Sick of Low Regional Pay-Maybe USA Jet is For You?

[atpcliff]

Hi!

USA Jet Airlines plans on hiring 12-20 or so pilots through the summer (they only have about 80 now). Mins are about 1500-500. If you are a mil helo guy, you only need 100 FW ME to qualify.

Start flying freight on the Falcon 20, base $33K, 10 days off every 28-very flexible schedules-most holidays off. Move to the DC-9 within about a year, flying freight and/or PAX. 12 days off base $36K. Last year the -9 FOs made about $50k average.

Upgrade to Falcon capt is about 2 years-3rd yr capt base pay is about $53K. Upgrade to -9 Capt is about 5-7 years. Max base is now under $100K, but many guys made over that. Last year our #1 guy made about $35K in Sep.

It is a decent company, and guys that don't stay have gone to good places. I've been USAF, a regional (TSA) and here. I like USA Jet the best.

PilotYIP here on flightinfo.com is the recruiter-PM him for info on applying.

If U want detailed info, PM me.

Cliff
YIP

 

[LearLove]

Why all the hiring all the sudden?? Did they get more/new flying? I thought they were cutting back due to the US auto manufacture slump.

Not a cut/bust on USA Jet just asking. I hope it is more flying/new contract, best of luck.

 

[jumppilot03]

I find that interesting that they are hiring. I have been in the pool since November.

 

[atpcliff]

Hi!

USA Jet is switching from all auto freight to PAX+freight, of which auto freight will be part of the mix. UJ needs to hire to cover more PAX flying next season, and may need to hire more guys for freight on the Falcon, depending on what happens.

If U R in the pool, you will get called for a class. Unfortunately, they don't call by date of pool placement. They call those in the pool based on their judgement of who is "best". It may take a while in the pool, but U will get a class date if you hang in there. Also, it works to tell the company you are available on short notice. Sometimes guys CX w/ short notice, and U may get a call to show up the next day to cover a CX, if you let them know your availability.

USA Jet has only about 80 line pilots, and is planning on hiring 12-20 or so this summer.

PM me if U want more info.

Cliff
YIP

 

[pilotyip]

Another benefit of being a USA Jet who lives in the YIP area, is being home a lot. The average USA Jet pilots in gone from home 132 hours per month. About 5.5 days. I don't think there are too many professional pilots who set to spend more time with their families.

 

[WMUSIGPI]

What is the callout time like. Planning for traffic I'm about 45 minutes from your door.

 

[Flying Illini]

I was talking to a "Flightcheck" guy two days ago. Said he loved the Falcon's but the callout time sucked. 20 minutes from when you get the phone call. He said that when a trip is recieved (from a customer), it's 40 minutes from when that phonecall is ended till wheels-up.
Sounds like you need to live pretty close by...and be sitting in uniform.

 

[The Gimp]

Just make sure you do a good search before reading into the original post.

 

[johnsonrod]

Do all newhires start in the Falcon or can some get hired to the DC9? Do the Falcon and DC9 have considerably different flight profiles - i.e., does the DC9 fly nationwide while the Falcons fly primarily within 1000 miles? Lastly, are the Falcons and DC9s equipped with any "modern" avionics like GPS, TCAS, FMS, etc.?

Thanks

 

[pilotyip]

The facts

Hiring preference is given to pilots who will establish residence in the local area. Must in front of the ops counter no later than 25 minutes after being paged. Not all flights have this short notice call out, but you have to be ready. Some times you may go a whole month without a 25-minute call out. Average USA Jet spends 132 hours per month away from YIP. This makes it ruff on commuters, because you may not fly when sitting in your crash pad during your days on, but you are on a short string the whole. It is not for everyone. We do not hire into the DC-9 off the street, unless there are no bids the DC-9 F/O openings. We have had DA-20 F/O's bid into the DC-9 in as little as 6 months. We hired one DC-9 F/O off the street in 2002; he is still about 3 years away from DC-9 Captain upgrade. All of the DC-9 has RVSM, TCAS, EGPWS, and GPS. The DA-20's have RVSM and GPS. DA-20's and 9's fly same places; trip length is not much different. BTW the all USA Jet airplanes have a glass cockpit, which is there is glass bezel in front of every steam dial. That was a joke

 

[Gulfstream 200]

Another benefit of being a USA Jet who lives in the YIP area, is being home a lot. The average USA Jet pilots in gone from home 132 hours per month. About 5.5 days. I don't think there are too many professional pilots who set to spend more time with their families.

gotta love this hype...

I cant read quality family time as sitting around waiting for the phone to go off in your uniform because you have a 20 MIN callout requirement.

I know its the nature of the business and its how the company makes it bucks but please dont spin that as "family time".

been there. done that. F&*K that.


give a realistic impression here YIP -

tell potential candidates how many days (or hours as you like to put it) a pilot is home with his telephone OFF. Thats family time.

STBY days are NOT days off. You are starting to sound like a ratty 135 chief pilot!

(just kidding)

 

[pilotyip]

G200 good to hear from you, I bet you are gone from home more than 132 hours a month. For local guys it is not a bad deal, remember we are a stepping stone to the next job, so you are still in the dues paying stage. To answer yopur question, DA-20 11 days no phone watch per month, DC-9 13 days phone off per month. Most local guys keep their phone on to pick up another $30-$40K per year. BTW the passenger schedule is fixed and bid six months in advance, no standby there.

 

[WMUSIGPI]

Now that I have lost all faith in Mesaba I guess I am stuck hoping for that call from Spirit then.....

 

[DC8 Flyer]

G200 good to hear from you, I bet you are gone from home more than 132 hours a month. For local guys it is not a bad deal, remember we are a stepping stone to the next job, so you are still in the dues paying stage. To answer yopur question, DA-20 11 days no phone watch per month, DC-9 13 days phone off per month. Most local guys keep their phone on to pick up another $30-$40K per year. BTW the passenger schedule is fixed and bid six months in advance, no standby there.

YIP
I had a nice PM conversation with you while back, sound like a good guy. But dues paying stage, come on now. Flyine a DC9 is not dues paying, matter of fact flying professionally should not be viewed as dues paying anywhere. I think that is the bigger problem with this industry, bigger than GoooJeeets, and such. You guys/gals (not you in paticular YIP) are at what you perceive to be the top and can not stand it if someone new has the same lifestyle as you. We all do the same job and do it with the same levle of skill and safety, hence a seniority system.

Until everyone at the top realizes they had to start somewhere too and stops projecting this attitude of "I did, so should you..." we are all stuck circling the drain.

 

[SEVEN]

Now that I have lost all faith in Mesaba I guess I am stuck hoping for that call from Spirit then.....

Ditto.....

 

[SplitBar]

I'm a 3 minute drive to Willow Run. Belleville isn't a bad community. It isn't Novi or Ann Arbor, but Belleville has come a long way. You can buy a nice 1200 SF (2 BR 2 Bath) condo for $125K. The same condo in Ann Arbor would cost you $175K. I have meet some great USA Jet guys at the local watering hole, (Abees). They are a fun group!! I don't like talking "shop" at the bar so I usually stay out of their business but know enough to say that they are a good group of people.

 

[wmuflyguy]

What are published mins? and copmetitive mins?

 

[pilotyip]

Mins are 1200TT, 750 MEL, however we have hired below those numbers to get local candidates in our classes. Competitive mins I guess would be 2000TT, 1000 MEL, some turbine. We look at the whole person concept, is he trainable, in he likeable, and lastly can we retain him for 5 years without a contract. We like the higher time if we can get it, without compromizing the above, because pilots often move to Capt on the DA-20, or F/O on the DC-9 in their first year.