USA JET Has Mass Layoff

[Boris Badenov]

no it was matching cheaper flying with extra costs we had in our DA-20 program that spelled the end.

Man you are really a piece of work. A few weeks ago it was "get your apps in while there's still time, furloughed MD-11 drivers! We're taking over the world!"

Now it's "Sorry, but we just couldn't afford you after all of that awesome treatment. In fact, you had us over a barrel so bad we couldn't even afford to give you a heads up before putting you on the pavement". Or wait. Let me guess, this came as a total shock to you, too, even though you're telling us how expensive and uncompetitive the program was?

 

[Way2Broke]

Well it is starting to sink in, and I am starting to have some questions that will point us in the right direction in the future.

Where do you think the Falcons will end up, when I got in Saturday 812 was in the hangar so that leads me to believe that they are getting them ready to go somewhere. They told me that they are not coming back, and I have a hard time believing that they are just going to park them for good.

Can anyone tell me what it might be like working on the other side of the field at Kalitta Charters?

Would you continue to chase the PIC Jet time right now, or would you take a hit and go to a stable piston prop job?

How do you go about looking into becoming a sim instructor at Simuflight / Flight Safety?

I am open to all positive suggestions at this point, rent is coming due quickly.

 

[deadstick]

Well it is starting to sink in, and I am starting to have some questions that will point us in the right direction in the future.

Where do you think the Falcons will end up, when I got in Saturday 812 was in the hangar so that leads me to believe that they are getting them ready to go somewhere. They told me that they are not coming back, and I have a hard time believing that they are just going to park them for good.

Can anyone tell me what it might be like working on the other side of the field at Kalitta Charters?

Would you continue to chase the PIC Jet time right now, or would you take a hit and go to a stable piston prop job?

How do you go about looking into becoming a sim instructor at Simuflight / Flight Safety?

I am open to all positive suggestions at this point, rent is coming due quickly.

Great Lakes recently started flying a couple of Skyway's old routes out of MKE. I think they are STL-based, but I'm not sure. It could be commutable. The folks you work with at the out stations are second to none. They are a pleasure to work with. I imagine everybody in MKE is a little crabby right now, though. All the outstations are EAS, and Lakes is flying in their own colors (ie not directly tied to the MidEx Titanic).

 

[RedBelly]

Good luck to all of those let go... USA Jet was a lot different back then, but I remember a time in 1993 when severeal pilots were laid off on a Friday, only to be re-hired on Monday when a bunch of trips came in. Annual lay-offs were a normal occurance.

As far as costs go, back when MG bought Active Aero, I remember him saying that you couldn't make money flying Falcons anymore. We took 4 paycuts in a one year period, had to start wearing uniforms, and watched them hire all the -9 guys off the street for USA Jet. That is when they transitioned all the Falcons to 121 maintenance. About the same time, the Falcon guys started complaining about having to load freight... so they started paying crews to load at times. They started using sims for training. My initial Falcon training was 2 days of ground school, followed by about 6 weeks of riding the jumpseat and flying the part 91 legs. My checkride was on a part 91 leg of an actual trip. When it came time to upgrade, I went to the short course at Simuflite (1 week long). On average, before I went to the DC-9, I got about 2-3 days off a month. When they finally integrated the seniority lists, the #1 guy had been at Active Aero for more than 10 years, and the #2 guy had been at USA Jet for 2.

When I left, in 1997, I think the -9 guys were getting 12 days off a month, and the Falcon guys were getting 8. Gone were the days of busting your butt loading freight so that you just might get another MCI, MSP, or EWR round trip out of YIP in on your duty day. We used to love the days when you could get 3 of those trips in per duty day. I am not saying my USA Jet was any better, but I am not surprised that their Falcons are not competive in the industry any more.

Good Luck to everyone let go.

 

[tathepilot]

Can anyone tell me what it might be like working on the other side of the field at Kalitta Charters?

Hey! Per your request I looked into KFS for you and they are staffed good on the 20 right now, next class won't be until NOV most likely..

 

[avbug]

Can anyone tell me what it might be like working on the other side of the field at Kalitta Charters?

