Question about Colgan training

[ataopsdave]

Does anybody know if Colgan pays for your hotel during training and also does colgan pay you during training and if so how much.

 

[tittyjet]

They pay for your training double-occupancy, then you get paid retroactively when you pass your checkride (if I remember correctly).

 

[BRA]

i think it is $50 per day you are in class or sim. Hotel is covered as well. Of course, it could always change i guess.

 

[TheBigH]

When I interviewed two weeks ago they told us $50/day plus hotel ....

 

[great cornholio]

When I did it two years ago the hotel was paid for but you had a roommate. Also if you live within 50 miles of the training center then they don't provide the hotel. Got paid 50 bucks a day when you are in class or sim. No per diem. Get pay checks on the normal pay days while you are in training. That was two years ago so it might have changed.

 

[Capn Lucky]

Pray that your roomie doesn't snore. I can't believe we're still buds after that month.

 

[druglord]

yeah you could end up sleeping in the bathroom This can easily be done by placing the pillow at the one end of the bathroom your blankets and sheets on the floor and you can easily curl your legs around the thunderbox and this works quite well. LGA may be different though

 

[Capn Lucky]

Hey DL,

It only took you 5 minutes to respond. That must be a record.

C Ya!!!

 

[TheBigH]

Pray that your roomie doesn't snore. I can't believe we're still buds after that month.

It's cool, I'll probably be the one snoring ....

 

[chperplt]

DL

Are you spending much time sleeping in the bathroom lately?

 

[DX Rick]

Why?

Does anybody know if Colgan pays for your hotel during training and also does colgan pay you during training and if so how much.

Why? You planning on ditching out on your class?

 

[ataopsdave]

No, a friend of mine has an interview there on the 23rd and he was just wondering.

 

[BRA]

I don't want to be captain obvious but i wanted to give some advise. If you are going for 1900 training, make sure you show up instrument current. No auto pilot in this. It will be miserable if you don't. Accept this as fact. If you have NDB, or holding demons in your past, kill them before you come here. Put your ego aside and spend a couple hundred dollars on a twin with a MEI and practice. It's not being a whore. In my class i think we all had around 1000+ hours. I don't remember anyone saying it was a walk in the park. We were nervous and studied a lot everyday. People do wash out here sometimes. It may not be CRJ trraining, but it is work. I think you get 8 or so sims plus a checkride. 8 sim sessions at about 2 hours of flying time a session = 16 hours. Just keep it in mind.

Make sure to bring plenty of clothes for training. I would guess it takes a month and a half to get from day one of ground school to your first flight in the real plane. Business casual for groundschool. (ties need not be present) It's nice to have a car in manassas, but not required. If you have a hot car then bring that. You may see some FA's in training at manassas. Hotels have irons...but may not have a fridge. You may want to bring 3-4 extra hangars for your shirts. (double occupany) You could bring snacks from home...crackers, chips or whatever. Bring something to write with and paper for groundschool. Notecards are up to you. Depends on how you like to study. I believe you get 3 tests in groundschool, and a checkride and oral in the sim. Non rev benifits might begin in class...and you may have a few opportunties to go home for a few days. Lay off the drugs before ground school...at some point in their they take you to get tested. If you have any casual cocaine tendencies get them cleared up before groundschool. Track marks may be visible to the alert observer. If you have a laptop bring it. Hotels probably have a place to plug in and use it in the rooms. Good luck and have fun!

 

[TheBigH]

Thanks for the heads up BRA !


I got a 1900 installed on my sim on the laptop, trying to stay current with that and some time in the Duchass


Just out of curiosity, what kind of hours are you guys getting on the line right now, I've heard some people say that they were getting around 50 a month, that seems kinda low.

Thanks

 

[Capn Lucky]

The Fairfield has High Speed Internet now. I think it may be wireless, but I'm not sure. Just to second what Bra said, make sure that you've worked out any NDB bugs out. You never know if you'll be in a C or D sim. C has no flight director, its just a basic 6 pack with an RMI. You shouldn't be brushing up on your instrument skills while trying to fly the profiles.

 

[BRA]

I would say you will average 65-70 a month your first year. It could be a lot more...but probably not a whole lot less. Some bases are blocking people on the beech at around 100 hours a month. Lines like that usually only last so long though. At first the flying may be slim due to all the new FO's in the system. If past performance is an indicator of future results...we will be short on FO's again. I think out of the 7 that got online a few months ago...3 have already quit. We are losing around 8 FO's the next 2 months to upgrade. I believe all have been here about 2 years. They are upgrading to beech captain. I think we have around 210 pilots total now. Don't dread the training. I just wanted to give a heads up to anyone that has had a history of difficulty with any aspect of instrument flying. We are not a place that tries to wash out people...infact most people think very highly of the people that teach the classes.

 

[TheBigH]

Sounds good BRA, from your experience which are the bases with the higher times ? I was informed that Hyanis is a good one ( I imagine mostly in the summer .) My #1 pick would be White Plains because I have a place to stay about 20 minutes from the airport.


Thanks for all the info ...

 

[English]

We are not a place that tries to wash out people...infact most people think very highly of the people that teach the classes.

Gotta interject here...when I went through training at Colgan, every FO that went through training on the Saab washed out, except for one that went through a few weeks later. Every single one of them was fired before they went to their checkride. My poor sim partner was floundering and received absolutely no help whatsoever, except what little I could give him. The training was atrocious, compared to where I came from (American Eagle). The Saab was a relatively new aircraft for them, so it was kinda understandable. They had no one flying the airplane with more than a few hundred hours in type.

In defense of maintenance, it actually seemed pretty good, compared to Eagle. Planes were clean and carried no write-ups. Of course, that was the Saab, not the Beech, and that was several years ago. I can't speak for what goes on there now.

Scott was in my new hire class, so I will be the last to defend the place. Just interjecting to give a fuller picture from the Saab side of the company.

 

[BRA]

I am speaking for the beech side of the house myself. Although i think your stories are in the past now. I believe they have a good handle on both sides as far as training goes. Whiteplains has been one of the bases that seems to fly the least. May be around 65 hours a month? If one is willing though...you might be able to pick up open time else where during the month. I would guess all the other beech bases are a gamble. It depends on how many FO's are based there. If one quits during the month...the other guys usually inherit that flying. This may happen automatically.

 

[TheBigH]

Cool, I guess 65 a month will be just fine in exchange for being able to stay at home. I actually learned to fly there so it'd be kinda nostalgic, at least for the first few flights ....

Thanks again ...