Skyway Enterprises Inc.

[Flight_Line]

Does anyone know anything about Skyway Enterprises out of Kissimmee, FL? Hireing mins, pay, schedule, bases? I couldn't find a website on them so I checked on airliners and saw pictures of their planes out in CA as well as up in GA.

Thanks

 

[jocolo]

i teach across the field from skyways the chief is ron graef they are looking for type rated capts. if you pay for a dc 9 type rating you could start as a fo in the dc 9 pay is nothing 1200 a month even for the dc 9

 

[Flight_Line]

Thanks for the info. Do you happen to know if they need any FOs for the Shorts?

 

[turning2]

I beg to differ with jocolo. He might want to recheck his information. First of all I've been with Skyway over 2yrs now. We're always looking for type rated people in the Shorts, DC-9 and Lear. As it is with 135 operators we have a high turn over, pre 9-11 it was with the F/O's using it as an experience builder/stepping stone to the regional carriers. In recent times we've had a harder time keeping qualified Captains around. As far as jocolo's comment about buying a 9 type rating and flying as a F/O, forget about it. Unfortunately there are enough qualified people with plenty of experience on the street right now, it makes no sense to put someone with zero experience in the seat when you can fill it with someone with experience. Again I'll have to differ with his take on the salary structure, $1200 a month is for a Shorts F/O not a DC-9 F/O. Both the 9 and Lear F/O's make more, how much, I'm not exactely sure.... but believe me they do.

On to your other questions. Bases, we're both a schedueld and unschedueld operator. In each of our sched locations we have a single crew who will fly that particular route. The unsched or ad hac side of things is alot more freelance. You could start one week in El Paso TX, then the following week in Yipsilanti MI, it all depends on where the airplane happens to be Monday morning. This leads into schedules, the ad hac guys start Monday morning at 8am, they're living the life of the pager until Sat at 8am, its not the best of lifestyles but with the amount of flying they're doing it certainly makes up for it. The scheduled guys fly whatever is determined by the contract, you're flying to the same places at the same times each day, essentially mon-fri, although on some of the routes you start monday night and finish sat morning. Hiring minimums depend on a few factors. The most crutial of which is your timing and location. If you happen to live in one of our bases and a few minutes prior to your calling we've lost someone there, don't be surprised to find yourself sitting in that seat very shortly. In my time here I've scene more than my fair share of 250hr F/O's all because of either timing or knowing someone who will put a word in for you at the right time. I don't mean to be vague about your question, but thats the best answer I can give you. Send in a resume and follow it up with phone calls every once in a while.... you never know Good luck.

 

[jocolo]

turning2 don't mean to offend you but my info is only 3 days old right now they are not lloking for fo but probably will in the next month due to some slackers fo and capts even tough i dont work there i got an insider at their flight following office and yes 10k for FO's in the DC-9 the reason they are looking for type rate capts for the lears and short is because with so many qualified pilots on the street they are not willing to upgrade anyone at the moment. They have two FO's on the DC 9 and yes they paid for it 10K ask them they'll tell ya .........That might explain why they almost ran out of runway in kissimmee last month...............

 

[turning2]

I'm sorry but this has got to be one of the funniest things I've heard. You have an "insider" in our flight following department, could that be Omar whose been there all of a week? Wow, your info is only 3 days old. I spoke with Ron yesturday morning.

I've been here over 2yrs, we are ALWAYS looking for type rated captains on the shorts and lear. Granted, there are qualified people on the street right now, in that you are correct, but have they stuck around? Nope, they've moved onto other things they deemed were better. That pool of Shorts typed people is slowly dwindling. To further my point I know countless people who have been hired when we weren't looking for any F/O's, myself included. They then paid for my type and I upgraded when they were advertising for captains. So tell me, where do you get off telling people otherwise??!!!

The intention of my post is to make people aware of the fact that just because you "hear" someone isn't hiring does not make it the case, not just here, but anywhere. Each job I've ever had in aviation has been when the company was apparently not hiring. Guess what, they were. You have nothing to loose by trying.

Your comment on the 9 almost running of the runway is absolutely obsered!!! Yes they landed long, however at no point was it a problem. You're statement about the 9 pay is also WRONG!!!! You think this is why they landed long???? Guess again, you might wanna explain to the company DO/Pres that he should give himself a raise then... he was at the controls!!!!

Do us all a favor and get your facts right before you post them here. The only way your facts will be correct is from the inside of the company... not the outside!!

 

[jocolo]

Hey i hope you feel better now... about the 9 lan=ding looooong guess what ? I saw it with my own eyes .... but hey listen no trouble intended i hope you have a happy and long career at skagway oops skyways

 

[Flight_Line]

Turning2, thanks for the info. What is the maintance like at skyway? What is the fleet size now? Any plans for expansion? Also, how is the health of the company over all? Is there any one in particular I should talk to up there? Thanks.

 

[turning2]

Oh now I get it. Its not that we're not hiring, its just that we're not hiring you. A little bitter perhaps? Your attitude certainly won't get you very far in this market.

Did the 9 go off the runway? Nope. Was there an accident or incident? Nope. So what's the big deal, it landed long, who hasn't. Are you gonna try and tell me you?? LOL. But guess what, its a lot harder putting a DC9 on a 6000' strip then the pipers you're flying.

A little free advice, it helps to know the name of the company you apply to and how to spell it, .... "SkyWay" there's no "s" at the end.

 

[turning2]

Hey Flight_Line, the maintenance is typical of what you'd find in a 135 operation. In my time here I've never flown an airplane I've been uncomfortable with. Whenever I've had a problem that needs to be fixed it gets fixed. With that being said priority isn't given to repairing the creature comforts (cockpit fans etc)... those have to wait for plane to go in for scheduled maintenance before getting fixed. I honestly don't know the current fleet size, we're close to 20 shorts though, plus 2 lear 23's (one is inop however) and the DC-9. Wouldn't now about expansion, those cards are kept close at hand by management... but there are always rumblings, none which are negative right now Health of the company is good, we didn't lay anyone off after 9-11. Since the beginning of the year the ad hac stuff has been very busy. 30+hr weeks haven't been uncommon.