TexStar??

[airline mission]

The basics please. Minimums, maintenance, safety, treatment of pilots, etc...

 

[starchkr]

airline...

I sit with them in HOU every day, i will ask them and let you know.

 

[starchkr]

airline,

I talked with one of thier guys today and here is what i gathered from him.

Pay is ~$75 per day, no matter what trip you pull.
MX is pretty good
Their mins are 135 IFR mins, however, like everywhere else, you can expect a little higher right now
Safety seems to be fair, with some guys saying that they have no problem cancelling flights due to WX, but others saying they get pushed to do it no matter what. I can understand the pushing because they only have a few runs, so everyone keeps them alive, but i don't like the idea of them pushing a pilot into a situation that can be harmful.
Hope some of that helps, and if you need more let me know, i can always ask them.

 

[Benzene]

pushin pilots

TEX-STAR does not push pilots. The 121 Pilots on furlough
still think they are flying passengers and not 135 freight.

 

[starchkr]

yeah that sounds like a 121 pilot thing...

that's all i ever hear going into HOU is "we are going to need to deviate around this little buildup." Who are they kidding those wimps, i fly straight through them and can still read the paper and not spill my beer. Guess that means us freight guys are just that much more talented huh.

 

[210FR8DOG]

spill what?

aaahhhh, young starchkr........but can you make the indefinitely difficult balance between the bowl of Picante on your right leg, Tostidos on the left, and not spew Dr. Pepper ( I don't like alcohol much) when your laughing hysterically at their "little buildups" comment? Then you have arrived.........!
Freighters rule!! Tell them I said "Howdy" in Texas, I miss it bad.

 

[Benzene]

build ups

What is the deal with these guys taking 15 degrees for
"build ups" ? I wounder what kind of background they have.
I understand that you want to give your passengers the best experience they have ever had, but sometimes it sounds more
like anxiousness guys without any wx knownledge. Leaving KDAL, today, an American Eagle was asking to deviate for weather on the Finger3. "What weather ?", went through my mind. Sure the visibility was 5 or less with one or two puffy clouds
but give me a break.

 

[TX_Pilot]

Is Tex-Star the same op. based in Denton that had Metros at one time? I went to College in Denton and had some classes with a guy that flew Metros for an op. that I thought was Tex-Star. May be wrong. Just wondering though. That was about 2 yrs. ago

 

[Benzene]

I believe your talking about North Texas Air & Freight or National Express. Those companies, previously owned by Jim Huff, had two metroliners. Mark Huff is leasing 6 402C's from Jim Huff and has made his own 135 cargo company, TEX-STAR.

 

[210FR8DOG]

TEX-STAR

Benzene,

Is that the whole operation? 6 402s? Just curious, I woulldn't mind coming back to Texas to fly if I EVER get some multi-time. Sounds like limited possibilities though. Any chance of growth? Other planes? I just thought they were a little bigger. The last time I was at Denton it looked like about 15 or so 402s

Thanks, Jeff

 

[starchkr]

210fr8dog,

I think i heard them say that they were down to only a few 402's now too. I know they lost a few a couple of years ago, for reasons left unsaid on here. I also heard that a couple of their guys were looking elsewhere, not because of working conditions, but because they were ex-eagle guys who will in essence never get back to eagle within this lifetime. I over heard one say he had an interview with some regional comming up, and another says he is trying also. So maybe drop them a line and here in the near future they could need a couple of pilots. Just remember though, STAY AWAY from the Houston run that they have. They all hate it because it really sucks spending 10+hours in houston at Fletchers which is the armpit FBO of the world.

 

[Benzene]

houston run

The runs are given out by Seniority and your relationship
with the Flight Follower; which also is the scheduler. We have three known runs per day with a possible adhauct from GTA, ProJet, or AirNet. So six aircraft, at present, more than covers
our needs. Rumors are that a Caravan deal is in the works
but I would not base comming on board because of it.
The average month is 85-95 hours of multiengine per month.

 

[CF34-3B1]

Re: build ups

What is the deal with these guys taking 15 degrees for
"build ups" ? .

Simple, we get paid by the minute.........

 

[CL600Pilot]

Even now that I don't get paid by the minute I still deviate around the smallest buildups if ATC allows it. It's not because of a lack of weather knowledge or that I'm a (*)ussy - it's because the guy sitting in the back is paying me alot of money to give him the smoothest ride possible.

CL

PS - Good for you that you can balance chips and dip on your knees while flying - I have a flight attendant to bring me real food on a tray.

 

[starchkr]

Your flight attendant shows your lack of coordination then... come on go with the post man. You have to have your food toted away long before you do any hard part of flying, we can do it in the bumps and even while on short final. Nothing like shooting the ILS and taking a couple swigs of your favorite beverage at the same time. Don't forget to look for the runway between swigs too by the way.

 

[Benzene]

Macho on both sides of the isle

Come on, the question was not about those that can handle the weather and choose to ask deviations from an over worked technically antiquated system for smoothness.

It was for those that freek out because they went from a 172 to an Regional Jet and will make captain with that same anxiety and ineptness. I know our company has two. I have had to practically take them by the hand and re-educate them.

 

[starchkr]

Yeah, i have met them both Benzene, I know what you mean.

 

[Benzene]

Egghead Responce

You got to be kidding me. If you are going to put an answer down for your abserdities atleast give the audiance do credit and assume they are reasonably educated. This thread was based on individuals that have fear in the back of their throats as they key up. You can almost hear them think, what am I doing up here. If the shoe fits and you don't like it, learn to deal with your enviroment and not endanger those in and around you. The technologic advances your rig has over mine can more than compensate for the differences in speed as you and I penetrate the vaporous build ups. But then I must digress, you would not take that challenge do to your poorly maintained airframe and the lose of your airworthiness prior to the pneumatic rotation of your N2 blades. Whatever you plan on doing stop holding up the traffic and get out of the ******* way.

 

[starchkr]

Man it's getting pretty ugly in here. I didn't mean to start a pi$$ing contest on speeds and turbulence when i jokingly poked fun at the "Big Iron Pilots" and their actions around weather.

PEACE my fellow pilots.

Man i hope that helps cool some jets... err uh... props, or whatever the heck everyone is flying now.

Oh yeah and i don't fly the 402, I like to outrun them though.

 

[Future SNA]

OOOOOHHH....A VAN!

I was kind of thinking about TX-STAR someday, possibly to get back to KC, if anyone hears more about this Caravan thing, post it here, meanwhile I'll be praying they get one, and move it to KC. Besides, I'd still like to trot around in a 402 for a bit, I need some multi-time, as does every other pilot in the world.