PACE interview for MESA

[flya380]

Some of you guys attended the PACE interview for MESA recently?
Any info appreciated........

 

[tataki]

Are you thinking about doing the PACE program or you allready enrolled.

 

[flya380]

just planning.....

 

[wheelsup]

Some of you guys attended the PACE interview for MESA recently?
Any info appreciated........

There's a sim eval where you fly a pattern handed to you, no memorization required, just read it and fly. Then you do an ILS here in FMN. The pattern is scored, don't be off an altitude, airspeed, heading, vsi and you'll come out good. ILS is cake, not even scored, no procedures required, we tell you when to do everything. You start at the OM.

Not sure about what happens at the college. I think a psyc test and maybe a written test, but I'm not sure.

~wheelsup

 

[Tazman282]

There's a sim eval where you fly a pattern handed to you, no memorization required, just read it and fly. Then you do an ILS here in FMN. The pattern is scored, don't be off an altitude, airspeed, heading, vsi and you'll come out good. ILS is cake, not even scored, no procedures required, we tell you when to do everything. You start at the OM.

Not sure about what happens at the college. I think a psyc test and maybe a written test, but I'm not sure.

~wheelsup

I think the ILS is also scored but he may be correct. I know they have a print out at the end. The written is 30 questions based on the Instrument Written, straight forward ?'s nothing tricky. There is also a one on one interview. Nothing hard just be yourself. If you have any questions PM me. Good luck.

 

[labbats]

http://www.airlinepilotcentral.com/content/view/74/18/

Check out those payrates, boys! I'm sure you'll be calling your significant other with tales of pride as you wait in the ORD penalty box without pay. Bragging to the others in the food stamp line about your 4 hour layover in an airport that you don't have a crew room in. People will congratulate you on your wise move to skip earning your keep through flight instruction and supporting the low wages offered by the bottom paying airline. Your payments to the loan officer will be paid with a smile as you spend the other half of your paychecks on Ramen and re-read that newspaper that someone left laying around in the crew room. Hats off to you, Mesa!

 

[daddysquared]

It never ceases to amaze me how many pilots are crybabies. Whaa Whaa, he skipped being a flight instructor, flying freight, et. al., and is now bringing down the industry single handedly by flying for Mesa. I don't know what makes me more hesitant about pursuing a flying career, the low wages to start (whether that be instructing, flying freight, ANY regional airline, etc.), or having to put up with the miserable turds that I may potentially run into and have to fly with. If a guy goes to PACE and drops $20K to skip flying the pattern in a 152 with a student while earning $15K a year for a couple years of flight instructing, that is his choice. If he wants to build time doing traffic watch or aerial photography or banner towing or dropping parachuters out of planes, then that is his right as well. Some guys drop close to $200K attending Embry/Riddle. You can't fault them for that. The way you choose to walk is up to each individual, and no way is the "right" way for everyone. Man I hope the majority of the pilots out there do NOT frequent this board and piss and moan about any and every little thing. Perhaps Labbats is just having a bad day. Hope things get better for you, kid.

Peace

 

[tataki]

http://www.airlinepilotcentral.com/content/view/67/18/
http://www.airlinepilotcentral.com/content/view/64/18/
http://www.airlinepilotcentral.com/content/view/81/18/

The other ones are not that much better...

 

[mayday1]

People will congratulate you on your wise move to skip earning your keep through flight instruction and supporting the low wages offered by the bottom paying airline.

Labbats, I hear some of your points, but the low wages offered by the airlines are not because of PFT, PACE, ERAU, GIA, or any other flight school/program/whathaveyou... the low wages are supply and demand.. throngs of qualified pilots (including CFIs) willingly line up to take $18k/yr FO slots at the regionals... that's what's driving low wages, not PFT.

If you were a business owner and you had a potential market of qualified, eager, candidates willing to work for peanuts, wouldn't you pay peanuts?

 

[labbats]

I'm just relaying what I hear the Mesa crews saying on the crew vans we share. I also personally disagree that paying twice as much for flight training makes you more competent to fly a jet.

 

[labbats]

http://www.airlinepilotcentral.com/content/view/67/18/
http://www.airlinepilotcentral.com/content/view/64/18/
http://www.airlinepilotcentral.com/content/view/81/18/

The other ones are not that much better...

