot of time and have 1000+ hours more than me, their ATP and 500hours or more of turbine PIC. I only got 580 hours in 2 1/2 YEARS at Mesaba and all of that was as a reserve FO. DO NOT GO TO MESABA! The people are great, but its not worth putting your career 2 years behind to make 17K/year. To tell you the truth, Great Lakes would have been a better choice for me then Mesaba. And that isn't a plug for Great Lakes.

 

[Cargoboy]

Wow that is interesting. Most everyone I know who went through Mesaba just loved it and moved on rather simply to the next level. One is at United, the other two I knew were at Sun country until ther demise.
One thing is I have my ATP and sitting on some good hours from running cargo. I need the turbine time to get anywhere else and with a family here in the midwest I really like them.
You are def. the first person I know who hasn't liked flying for them and felt it hurt there career.
I am not saying you didin't like the people just that you never got any hours from them.
Why were you on reserve so long? I take it you made it in before the 9/11 and didn't get furloughed so you were stuck as a reserve since there was little or no movement after that?

 

[Cargoboy]

Hey does anyone know if Rich Harris still works at Mesaba as a Capt. I would believe. My old instgructor, trying to get a hold of him.
Thanks!

 

[OakRBust]

Cargoboy...

If you got hired at Mesaba in 96-98 it was a great place to work. Anybdy after that would probably not have the same feelings. Timimg is everything....and right now (at least until the contract is done and they hopefully announce some growth) aint the time to be heading to Mesaba.


The people there are the best so I hope that things get better soon so everyone can enjoy going to work again.

See Yaaaaaaa

Oak