shuttle america?

[YV-135C]

hello people.

I have an interview with Shuttle America coming up in the next couple weeks for a possible calss in March...Do any of you have the latest on their interview process? Anybpdy out there in pilot lant work for them? Can you take a moment to tell me about it?working conditions...schedules...pay.QOL...The Saab340... please?


thanks


a furloughed dc8driver

 

[RegionalFA]

THe saabs were getting run down when CHQ passed them off (chq quit totally upkeeping them when they were trying to get rid of them)... I can only imagine what a pain they are now.

even though, I for one miss them tremendously.

I don't know enough about Shuttle America to say anything, I just know what I've heard. In this industry I don't trust anything I "hear." However, I'd keep applying for other airlines no matter what you do with Shuttle America.

 

[NDPILOT]

Anybpdy out there in pilot lant work for them?

 

[Weasel Keeper]

THe saabs were getting run down when CHQ passed them off (chq quit totally upkeeping them when they were trying to get rid of them)... I can only imagine what a pain they are now.

There were only a couple of Saabs that sat for any amount of time before being "passed off". Those two aircraft are now perhaps the finest in our livery since being totally overhauled. The rest of CHQ's Saabs were flying and being kept up even up to the day we aquired them...and they're still kept up.

The only CHQ aircraft that are only being moderately kept up are the two Jetstream 31s collecting dust in the FWA hangar.

 

[T-Gates]

Why does CHQ still have J31's sitting around?!

 

[BoilerUP]

Probably because Corpex mgmt said "No thanks, we already have enough junk(streams) sitting in MQY because we don't have any parts for them."

I have an idea! Sell them to Purdue for a song and the tax write-off and let the TFO pilots and students use them to run a shuttle from LAF to IND and ORD during breaks. They'd make a fortune. And maybe even start running the IND-EVV-SBN stuff that is being talked about. Can you all picture the phoenix of Purdue Airlines rising in the form of a jetpig???

Bet they wouldn't look as good as the DC-9 with the Playboy symbol on the tail, though

 

[NoName]

No thanks, we like our current junk(streams) to sit in MQY because we don't have any parts.

change the word 'parts' to routes. however, emb120s are on the way to corpex. these will be used in some eas routes out of stl and possibly the future aconnection hub in rdu.

 

[BoilerUP]

change the word 'parts' to routes. however, emb120s are on the way to corpex. these will be used in some eas routes out of stl and possibly the future aconnection hub in rdu.

HA HA HA, not this stuff again. Please dude, stay away from the corpex kool-aid, its not a very sweet flavor!

Please, post a link to your sources. I looked on Yahoo and Google and couldn't find anything before. 3C, TSA and CHQ would have to find a way around ALPA and APA scope before operating an "aconnection hub" out of RDU. Some flights *maybe*, but definately not a hub.

Besides, word on the street (that being company line fed to newhire FOs) is Saabs are in the pipe. Riiiiiiiiiiiight.

Corpex has plenty of cities that it *could* fly to from STL, from LIT to LEX to EVV, SBN to FWA to HUF. Perhaps TYS out of BNA or TRI. But no, for reasons of scope to logistics to whatever excuse suits them at any given time. According to the Jan. company newsletter, they "aren't having problems getting parts, but are in the process of switching vendors". Keep in mind this is the same newsletter that said LAF wasn't closing.

 

[Weasel Keeper]

Why does CHQ still have J31's sitting around?!

The 2 remaining J31s from CHQ are still in old US Air white colors. They're looking for buyers and have sold quite a few of them in the past couple of years to I believe South or Central American countries. A couple years ago there were about 8 or 10 of them in our FWA hangar.

