Need advice, Great Lakes, Airnet, or 208

[Jabwmu]

I'm already complaining about quality of life and I haven't even interviewed at Lakes yet. Just kidding. Airnet seems to be the safest, most popular, and perhaps smartest move. I still have a few weeks to decide. Thats why I posted. I've been a member for almost two years but have never posted until this week. I'm aware of the PFT and Mesa stuff going around. Thats why I posted about Great Lakes (their history). Take the good with the bad, make the best decision. I appreciate everyones advice.

 

[wil]

If you have 1000 turbine then go to Airnet. Otherwise, I would stay put till then. Good luck-

 

[Future SNA]

I wouldn't sign any contract with the intent of breaking it.

No where did I say you should go someplace with a training contract, with the intent to break it? What I said was, I have broken several training contracts, in order to advance my career SIGNIFICANTLY, and I have had no negative reprocussions.

As far as I know, employers don't typically have you sign consent to background searches until AFTER they've essentially already hired you. My current 121 job, which I'm in training for now, actually NEW I was going to give my previous 135 employer only 4 days notice, and walk on a contract, and the only thing they said about it was be sure and let us know if you can't attend ground school, and we will put you in the next class, and that was just because they asked what my employer would think leaving with 4 days notice, and I told them the truth flat out. Let's be honest, if your honest in your interview, and have a positive attitude, and are personable, things like this........"probably" won't hurt you.

Pre 9/11 stuff like this was commonplace, hell, didn't I read someplace that companies were telling guys to go through USA JET's training program, quit, and then they'd hire them? Yeah, that's wrong, but nothing like what I've done.

Besides, one 135 company was crap anyways, and the next was actually GREAT, but, career advancement takes presidence over things sometimes. I still stand-by my statement of "breaking a contract isn't always a bad thing," but I also never said to go into a job planning to do this. I got laid off from a job with, all of about 4 hours notice, so tell me how what happened to me is right, and what I did was wrong? MOST employers care about one thing, and one thing only, themselves......135 speaking, I never thought this way, till it bit me from behind. I, understand they're great companies out there, my previous job was one of them, but unfortunately I found out the hard way the others weren't as great. Odd thing is, even the companies I've quit, I GUARANTEE that would be the only thing they had bad to say about me, one even told my previous employer I did a great job there, but that they were pissed I left on a whim. What can you do?

 

[propjockey]

Lakes isn't so bad

Seems like most of the people who bash Lakes have never worked there. Lakes is and always has been a great springboard to bigger and better things. When the majors were hiring, it was a virtual pipeline to United, FedEx, American, Delta, etc.

Even in today's airline economy, people are getting great jobs out of Lakes (myself included). I have many friends who have moved on already, as well.

It was a great place to get my start. And there aren't too many other regionals, if any, where I could have been awarded upgrade as soon as I hit 1500 hours.

Yes, pay and QOL suck, but nobody plans to stay there. 15 months is not as long as you think. Get your 1000 121 turbine PIC there and move on.

And I'll believe that Lakes is going out of business when I see it.

 

[starchkr]

wil...
HUH?!?!?!?!? What the heck does that mean..."If you have 1000 turbine then go to Airnet." What does 100 turbine have to do with going to Airnet?

Anyway, i too am biased, but i have seen the light and know that coming to airnet was a great choice. Yes it took me 3 years to upgrade to the lear(thanks to 9/11 and the fact that i was VERY picky as to which one to take), but it has been coming down fast. If i understand the word here lately, a 13 month pilot just got the SAT lear F/O. Yep, 1 year and 1 month to the lear.

LEts also tackle the come to airnet and do your year then leave for the regionals issue... WHY?!?!?!?! That's crazy if you ask me! With the upgrades coming down, and the fact that our Lear Capts go straight to the majors, why would you want to take a step backwards for the regionals. But, to each his own. So far this year, 1 capt has taken a SWA job, while others have moved to ATA. If things go as they should, probably at least 10-12 more should be gone to SWA by years end, with others leaving for other major venues. So see, you do not have to fly for the regionals to get a job at the majors.

Also, if you happen to get a Van spot at Airnet, that time counts just as well as multi time for your upgrade into the lear. That means, if you were to build no more multi time until the lear, then you will only have built turbine multi with airnet.

Good luck

 

[fossil123]

Just curious,
Does single engine turbine time count towards anything. It seems like everywhere, they want the multi. If your stuck with the Caravan for a year, your pretty much where you started if you didn't like Airnet and tried to look somewhere else.

 

[Lost]

I'm with propjockey, most of the Lakes bashing is by people who haven't worked there and just repeat what they've heard. Nobody is there to be a career FO. It's a stepping stone and it serves it's purpose. You do your time and get out to a better place quicker than you could at any other companies. BTW, this place has been going out of business since day 1 and still remains...there not going anywhere.

 

[Jabwmu]

If you have 1000 turbine then go to Airnet. Otherwise, I would stay put till then.

I think what Wil is saying is that with 1000 PIC turbine you'll be able to get on with a UPS, FedEx, Southwest, etc. Then by going to Airnet you'd get the multi time. I could be wrong.

 

[8HourPilot]

EAS = Essential Air service

AKA = Uncle Sam adds a few bucks to the mix to make sure somebody goes to a place like CIU....(could'nt resisit).

Lata

 

[General Lee]

Go to Great Lakes, spend your 15 months or whatever flying your A$$ off on the BE1900, and if you don't see an upgrade in sight--go to Air Wisconsin or some other regional that is growing and get on an RJ. If you want to fly passengers for a living--go this route. If you want to fly boxes--then go the other way. It sounds like you have some PIC turbine (single engine on the Caravan) and enough PIC time not to HAVE TO get more multi PIC in the Baron. You will get multi time in the BE1900--and that "crew" time is probably more valuable to interviewers. Go for Lakes.

Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[Sberry]

It all depends on what you want. If you want to eventually move to a major airline then its a pretty easy choice go to Great Lakes. There is no other quicker upgrade around to get PIC 121 time which is what you need for other airlines.
Yes, the pay sucks and working conditions could be better but you know what you are getting into. And like the other post said people have said this place is going out of business ever since its existance. This place isn't going anywhere!! As for a training contract that is correct 15month contract.

 

[Dave Benjamin]

What I said was, I have broken several training contracts, in order to advance my career SIGNIFICANTLY, and I have had no negative reprocussions.

You left the word "yet" out.

From what I've seen at my airline you would probably not get hired with negative PRIA reports. That statement is based on what I've heard from individuals that have had negative reports and in no way reflects anything official. Any decent carrier will want to know why a former employer has checked the box marked "not eligible for rehire." Right now it's an employer's marketplace. Every carrier has a few thousand apps on file. Why would they hire someone with a couple of negative reports when there is a surplus of qualified pilots with nothing negative in their files?


Which 121 carrier are you in training for? Pax or freight?