Trans States Interview

[AftCG182]

I have an interview scheduled in January. Anyone care to share any thoughts on QOL at Trans States? Also, any interview tips are appreciated. Already been to aviationinterviews.com and have a few ideas from there. Thanks in advance.

-D

 

[millhouse21]

Is this for Trans States or GoJet?

 

[JetMonkey]

What's the upgrade time on the Jetstream nowadays?

 

[AftCG182]

I assume Trans States. The letter was on TSA letterhead, and the interview's in St. Louis.

 

[millhouse21]

I assume Trans States. The letter was on TSA letterhead, and the interview's in St. Louis.

That means very little right now. Anyway, good luck on the interview. If you're successful, you'll be sitting reserve for years probably and stand a good chance of being furloughed should USAir tank.

 

[MED]

Outermarker can prefare you for your sim interview.

 

[AftCG182]

If USAir goes belly-up, they'll still have their American Connection and United flights to keep them going. Plus, I'd be happy to fly any of the aircraft types in their fleet.

Admittedly, I'm probably not the best informed person when it comes to the regional airlines, since my days are spent hauling skydivers. Having said that, I think almost anyone can see that while the majors will continue to struggle, the regionals will thrive in the future, especially those who serve multiple carriers. I'm pretty excited to have heard from Trans States.

I did a search for Outermarker, but nothing turned up. That's someone at this site, right? Man, those avatars just keep getting better and better

 

[B6Busdriver]

That means very little right now. Anyway, good luck on the interview. If you're successful, you'll be sitting reserve for years probably and stand a good chance of being furloughed should USAir tank.

Bravo! That's the attitude of a true TSA pilot. I was there, I remember.

 

[Reelbigfish]

try www.theoutermarker.com
I'm not 100% sure that they are still doing the prep though. I ran into the guy that used to do it the other day, and he said that they had stopped doing it. Worth a try though. He also said that TSA has stopped using the sim check in the interview again. (as of November or so.) Good luck!

 

[wjpilot]

If you get the ATR you are screwed. Only 2 planes and only one is scheduled to fly. Two lines to bid from every month and they break down a lot.

If you get the jet, you will fly a lot.
The J-41 you will fly some but not as much as the jet.

 

[Reelbigfish]

Just spend your time until the interview praying for the jet!

 

[freightrash]

I had interview on early Dec. Mine was mostly about HR stuff.
I was asked only two technical Qs. Fingerfly the app plate and systems on current a/c. I am excited to join TSA. but I have not called for the class yet.
Good luck.

 

[acaTerry]

It's really not so bad here...the key is to understand its a small airline with small mentality. If you can keep that in mind, you'll be fine.

 

[AftCG182]

Tried the outermarker link but I guess it doesn't exist any more. I'll just study with help from the aviationinterviews.com gouges. And the AirInc book.

Thanks for the hints/clues. I'll let you know how things turn out in three weeks or so.

- D

 

[medic&cfi]

They sold the Frasca sim, hence there is no sim ride on the interview. Even prior to that, the OM has not done sim preps in years. There's a couple of guys doing some interview prep. Browse around the tsalounge to find them (Paul and Dan).

I doubt we'll furlough when US Air tanks. I'm pretty sure TSA is done with US Air in the next few months regardless of US Air's survival or demise. There are a few contingencies for the planes and flying--probably UAL.

 

[Reelbigfish]

They sold the Frasca sim, hence there is no sim ride on the interview. Even prior to that, the OM has not done sim preps in years. There's a couple of guys doing some interview prep. Browse around the tsalounge to find them (Paul and Dan).

Paul was the guy I ran into last week, and he said there wasn't enough call for the prep since interviews had slowed down, so they quit doing them completely. He also got based at RIC, so I think that may have a lot to do with it too.

 

[Black Water Dog]

Keep your options open. Better than Eagle (unless you like 10 year seniority pay for FOs), but if you get an interview with Chatauqua, ExpressJet, or SkyWest then run. Great pilot group, many good FA's (with an astronomical turnover rate). Unfortunately, the management bible is "Winning through Fear and Intimidation". A largely inept bunch. I suspect executive management gives tight supervision very little freedom of decision, and it percolates down from there.

Interview is pretty easy. Be sincere for the HR questions, know how to read a Jep plate. No more sim check. However, training here is pretty intense. Probably a 20% washout rate, varies from class to class. If your intrument skills are weak, you are dead. There is no hand-holding here.

You will not know you aircraft until the first week. If you get the ATR, start the drive home that day. (Unless you want to fly 200 hours per year between STL and IND.)

If you get the J41, the upgrade will be faster than the jet. Figure on 12-18 months. With luck in todays environment you could get major airline minimum quals in three years.

Rumor has it many 41 people are off seat lock in the next three months and bidding jet. January new hire assignments will tell the tale. On the 41 schedules are not that good. Lots and lots of reduced rest overnights. My reserve time was only 2 months, but that depends upon where you hire in at - beginning of the next wave or end. Once off reserve, plan on spending several months getting 40-50 hour build up lines, 11 days off. Regular lineholders do much better - 80 hours.

Jet pilots have the better schedules here. Lines early, more days off, more hours. Less long sits between flights (like the 41). Slower upgrades too.

Lastly, you have probably heard about GoJets. The owners simultaneous attempt to get around the APA/American scope clause, and bust up the union. It may not turn out that way, but if the owner tries to pull a Freedom Air, going to be very unpleasant times around here.

 

[AftCG182]

Thank you, Mr. Black Water Dog. Really good, useful info in your post. One quick question...

