New Mesaba Guy

[EMB Jockey]

Hey everyone...
Interviewed at Mesaba today for a Saab Captain position and was offered the job. I have a couple of ?'s that I hope some of you guys already there can answer. I forgot to ask today!

Hows the insurance at Mesaba? I currently pay about $330 a month for myself, my wife, and 1 child. Just curious about what you think of the insurance.

From what I read in the paperwork, you get paid every other friday. Is that true or is it the 15th and 30th?

Can you use your initial uniform allowance for a leather jacket? I already have a navy one from my current company.

Do you guys still wear hats?

When does 401k match start?

Do you have airport standby for reserve or is it just the 1.5 hour callout?

Any info would be great. Thanks!

 

[eaglefly]

Hey everyone...
Interviewed at Mesaba today for a Saab Captain position and was offered the job. I have a couple of ?'s that I hope some of you guys already there can answer. I forgot to ask today!

Hows the insurance at Mesaba? I currently pay about $330 a month for myself, my wife, and 1 child. Just curious about what you think of the insurance.

From what I read in the paperwork, you get paid every other friday. Is that true or is it the 15th and 30th?

Can you use your initial uniform allowance for a leather jacket? I already have a navy one from my current company.

Do you guys still wear hats?

When does 401k match start?

Do you have airport standby for reserve or is it just the 1.5 hour callout?

Any info would be great. Thanks!

Well, you'll be on reserve forever, so commuting will get very old very quickly, but if you stayed at Eagle, you'd be an F/O for a long time. If they get rid of the Saab's, you'll be back to F/O, though.........

Good Luck, "newbie".

 

[CptMurf]

Hows the insurance at Mesaba? I currently pay about $330 a month for myself, my wife, and 1 child. Just curious about what you think of the insurance.

From what I read in the paperwork, you get paid every other friday. Is that true or is it the 15th and 30th?

Can you use your initial uniform allowance for a leather jacket? I already have a navy one from my current company.

Do you guys still wear hats?

When does 401k match start?

Do you have airport standby for reserve or is it just the 1.5 hour callout?

Any info would be great. Thanks!

Insurance, well it was better, seems every year it costs more and there are more restrictions. Right now the family plan will cost you $135 per check. The insurance companies seem to be alright. Be prepaired to argue with Midwest Securities (Our plan administrator). They seem to screw everything up, don't keep their databases up to date, and are overall unfriendly to work with.

We get paid every other Friday 34.6 hours, which is base pay (75 x 12 = 900 / 26 = 34.6). Per diem comes on the closest check to the 15th of the month and overtime comes on the 2nd check of the month.

We don't wear leather jackets. We wear you grandpa's old blue trench coat.

The hats are still listed in the company handbook to be worn. And you will have to buy one. But only about 10% of the pilots wear them. It has not been an enforced policy for about 3 years.

One year before the company will match.

1.5 hour call out for reserves, plus an hour to prepare. You can take up to 2.5 before brake release without being in trouble, got over that though and there will be A Lot of explaining to do. There is a Ready Reserve policy, but we are way too short for them to use it. I was only used after 911 during the contract negotiations. Have not seen it sense 2003.

 

[updraft]

how much does one fly on reserve?
I would guess 40-50 hours a month.

 

[xjhawk]

The word I got on the leather jacket is they will not happen. Our current CEo/president does not like them, he does like his diet soda a lot though. I guess there was a push for the jackets earlier this year and it was shot down. You will not be able to afford a leather jacket if you are an FO.....unless you are blessed with rich parents who are still paying your flight training bills (which is common in our industry) right now there are both MEM and DTW captain positions on the vacancy notice. Take your pick.

 

[updraft]

sounds ok

 

[SEVEN]

Can you use your initial uniform allowance for a leather jacket? !

Here we go.....................

 

[avrorj-85]

On the plus side, I do think that you can use some of the uniform allowance for some really cool RayBan Aviator glasses...


Roger that, Mav.....

 

[SEVEN]

"You're too low Cougar! Pull up Cougar!"

 

[ImbracableCrunk]

Have you tried "Stealth"?

On the plus side, I do think that you can use some of the uniform allowance for some really cool RayBan Aviator glasses...


Roger that, Mav.....

Still with the Top Gun quotes, man? You're gonna retire at age 75 some day, and your FOs are all gonna be talking about how they think you have shell shock from the war or something.

