USA JET PILOTS: Now what?

[clansinclair]

Hey av8ter79! If that was the only thing I put in my resume, I'd still have more to offer a company than you do. LOL!!! What a duche bag!

 

[pilotyip]

Alex, you know that can not be true, no one tells Connie what he can and can not do.

 

[T-REX]

For some reason I am unable to access the referenced documents.

But tell me why shouldn't your company have to abide by all the rules and regulations regarding the type of operations we all work under? Why shouldn't you have to have all the supporting elements required by law regarding your aforementioned areas, such as flight following, record keeping, adiministration, etc.

Why shouldn't USA Jet seek legal redress when you attempt to gain an illegal, unsafe, and unethical advantage in a business that is customer service oriented, when ultimately you end up doing the industry a tremendous diservice as well as the customer?

You say our motive was to price you out of the competitive market and prevent your growth. I say our motive was an attempt to keep the "playing field" level in the interest of safety, the industry as a whole, and quality, reliable service to the customer.

An insult and an apology a few posts apart...yea I guess I can live with that...this thread has already gone too long already. Sorry about the paycut and hope things will get better for you.
But just for the record, I have never been asked to modify duty times, fly broke aircraft or fly drugs like you stated earlier. I will be taking Cliff up on the free beer he offered. Take care all and go MAVS!

 

[asipilot]

Hey T-Rex,

I just wanted to apologize for Clan's remarks. Most of us here at JUS are actually quite normal and sane, we realize we are all in the same boat, flying the same crap and dealing with the same management issues. I'll also buy you guys a beer anytime, see Ya JF

 

[Digital]

As far as business being slow in the automotive industry.. Take a deep breath and relax. Let's not forget that USA Jet had a slow down, as well as, layoffs for a brief period during this same time period in 2003. And, as I recall, after Memorial Day our business picked up and was average to above average until about December or so of that year. I am only stating this for those who can be swept up in the doom and gloom of the automotive industry. The auto industry definitely cycles and somewhat irregularly at times. But I'm sure the slow down won't last much longer. If history repeats itself..and it usually does the flying will pickup. Good luck guys!

 

[clansinclair]

asipilot,

please! apologize for yourself! it's possible that i've over-reacted in my comments to some degree, but they hardly need to be apologized for by you.

i'm just as "sane and normal" as anybody, but i have an opinion that deserves to be expressed as much as anyone's. this opinion has been formed over several years in the business, personal observation, and input from those "in the know" from within and without.

you may not feel the need to speak out and defend the honor of our company, and that's your perogative. just don't "dog" those of us who do by implying that we're not normal or sane.

by the way, i seem to recall being your captain on a particular flight when you did something out of the realm of "sane and normal", such as pulling a fuel related c/b while in flight and pushing on rudder pedals while i was attempting to trim the aircraft. both of your actions designed to play stupid kid's games and "screw" with your captain. i also recall telling you that i'd break your !@#$-ing arm if you ever pulled another "stunt" like that again in the cockpit!

son, i submit that you are the last person who should be putting the integrity of others to question.

 

[clansinclair]

T-Rex,

Hey dude, you're right. This has gone on long enough. I respect the fact that you have a different point of view and opinion from my own. I'm willing to live with that too. Besides, the last thing I really want to do is perpetuate the divide and conquer tactics that aviation management types love by pitting pilots against each other.

Fly safe brother, and if we see each other on the road somewhere, I'd be honored to buy you a beer too!

 

[clansinclair]

Digital,

Thanks man! It's tough times for us all.

 

[Wiggums]

by the way, i seem to recall being your captain on a particular flight when you did something out of the realm of "sane and normal", such as pulling a fuel related c/b while in flight and pushing on rudder pedals while i was attempting to trim the aircraft. both of your actions designed to play stupid kid's games and "screw" with your captain. i also recall telling you that i'd break your !@#$-ing arm if you ever pulled another "stunt" like that again in the cockpit!