Lastly, you have probably heard about GoJets. The owners simultaneous attempt to get around the APA/American scope clause, and bust up the union. It may not turn out that way, but if the owner tries to pull a Freedom Air, going to be very unpleasant times around here.

As far as you know, is all the hiring for TSA, or are you starting to staff up for GoJets?

 

[millhouse21]

I thought that the J41 was actually senior to the jet for upgrades just because of the jet's higher flight time requirements. I could be wrong and in any case, that will probably change soon, though.

Also, I think you'd be lucky to get 200 hours a year in the ATR unless it's your first year with your 100 hours of con time. In Jan they had ONE line!!!!

Good luck on your interview. I didn't mean to sound too bitter here in my previous post. I guess it just comes out sometimes. I actually do enjoy working here most days. Come on in, I can always use another FO junior to me!!!

 

[bailout]

Buddy of mine started Monday, got the ERJ, so hes sighing relief!!

 

[smokey999]

I'm on the 41 at TSA, It's not all that bad. 11 days off are really like 15 or 16 when you count all the half days and days you do one leg backt to STL and are done at 7AM. A lot of sitting around STL waiting on 2 and 3 hour breaks sucks though. For commuting the 41 QOL is way better then the jet starting out, I'm home 20 nights a month. Good luck, pretty much everything you have heard is true, great pilot group, poor management. (like most regionals)

 

[smokey999]

Buddy of mine started Monday, got the ERJ, so hes sighing relief!!

I thought Jan class started the 9th??

 

[Black Water Dog]

I suspect the current hiring is not for GoJets. Too early, GoJets is not expected to fly before July.

 

[Black Water Dog]

I thought that the J41 was actually senior to the jet for upgrades just because of the jet's higher flight time requirements. I could be wrong and in any case, that will probably change soon, though.

Also, I think you'd be lucky to get 200 hours a year in the ATR unless it's your first year with your 100 hours of con time. In Jan they had ONE line!!!!

Yes, the ATR is the Trans States version of Siberia.

Upgrade ELIGIBILITY times are 3000 TT for the J41, 4000 TT for the jet (with some other multi requirements that you would probably meet anyway). The first 800 hours flown at the company counts double for upgrade purposes. And as you mentioned, times (and one year seatlocks) are subject to change. And bids are still awarded in seniority order.

What I meant in my original post was that the J41 has more movement. Pilots can leave the top of the J41 list by either upgrading to the jet, or getting a job elsewhere. Not too many ERJ pilots move to the J41 (although a few do for quicker PIC). Also, there are still lots of CQFO's on the J41, most of which are furloughed TWA. A few can still flowback to Eagle. The ones that do not flowback still have tons of hours and probably will get hired soon to greener pastures. So, movement up the list is somewhat faster.

 

[Reelbigfish]

The last class started the 3rd of January.

Regarding the reserve times, I sat reserve for about 2 months earlier this year on the yet, then was able to hold a build up line at that point.

Regarding the upgrade, as some have said, the J41 upgrade time can come sooner because the hours required are less. Some 145 FO's choose to upgrade to Captain on the 41 because they can do it a lot sooner than they ever would be able to upgrade on the jet.

 

[210FR8DOG]

erj

Been here about a year on the ERJ. Love it. Hey Smokey999, I hadn't thougt about the crappy 41 lines being more commutable. Maybe I'll put in for 41 cpt. after all. I've got the time but not the seniority. I'm a commuter and it is tough usually to commute on the same day for most of the jet lines.

I like this place. I've had nothing bad happen to me personally for the first year. I have heard some stories though. I believe them. It just hasn't happened to me yet. That said, I do believe that all the regionals are more or less the same. You may get a little better this and that but in the big picture it's all roughly the same. Good luck and I agree with Millhouse, I can always use another FO below me! Come on over! How's Richmond P.R.? Hope you're doing well.

 

[AftCG182]

Thanks everybody. Looking forward to the interview.

- D

 

[Palmtree Pilot]

AftCG182----

Stay away, FAR AWAY! Things are about to get ugly around here, REAL UGLY! Between MX and sched. things are close to as bad as I have seen here in 4 yrs. FOs are jumping ship left and right for anything else under the sun including CHQ and SKW. Our health insurance is going up again for about the 5th time in 4 yrs. US goes away they will be furloughing out of seniority AGAIN the day it is announced! I'm telling you this is not the place to be to get your short lived career started!

RAT

 

[AftCG182]

AftCG182----

Stay away, FAR AWAY! Things are about to get ugly around here, REAL UGLY! Between MX and sched. things are close to as bad as I have seen here in 4 yrs. FOs are jumping ship left and right for anything else under the sun including CHQ and SKW. Our health insurance is going up again for about the 5th time in 4 yrs. US goes away they will be furloughing out of seniority AGAIN the day it is announced! I'm telling you this is not the place to be to get your short lived career started!

RAT

Thanks, info taken with a grain of salt. Good or bad, I want to be as informed as possible.

 

[smokey999]

AftCG182----

Stay away, FAR AWAY! Things are about to get ugly around here, REAL UGLY! Between MX and sched. things are close to as bad as I have seen here in 4 yrs. FOs are jumping ship left and right for anything else under the sun including CHQ and SKW. Our health insurance is going up again for about the 5th time in 4 yrs. US goes away they will be furloughing out of seniority AGAIN the day it is announced! I'm telling you this is not the place to be to get your short lived career started!

RAT

We are currently operating under the assumtion that the Airways flying will be gone in a few months. All hiring is with that in mind. There will not be furloughing here due to losing a little bit of Airways flying. What probably will happen is some east coast displacement to St Louis.