"Dude, he's like always screamin' about his wingman and bein' too low! He musta been in some bad stuff."

 

[msuspartans24]

Well, you'll be on reserve forever, so commuting will get very old very quickly, but if you stayed at Eagle, you'd be an F/O for a long time. If they get rid of the Saab's, you'll be back to F/O, though.........

Good Luck, "newbie".

is there a chance that they will be getting rid of the saabs? I haven't heard that yet.

 

[Limeyflyer]

they have the saabs thru 2010

 

[Jamis81]

Saabs

For whats it is worth on the Saabs, The Maintenance Dept has been working on planning to fly the saabs another ten years...
Look at the DC-9's I can't see the saabs going anywhere for awhile..
Also, the Saabs will be getting the interiors redone (new padding in the seats at least) and repainted in the new nwa colors at the rate of 7 a year...

 

[Shaheen]

It's uncalled-for for you to mention pilots and their rich parents.

 

[Shaheen]

The word I got on the leather jacket is they will not happen. Our current CEo/president does not like them, he does like his diet soda a lot though. I guess there was a push for the jackets earlier this year and it was shot down. You will not be able to afford a leather jacket if you are an FO.....unless you are blessed with rich parents who are still paying your flight training bills (which is common in our industry) right now there are both MEM and DTW captain positions on the vacancy notice. Take your pick.

It's uncalled-for for you to mention pilots and their rich parents. I know so many of them who did not have rich parents but their parents still paid their flight training cost and I wish mine did too.

If your parents didn't work hard enough to pay for your schooling then you shouldn't be jealous of those who got their first jobs flying the jets and didn't have to pay anything towards their flight cost.

Perhaps you should learn a lesson and start saving and help your kids through school and with their student loans be it for flight training, law, or medical school. I plan to do just that.

There are so many fine pilots with no flight costs [and rich parents] with superb attitudes and humility, and then there are those who had to pony up all costs, didn't get their flight training done until in their late 20s or early 30's, and are jealous...like you.

My 2 cents.

 

[XJohXJ]

Always angling for that popular vote there, S.!

 

[WMUSIGPI]

For whats it is worth on the Saabs, The Maintenance Dept has been working on planning to fly the saabs another ten years...
Look at the DC-9's I can't see the saabs going anywhere for awhile..
Also, the Saabs will be getting the interiors redone (new padding in the seats at least) and repainted in the new nwa colors at the rate of 7 a year...

I wonder if the paint schedule will actually last, or like last time will they find too much corrosion and decide to keep them the current pink.

 

[xjhawk]

come on DUDE

It's uncalled-for for you to mention pilots and their rich parents. I know so many of them who did not have rich parents but their parents still paid their flight training cost and I wish mine did too.

If your parents didn't work hard enough to pay for your schooling then you shouldn't be jealous of those who got their first jobs flying the jets and didn't have to pay anything towards their flight cost.

Perhaps you should learn a lesson and start saving and help your kids through school and with their student loans be it for flight training, law, or medical school. I plan to do just that.

There are so many fine pilots with no flight costs [and rich parents] with superb attitudes and humility, and then there are those who had to pony up all costs, didn't get their flight training done until in their late 20s or early 30's, and are jealous...like you.

My 2 cents.

Number one, get off your soap box! If you said something like that to me in person, I would bi...#$^v...tch slap you in the face for making comments to me about my parents or my morals or plans for my kids. For the record, I paid for my flight training 100% in cash and through service to my country in the INFANTRY (GI BILL). My parents, helped me in any ways they could. But they did not, nor could not hand my education on a platter, and like I said before, is common in our industry. I know pleanty of guys who were lucky enough for that benefit and they are great people who do not .......I am done responding to you, your an idiot and lack the thought process to understand my initial post.

 

[152hvy]

Hey there,
I'm a freight dog based in CWA flying the ATR. I'll be a 4th yr FO next yr and I'm not looking forward to logging 2000+sic. The saab might be the way for me to break my streak for a chance to upgrade, I hope I make it before they're gone!!!

BTW...I also paid for my training, instructing by day, tossing boxes at night, and also a weekend warrior.

 

[mesaba13]

How about teaching your children to work for something on their own in life? My parents paid for half of my college education and 2 years of college for 3 other siblings. They busted their a$$es working overtime for years to get all 4 of us through school. To expect them to cough up more money for flight training would be completely selfish.