Classy. Any pilot that makes a threat of bodily injure to another pilot is a complete jacka$$. You whine that others in the industry are not professional enough, but you can't even maintain discipline in your own cockpit.

 

[pilotyip]

Are we done with this my dad can beat up your dad?

 

[clansinclair]

Hey Wigwam!

Get a clue dude! If you can't tell the difference between figurative and literal threatening, you really do have a problem. The discipline was maintained quite well. The point was made, and it never happened again, thank you! Your last remarks exposes the real jackass quite well I should think.

 

[clansinclair]

Hey pilotyip,

Bet I can pee farther than you can. LOL!

 

[Xfr8dog]

wow.






.

 

[RedBelly]

Here are a few examples of how you guys at Ameristar are known to operate now or in the recent past:

1) Loose leaf or unbound flight logs: a good trip comes on the heals of a completed trip; flight/duty limitations an issue? No problem, rrrriiippp! Presto chango, a new flight log sheet is produced to appear to comply with FAA flight/duty limitations. Why not just use a "magic tablet"? (The cause of the fatality crash in Del Rio??? Hmmm, one wonders)

Wow this sounds amazingly like something that happened at Active Aero (aka USA Jet) back in the 90's. Several guys have violations to prove it.


All this talk sounds like nothing has changed since I left USA Jet. I'm just surprised that they didn't lay folks off. It probably has a lot to do with the way their training is... it costs a lot more to train pilots then it used to. I remember one time a pilot was let go on a Friday & rehired on Monday when they needed him to fly a trip.

In the first year after MG bought the company, I took 4 pay cuts.

1. The went from mileage to hourly pay to conceal a pay cut.
2. They made us all buy our own Jepp charts.
3. They lowered our guarantee.
4. They lowered our hourly pay.

Hopefully, things will pick up soon. It sounds like the normal industry cycle. If you survive the down time, you can make big $$$ when it is busy. The busiest time I saw was the fall of 1994... from Sep. through Dec, I flew almost 500 hours. My slowest month was in Nov. 1996 when I flew 3.4 hours on the -9.

 

[atpcliff]

Hi!

Fabman, what's the latest with you? Sounds like you got out just in time!

CLiff
YIP

 

[pilotyip]

Only time will tell if you are correct, Cliff

 

[clansinclair]

aaaaaaa

 

[SWA/FO]

"As disheartening as this situation is, the thing that gets me is that we've always been told that our owners have "deep" pockets, that USA Jets is in "good" hands, and that to come to work here is a "safe" bet."

They said the same thing to me as I was walking out the door. They said "you know _ _ _ _ (insert name here) we are financially stable, here." I replied "I'm going to Southwest and they are in pretty good shape too". A few weeks later they laid off all the FOs (out of seniority).

 

[Freight Dawg]

Shouldn't ya'll be blaming Brian Hermlin, Chris Heally, and Mark Belsky. I think that is the infamous brain trust running ya'lls company into the ground.

 

[Buckeye]

Boy Iam definitely missing everything, being gone

 

[pilotyip]

Get some time

Hey Buckeye, if you want your type rating in the DC-3, you should sign up for some trips. Schedule is in your box, we got tons of flying. Had a neat trip to OSH last week, picked parts at the EAA museum.

 

[GotnoTime]

hey clansinclair, I dont really appreciate your allegations towards Ameristar ,first off you need to have your facts strait before you start to run your mouth off you proababaly need to go through a ameristar training program before you start to bad mouth and go off on hear say and get your head out of your butt and realize we are all pilots here and there is no hidden agenda to sabatoge airplanes or run drugs..or whatever crap that you dream up. you actually must be some suit in upper management or some brainwashed drone led to believe that the propaganda that you are posting is true. The truth of the matter is that the allegations you posted towards Ameristar pilots is crap and you have shamed yourself and tried to bring us down with you to counter act your downfall and to look at us to be your punching bag to cope with your problems. well I got news for you thats not our business we fly airplanes. Management is management if we see something that is not right we tell them and it is corrected thats our job its no to slander or discriminate against the compotion. so please leave the pilots out of it we are all taking steps in our career to advance. stop badmouthing us... Ill buy the first round when in Yip

 

[clansinclair]

GotnoTime,

Your point is taken. I agree that 99% of the PILOTS at Ameristar are probably a bunch of good guys just trying to earn a living like the rest of us, and doing your best to do what you have to do until you can get a better job. OK?

