Regional or Ameristar

[Nightowl]

I have interviews with ASA, Xjet, and Ameristar. I'm grateful for all and know that an interview means nothing but any insight into which one I should go for. I would love to fly an RJ but would enjoy more money and a quicker upgrade at ameristar. I am a single guy so family isn't an issue. I plan on interviewing at all regardless.

 

[crashpad]

Your on the right track Nightowl and after you've had the opportunity to interview these companies (yes, it's a two-way street), you'll make the right decision for yourself. Good Luck!

 

[Captain X]

FWIW, I left Ameristar to go to a regional airline.

Hindsight being 20/20 I could (notice that's not should have stayed at AJC and gotten a 737 type and gone to SWA or somewhere else.

I too was single at the time.

Think of the higher pay at Ameristar as "combat pay." While there were many guys just like all of us who were there to build time there were also a good group of "cowboys" who put you and your certificate at risk every time you took off.

 

[pilotyip]

Captain's off the street

Is AJC hiring Capt's off the street for LJ's and DA-20's? We have some former DA-20 Capts, now major airline furlougees, who are looking for work while awaiting recall.

 

[Nightowl]

No idea about hiring street captains do you know if they have any jumpseat benefits?

 

[V-1]

Make the decision you're comfortable with. I had a telephone interview with Ameristar, where the interviewer was trying to determine how willing I was to bust a FAR to satisfy a customer's demand. Basically, the interviewer was asking if I'd be willing to depart YIP for ELP with less than the required amount of reserve fuel, because, according to him, that distance is a stretch for the learjet.

As I explained why I'd answered no, he continued with "Well, the weather is VFR everywhere...you could depart, then if it looked like you were going to come up short, you could land at an airport short of your destination to pick up more fuel. You see, if we can't provide the service to our customer, they'll just call someone down the street who will."

All I could think at that point was, "If this is what they're asking me to do now, what will they come up with after I've signed a two-year training contract." The interview wound down, and I received the "Thanks for your interest, but we've determined you don't meet our qualifications at this time." Funny, because at that time I had 3400 t.t., 2000 multi-engine in freight and passenger charter operations in Michigan. That was the first job in my life I was happy I wasn't offered.

Best wishes with your decision.

 

[Wiggums]

The reason for this question is that ever so often dispatch will ask you to do stuff that either won't work or is a stretch. Contrary to what you said above Ameristar is not looking for guys to bust FARs and minimums. However, they are looking for people that won't say no. What I mean is you offer up a solution to the problem. First off, when you get a question like this ask questions about everything you can like about the weather, or if there is another aircraft that can take more gas. It makes you look good to actually be considering all the aspects of your decision. Then you have dispatch send you weather and a fligthplan for two trips, one from YIP-ELP and one from YIP to a fall short point with cheap fuel. You have dispatch file the second flightplan so you are legal. Then in-flight if you can LEGALLY and SAFELY make El Paso, then you do it. If not you get gas at the fuel stop you filed for. Nobody every got fired at Ameristar because they needed to stop for fuel. In fact, if they catch you with too little fuel you will get in trouble.

If you get hired at Ameristar they will be looking at you for upgrade in about a year, so they want to see if you can make a decision and stand by it. No doubt if you'd just said, "yeah I'll do it", then you wouldn't have gotten the job either.

 

[Captain X]

Make the decision you're comfortable with. I had a telephone interview with Ameristar, where the interviewer was trying to determine how willing I was to bust a FAR to satisfy a customer's demand. Basically, the interviewer was asking if I'd be willing to depart YIP for ELP with less than the required amount of reserve fuel, because, according to him, that distance is a stretch for the learjet.

As I explained why I'd answered no, he continued with "Well, the weather is VFR everywhere...you could depart, then if it looked like you were going to come up short, you could land at an airport short of your destination to pick up more fuel. You see, if we can't provide the service to our customer, they'll just call someone down the street who will."

All I could think at that point was, "If this is what they're asking me to do now, what will they come up with after I've signed a two-year training contract." The interview wound down, and I received the "Thanks for your interest, but we've determined you don't meet our qualifications at this time." Funny, because at that time I had 3400 t.t., 2000 multi-engine in freight and passenger charter operations in Michigan. That was the first job in my life I was happy I wasn't offered.

Best wishes with your decision.

I had the same type question when interviewing at two 121 carriers..but it was a burned out NAV light at the outstation on Christmas Eve.

They are checking to see if your wish-washy.....if you keep changing your answer as they change the variables or apply "verbal pressure a'la dispatch" then you won't come across as "captain material" to anyone (121 or 135).

Plain and simple...during an interview...YOU NEVER BUST AN FAR INTENTIONALLY!!! On the line...it's totally up to your level of personal integrity. It does your family, your career, your employer, and OUR PROFESSION much justice and good if you fly the way the FARS/AIM, AOM, FOM, and a contract if you have one, say you should.

If they can't run a business doing it the way they've laid it out...then maybe THEY should quit.

 

[V-1]

There's nothing wrong with being resourceful...god knows with two years of single-pilot IFR freight experience in Michigan I'm proficient in that regard, however this seems like we're starting down a slippery slope. I can't imagine the airline I work for asking me to load 50 people on the airplane, then blast off with the intent to see if I could stretch the flight beyond my filed destination to arrive at my actual intended destination...just because this practice is grey enough some consider it legal.

Although the company may never ask a pilot to do something illegal, they never left me with any other impression during the interview. My decision, based on the negative impression I got from them, was the right one for me.

Once again, I'm glad I didn't meet their "qualifications".

 

[FurloughedAgain]

Many airlines file to an intermediate destination and then, at a predetermined point, re-file to their intended destination if fuel/weather allow.

Just off of the top of my head, US Airways 767s used to do that from time to time in the winter, flying westbound from Europe. They'd file to Gander, then when it became obvious that they had enough fuel to make it to Philly, they would ammend their destination and continue on.

I believe they also did it for some time when flying the 737-300s to the west-coast. I remember hearing something about filing to Pheonix and then ammending the destination to LAX if it looked like the winds were less than forecast, etc...

Just one of those things. <shrug>

PS - first question i'd ask on the Nav-light question is, "how many nav lights are out there?" and "can we defer one if it is inop?"

I agree with the poster who suggested that you figure out a way to make it happen if it is in any way possible.