 

[efiscompmon]

Wexford's Little Thorn

Well, I am sure that I will be flamed by IP Freeley (he seems to think that I have nothing to do with the airline), but here goes:

Pilots: good group of guys and gals--like most places

Schedules: icky--like most places. For Feb:
FWA:
NUMBER OF BLOCKS 19 HIGHEST LOWEST AVERAGE
Credit Hours 93.27 36.51 79.47
Block Hours 91.03 36.50 77.47
Days Off 15 10 12.47

PIT:
NUMBER OF BLOCKS 20 HIGHEST LOWEST AVERAGE
Credit Hours 95.10 67.16 79.25
Block Hours 92.50 66.28 78.09
Days Off 15 10 12.00

TTN:
NUMBER OF BLOCKS 8 HIGHEST LOWEST AVERAGE
Credit Hours 96.39 72.11 80.45
Block Hours 93.21 70.20 78.56
Days Off 15 10 12.13

da Saab: old, electric, but no worse than the panel of the 8; was easier than the panel of the 72'

Working Conditions: to each his own--like most places. Ranges from the FO in TTN from the upper midwest who is just happy to be working to the intensely angry. I'm somewhere in the middle. Leaning towards the latter.

Errata: we'll see how long this lasts before being censored. All statements are factual.

Company threatened to liquidate if pilots would not accept a pay cut. Pilots held firm and company announced they were closing, then six hours later put forth a new offer of no cuts for FOs, only Captains, or else, 24 hourse to decide--surprise, the FOs vated to cut CA pay and keep jobs.

"Emergency Vote" on J4J scheme recently--but neither UAL or US was interested in us no matter how much we prostitute ourselves.

During the threats leading up to the pay cut, all upgrades were cancelled--three times. Mgmt decided in our "critical financial situation" to send non-flying managers to STL for free type ratings!

During the mass exodus last fall, only ONE pilot was made to pay his training contract--he decided to leave after being told the company was shutting down. He was pursued "as a test case" (union official's words--not mine) because his family was perceived as having deep pockets. Allegations were made that there might be a problem with his PRIA records for his new job if he did not pay promptly. They were quite clear that they would sue in Indiana if he did not pay. BTW, this kid was furloughed by Shuttle in the spring and they restarted his contract upon his return--six months on the line (Ten with the company) credits as three (24 month prorated to 1 year) cost him $9000.00 Did I mention he did the right thing and gave a full two week notice to Scott, the Chief Pilot? That alone cost him 36 seniority numbers at his new airline. Had he screwed them and been terminated he wouldn't have to pay. This is how SA repays loyalty. Be warned.

A recent FWA CA upgrade had to work as a bouncer while flying as an FO to supplement his pay.

Those furloughs in March--the company used AEPS to do the background checks but failed to keep any copies so that when they went bankrupt, there were no records. New background checks take time, so they were sent home after training. The very day the bombs started dropping in Iraq they were furloughed. The official excuse was that Airways cut flying by 8% (for a few weeks) yet these pilots were not yet line qualified and no one else was furloughed--just expendable.

On the plus side, if you like to bend your elbow, Flight Ops mgmt is likely to be right there with you. Feel free to PM me for the more salacious details. (keywords include, but not limited to, drug tests, dui's and paternity)

In the words of our fearless, Nascar loving leader:

That’s it for now. Be safe out there and take care of each other!

My $0.02--keep looking for something where you can keep your dignity and are likely to be employed a year from now.

 

[ALPO]

Did that guy actually have to pay or not? not clear on that, I would think once your laid off that contract is void.

 

[RegionalFA]

There were only a couple of Saabs that sat for any amount of time before being "passed off". Those two aircraft are now perhaps the finest in our livery since being totally overhauled. The rest of CHQ's Saabs were flying and being kept up even up to the day we aquired them...and they're still kept up.

The only CHQ aircraft that are only being moderately kept up are the two Jetstream 31s collecting dust in the FWA hangar.

the saabs chq was running broke down **CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED** near every day... from what I saw they had a "fix it as it breaks" mentality those last few months.

 

[I.P. Freley]

Well, Efis, let's just say that being critical of your prior posts doesn't mean I was "flaming". I don't recall (and don't have the desire to research) what we've crossed swords over previously, unless of course you are actually StopWexford 4.0 (or 5.0, I've lost count).

In any case... My only observation as relates to your lengthy post is that I think you may have misidentified yourself as "somewhere in the middle". You wouldn't take such glee in airing every little bit of dirty laundry you could think of, including inviting any and all to PM you for additional details, if you weren't firmly on the side of "angry".