Our beef is with Ameristar the company. I'll say this one more time. If your company can operate safely, by the same rules as the rest of us, and compete ethically and honorably, we have no problem with your competition.

However, we KNOW that Ameristar the company hasn't had a stellar performance record in any of the aforementioned areas, and that's the whole industry's disgust with your company. We don't blame you, the pilots.

Your company did have a "spy" in our Customer Service Department. He was discovered, fired, and litigation was sought against him. One of your former Captains who came to work here personally told me of the of the flight log and maintenance log "manipulations". We've seen your company underbid charters to the point of ridiculousness, which naturally begs the question, "Where's your money coming from because you're sure not making money on charters consistently." We know about the lawsuit, which your company lost in court, by a former Ameristar empoyee that had "the goods" against your company, a matter of public record.
We know that, until recent FAA mandates, that your company's "training program" was less than adequate.
We've seen your company win bids for charters based on certain performance expectations and then not deliver as promised, which we knew couldn't possibly be done as advertized. A whole host of "underhanded" business practices that call to question the integrity of the Ameristar organization as a whole.

Finally, the only reason this whole conversation, back and forth, has come about is because one of your "decent, good guy pilots" tried to tout the virtues of your company when it became known that our company instituted a pilot pay cut, and then had the "crust" to say that the reason Ameristar was "winning out" in the on-demand industry was due to "smart management and efficient operations." Then on top of that, he made a futile attempt to throw "egg on my face" because a few months earlier I had written some very deserving compliments about USA Jet, and dared me to try and refute his virtuous claims about Ameristar the company.

I have nothing personal against the PILOTS of Ameristar, but I have personally experienced the less than friendly "comraderie" on the road by some of your "decent, good guy" pilots. Now I realize this is a matter of personal perception, and I'm willing to admit that I could've read them wrong. If so, I do apologize, but please spare me the "pep talk" about how "superior" your company is. I know better.

 

[atpcliff]

Hi!

I know one guy that was here that used to be at Ameristar. However, he was at Ameristar about 10 years ago or so.

I'm sure Ameristar and USA Jet 10 years ago were a lot different than they are now.

I don't think there are any recent USAJet guys at Ameristar, and there are no recent Ameristar guys at USAJet.

I don't see how anyone at USAJet knows how things are at Ameristar now, and vice versa.

I have had good experiences with Ameristar pilots and everyone else on the road, including Cherry, Kalitta Charters, Falcon Air, and Grand Aire (Tri-Coastal).

While the above mentioned companies are competitors, all of us pilots are blue-collar service personnel. We are all working hard in an occupation that (most of us) enjoy. We're all trying to make a living. I think that we (pilots) have a lot more in common with each other than any of us do with our senior management.

Good trips to you, fly safe, and if you meet me on the road say hi-I'll definitely say hi back, and I'll try and talk your ear off if you let me.

God bless,

Cliff
YIP

 

[WillowRunVortex]

Hi!

I know one guy that was here that used to be at Ameristar. However, he was at Ameristar about 10 years ago or so.

I'm sure Ameristar and USA Jet 10 years ago were a lot different than they are now.

I don't think there are any recent USAJet guys at Ameristar, and there are no recent Ameristar guys at USAJet.

I don't see how anyone at USAJet knows how things are at Ameristar now, and vice versa.

I have had good experiences with Ameristar pilots and everyone else on the road, including Cherry, Kalitta Charters, Falcon Air, and Grand Aire (Tri-Coastal).

While the above mentioned companies are competitors, all of us pilots are blue-collar service personnel. We are all working hard in an occupation that (most of us) enjoy. We're all trying to make a living. I think that we (pilots) have a lot more in common with each other than any of us do with our senior management.