I don't know if this means anything (probably not), but I saw four of Kalitta's Lear 20 series for sale in Trade A Plane, yesterday.

So far as jobs, I've had good success in times past between Climbto350, airjobsdaily, and tradeaplane (.com, all).

I'm a big believer in continuing to send out resumes, even when you like your job and think it will last...beause this is avaition, and it won't last. Often if one waits until the job is over, it's too late...far better to be working on the job while you have a job. Just in case...you can always say no if a job comes along, for which you're not willing to leave a current employer.

Dynamic aviation is actively recruiting presently, looking for King Air pilots. If you happen to hold a mechanic certificate as well, that's a big plus for some of their assignments.

If you're willing and able to go overseas for short term or long term work, don't overlook that option. I've done that before. Evergreen has been looking for folks to go to Panama and the Philipines, I believe, in Casas. They were looking for someone in the Sudan with a Lear. If you've got tailwheel time and air tractor time, Aramco is often looking for an 802 pilot in Saudia Arabia.

Don't overlook temporary or seasonal assignments. Especially when work is tough to find.

The aviation industry tends to roll in ten year cycles; every ten years it's mass layoffs, furloughs, bankrupcies, etc. Then five years later it's record hiring, all the three hundred hour wonders get jobs, and everybody is deluded into believing that's what the business is really like. The truth is, it's not like that...it's like this, what is going on right now, more of the time than not. It always has been.

Don't be afraid to take advantage of unemployment. You've been paying for it all along; it's an insurance policy against times like this; this is what it's for. It doesn't pay much, but it's a start.

Be prepared to send out a thousand resumes and visit as many employers as possible, and be prepared to take work that not long ago you might have thought beneath you. When it's gotten tough, I've done flying jobs I didn't think I'd do, and I've worked outside aviation more often and more times than I can count...greenhouse, candy factory, rubber stamp factory, lawenforcement, servicing ATM's, scrubbing supermarket and theatre floors, etc. You name it. Even cutting logs and digging ditches. Turning wrenches.

I don't recommend them, but Eagle Air Med is always looking for pilots, and currently a chief pilot and director of operations, too (I think). King Airs on the Navajo reservation, mostly, and one or two in Hawaii.

As far as I know, Avantair continues to look for first officers in the Piaggio. California Game and Fish is looking for pilots. If you have some specialized DC-3 experience, Eagle Aircraft Services and Technology is looking for DC3TP pilots for overseas work. North Carolina is looking for an assistant chief pilot in the Forestry Division.

Prior Aviation in Buffalo, NY is after King Air pilots. Lifeteam in Kansas is looking for King air ambulance pilots. Flightworks in Phoenix is after a captain and first officer in a LR35.

You get the idea. Work is out there. It's no fun having to look for it, no fun having to move for it. I've done it something like 60 times for work with over 30 different operators, agencies, and employers over the years. You do what you have to do.

 

[navigatro]

I am open to all positive suggestions at this point, rent is coming due quickly.[/quote]

I have been in your shoes, and I'm sorry that you are in the situation you are facing. I would recommend taking the first reasonable job that comes along. Once you have an income, you can expand your job search. It is a tight market, but jobs are there. Now is a good time to call/e-mail all those contacts in the industry that you have made over the years. As you know, timing is everything (and who you know!)

Good luck to you and your girlfriend. There is a light at the end if the tunnel.

 

[tathepilot]

I don't know if this means anything (probably not), but I saw four of Kalitta's Lear 20 series for sale in Trade A Plane, yesterday.

I don't see it as a bad thing. From what I hear AAS has requested a couple more lears to fly on their contract..

 

[PUNISHER]

I don't know if this means anything (probably not), but I saw four of Kalitta's Lear 20 series for sale in Trade A Plane, yesterday.

I think the reason for selling some of the 20s is because they are not needed anymore. They have been replaced with more efficient 30 series.
We now have 5 Lear 30s online. DK is slowly moving away from the 20s. It marks the beginning of an end to a long run at Kalitta. It is sad to see them go, the 20 series lears are great airplanes.

 

[SWA/FO]

It is sad to see them go, the 20 series lears are great airplanes.

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