I did a poor job just linking some pay rates. A lot of people on this Training section aren't aware of anything more than this to differentiate between the various regionals. Mesa doesn't pay block or better, which means that if you were to fly a leg from Atlanta to Miami that was scheduled for 2 hours, but due to delays it took you 4 hours... you'd get paid for 2 hours. That adds up
Also, the per diem they pay when compared to an average regional with a 300 hour away from base line, would add up to about $150 a month after taxes.
Then compare how staffing treats you. How many days off a month are you guaranteed at Mesa? Everywhere else?

This rant is my own way of letting those who don't know about airlines, and just getting into the business know that all of them are not created equal.

I've got plenty of gripes at my own job, but I honestly enjoy the job. I'm also one of those that went into it with my eyes wide open. I doubt many of those signing on the dotted line at MAPD know all this.

 

[Earl Williams]

Labbats, amongst others, seem quick to stereotype Mesa as being the "bottom paying airline", yet the evidence provided seems to contradict. I'm in no way attempting to defend Mesa, trust me. However, I think everyone needs to realize that there really isn't THAT much difference between regional carriers (at least according to PAY, which is what is being judged here). According to the link, of the regionals that fly comparable equipment (50+ seat jets), a quick look at first year FO pay reveals the following: Skywest: $19, ASA: $19, Pinnacle: $21, Mesa: $21, Chautauqua: $22, Comair: $23, Mesaba: $24, Horizon; $27.

At least based on the facts, Mesa appears to be about average. And, yes, I realize that this is strictly based on first year FO pay (and doesn't include per diem, nor "waiting in the ORD penalty box without pay"). Yet, unless one is content on making a regional a career move (I would assume that most pilots at Mesa are not) it really doesn't justify comparing 15 year CA pay at Mesa to, for example, Comair. For all that I hear, very few look at a regional such as Mesa as a career move, and thus don't go there for the prospects of what they'll be paid as a Captain 15 years later.

If you want to criticize Mesa, feel free...I have no desire, nor reason, to stop you. However, do so intelligently, and base your reasoning on facts, not rumors, or what you "hear in a crew van". I'd bet Mesa pilots would be the last one's to stop you from criticizing their contract or sub-par QOL. I'm sure they would prefer to be paid block or better, have duty rigs, and a few more days off per bid. But when it comes down to it, THEY are the one's that have to live with whatever they got themselves into. Why not just consider yourself fortunate that you don't, and leave it at that?

Assuming Labbats, based on your times, you're a regional pilot...and obviously don't work for Mesa. Good for you. But instead of slamming Mesa pilots (who, other than a crappy contract, aren't much different than you) why not just be happy that you don't work there, and cut them some slack. Call JO every name in the book (he deserves it) but to stereotype and demean the entire pilot group is, in my opinion, pretty immature and classless.

In the infamous words of Rodney King, "Can't we all just get along, man?" http://forums.flightinfo.com/images/icons/icon26.gif

 

[rtmcfi]

Think long and hard before going to any ab-initio program. Labbats is right. The senior mesa pilots pay is ok. The growth at mesa is slowing. You will be an FO for a long time. Compare 5th year fo pay rates. QOL at mesa sucks. Lots of people leave Mesa to lateral to other airlines where they are treated like humans. I am not going to get into the history of mesa's contract. Let's just say it did not make the rest of the industry too happy.

If a guy goes to PACE and drops $20K to skip flying the pattern in a 152 with a student while earning $15K a year for a couple years of flight instructing, that is his choice. If he wants to build time doing traffic watch or aerial photography or banner towing or dropping parachuters out of planes, then that is his right as well. Some guys drop close to $200K attending Embry/Riddle. You can't fault them for that. The way you choose to walk is up to each individual, and no way is the "right" way for everyone.

True enough, but incredibly short-sighted. This type of pay for training program destroys the very career you are attempting to buy your way into. Mesa realizes that after you fork over the $, you are theirs. Plain and simple. No one else will hire you. You have painted yourself into a corner. Mesa pays you dirt, treats you like dirt, and passes this savings on to Delta, United, Airways, whoever. Mainline outsources more of their domestic routes to Mesa. The good airline jobs literally are replaced by bad ones (yours). Other regionals follow mesas lead. Repeat this over and over. The myth of 1000 pic and out the door is what fuels this. Realize that you are probably going to be at a regional for about 7 years or so. Choose wisely.....