Good trips to you, fly safe, and if you meet me on the road say hi-I'll definitely say hi back, and I'll try and talk your ear off if you let me.

God bless,
Cliff

YIP

atpcliff,

Thank-You for the moment of clarity.

Finally a sane individual makes a post on this thread. I have been watching this thread for a couple of days now and I am amazed. I flew professionaly off of Willow from 1992 to 2000. The work was very severe and your life was the job. In the early 90's flight and duty times were a joke and MX was done when the airplane physically could not be flown anymore. That was the norm. These days over there its more like the friggen Majors and yet you get threads like this. I guess its like I say about everything else in our current society,,,"Kids these days".

 

[USA_Av8r]

USA Jet bids

I heard that JUS has about 5 bids out for some type of increase in flying, does anyone know anything about these bids they have out there?

Just curious.

 

[Sunnfun]

What the heck is this thing??? It has Swiss? markings, and a twin tail.

I guess you ask about that plane in your Avatar?

Well, that's the famous D-FOXY, at least famous in Europe. This aircraft was originally a piston-engined Dornier C-3603 reconnaissance and attack fighter built in 1942. In the early 70s it was converted by F+W Emmen to a turboprop C-3605 target-tug. Due to the lighter weight of the turboprop engine, the nose had to be lengthened substantially. After flying with the Swiss Air Force as C-535, it became N7129V, and finally D-FOXY. It was then flown by a Lufthansa Captain in his spare time for all kinds of stuff, fly-bys on airshows, advertising and what not. It has 1150 Shaft HP and is quite a sight, especially due to the paint job. Unfortunately in 2002 Foxy and a chase plane collided in midair during formation flight for some kind of air-to-air camera shoot. The chase plane disintegrated in the air, the pilot and the camerman died, the pilot of Foxy dead-sticked the airplane into a field and escaped unscathed.

The Plane is now in a Museum in Speyer, Germany; awaiting restoration. Here are some pictures

As far as USA Jet goes, well I got myself a second job and hope for the best. What else can you do with 13 days off...

 

[Freight Dawg]

Ladies and Gentleman welcome to tonights fight! It will consist of five rounds each round scored seperately. Lets meet tonights judges; From the USA Jet line up we have asipilot and atpcliff; From Ameristar we have RedBelly and GotnoTime. Lets meet tonights refree from the land of YIP we have pilotyip with over 1900 post. Fighting from the Red, Blue, White, and Gray corner standing 5feet 9 inches and weighing in at 300 pounds we have clansinclair....and in the other corner fighting under the colors of the red, white, and blue standing 6 foot 3 inches 285 pounds is T-Rex. Tonights announcer will be your truely Freight Dawg (woof, woof, woof). Tonights fight is brought to you courtsey of the big three and the UAW. Gentleman step the center of the ring, we wanna see a nice clean flight no shots below the belt and do not fight the way you fly. Shake hands....Lets Get it on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[clansinclair]

As if!

OK, I concede. I'm real tired of this already.

Those of you who think Ameristar's the greatest company in the industry, please go work for them. That goes for any of you who work at USA Jet as well.

Personally, I don't and won't. I'm entitled to my opinion. I stand by what I've said. Those who don't agree, you're entitled to your opinion.

To all the Ameristar pilots, good on ya! I'm happy for you that you have a job, and can provide for yourselves. Good luck to you, fly safe, and try and enjoy your lives.

 

[embpic]

Hey atpcliff. That is a cool avitar. I havent seen one of those in years. I knew that plane as the 'Shlep'. My dad used to fly one of these for the Planes of Fame Museum in Minnesota. I think that was his favorite plane to fly. At airshows he would put it in reverse and back it up. That was a real crowd pleaser as most people didn't know a prop driven airplane could do that. Last I heard, Bob Pond sold it to a dealer in IL. My dad flew it there and as far as I know it has sat unsold for many years.