To anyone else who cares about the topics efis brought to this thread, keep in mind you can spin discuss practically any situation in any company using only "facts" and make the situation sound worse than it is. But then I don't think anyone who reads efis' post would recognize it for anything other than what it apparently is, which is a disgruntled employee venting... Never mind that some of the "facts" are not facts at all.

So... YV-135C, there are better places, there are worse places, and as someone else said, keep applying to anywhere that is accepting resumes. Take the one that you think best fits, not the one that comes up first. All kinds of places are hiring now, unlike two years ago when you WERE "lucky to get a job".

 

[efiscompmon]

nah. More in the middle. Like the plane and the peeps I work with, just not the folks I work for.

Heck, I like YOU! (and the reappearance of Opus in my Sunday paper!)

 

[I.P. Freley]

Heh heh heh... I like you, too!

At least I think I do.

Since I like everyone I work with minus about two or three people, the odds are about 50-1 we'd sit around and have a good laugh over all this if I knew who you were.

 

[Sun Devil 2000]

Training Contract

Alpo:

The guy did have to pay it! The letter from the company informing the employees and the union that they were ceasing operations didnt hold water. The reason: even though this individual recieved a job offer they werent issued a class date. Therefore, they couldnt resign. They were issued a class and resigned about a month later after an emergency TA was passed. This emergency TA was followed by a notice informing employees that the company could possibly still operate but it would be a month to month thing.

So because they didnt resign in the time period between the two letters from SA they got shafted.

FDX

 

[efiscompmon]

fdxfo:

so you heard about him too? Didn't want people to think I was making this up or trying to stop wexford from being profitable at our expense.

I am sure that that pilot will be happy to know that the money is going to something worthwhile, like paying off US Air for our travel benefits this year. If this were some hypothetical, imaginary airline OTHER THAN Shuttle you might think that the money was going for type ratings for management, DUI defense attornies, baby showers for illegitimate children, scotch by the case, motorcycle polish, nascar tickets and periodic drug testing to ensure "compliance". Glad that that's not the case.

Maybe it will buy a cabinet for those safety cards in the hall outside Sherry's office for what, a year now? Personally, I'd like to see the jetstreams used for an employee shuttle across the active from the terminal to the hangar.

BTW, did you hear Ray is done at the academy? He is getting transferred to the SBN FSDO--that should make some folks happy. Talk about reap what you sow!

-----
If disgruntled is bad, does that mean it's good to be gruntled?

 

[I.P. Freley]

Cute. Very cute. Only I do have to ask... Which management pilot is it, exactly, that got a free type rating? I'm pretty sure I know who you THINK you are talking about, but I assure you, he does not have a type in the Saab... No matter how good a story that would be.

Speaking of good stories, you know of course that the company (the hypothetical company, natch) is not paying for any baby showers, etc. Your personal issues with the (hypothetical) people in question doesn't have any bearing whatsoever on whether or not a person who willingly signed a training contract actually had to PAY IT OFF.

Am I to think that you are annoyed that the company would fork over the money to make sure that we have free travel benefits? Would you be happier if you had to pay every time you wanted to go anywhere.... Like commute to work?

Would you also prefer that we don't do random drug/Alc testing?

As for Ray and his going to the FSDO, I think that the person he had the most trouble with is no longer in his former position, so the fireworks won't be anywhere NEARLY as entertaining as one could hope for.

 

[tyuwerty]

Long time listener, first time caller.

efiscomp, must be rough being so frustrated with your life. Hope you make it back to the "big ones" again some day, so that you can be happy. Oh thats right!! aside from one Saab check airmen, Shuttle doesn't have any captains that are furloughed mainline.

 

[I.P. Freley]

Actually, we have a furloughed USAirways mainline pilot as an FO, and the Check Airman you refer to is furloughed from American, least two. There were others, but they've left for other jobs.

I feel like I'm missing a furloughed big jet driver somewhere that is still in our employ, but off the top of my head I can't quite recall. Anybody else that's left in the company who had recall rights to another airline has already declined those recall rights, if I'm not mistaken (our two furloughed AE pilots did not go back when they got the call, nor did any of the 4 or 5 people who were furloughed from TSA, though our two EJ furloughs either went back or quit).

We do have quite a few furloughed mainline flight attendants, but that is another thing entirely.