Virgin America

[Cappy]

Cappy, how many USA3000 guy's coming your way to VA? I'm just trying to get a read on how fast our list is going to move.

I know of three here now with more on the way. I do not know how many total.

Good luck,

Mike

 

[JAM-BRO]

For those of you expecting 20 year rates on day one...won't happen. It doesn't happen at any company, or airline. Sure, we would all like life to be rosy and sweet, but it ain't.


Mike

Cappy

The Kool Aid they gave you worked. Pretty sad pay for 320CA!!

 

[Cappy]

Cappy

The Kool Aid they gave you worked. Pretty sad pay for 320CA!!

I don't drink Kool aid. I am a professional trying to start over. Nothing more, nothing less. There are some of my friends that have started over at Continental for $25,000 and NO health for the first year. I am certain I have it better than them.

I am certain you are living the dream and you will retire at $350,000 a year on the A380. Good luck.

Mike

 

[DH2WN]

Cappy

The Kool Aid they gave you worked. Pretty sad pay for 320CA!!

Cappy was one of the good ones over there. Unfortunately they promoted all the idiots around him who made the pilots lives miserable.

 

[DH2WN]

other than that ACA was a great place and man do we all miss it....

Boy I hope that's sarcasm there. If it isn't it should be.

 

[DH2WN]

To me a good place to work is one not because of it's name but the people who make it. Top down ACA had some f-ed up people with their heads up their asses set out to make peoples lives miserable just because theirs sucked.

 

[HA25]

I don't drink Kool aid. I am a professional trying to start over. Nothing more, nothing less. There are some of my friends that have started over at Continental for $25,000 and NO health for the first year. I am certain I have it better than them.

I am certain you are living the dream and you will retire at $350,000 a year on the A380. Good luck.

Mike

Well, do us all a favor, and keep this profession one that pays a decent wage, so when VA gets their operation going and the first year or two of negative cashflows are behind them, get you and the rest of the $80K/yr Captains to raise the bar for the rest of us. SWA used to be seen as the bar lowering airline, and today they're the best paying non-cargo outfit and still making hand over fist.. I doubt VA or JB will ever catch up (more likely they'll merge together, or VA will buy them with Brandsons cash) and they'll still be a shadow WN..

But raise that bar for us when you get the chance, cause I'd rather not have to start over one day myself, and at the rate things appear to be going, I'd have to look at a $40K/yr CP job..

 

[Coool Hand Luke]

It's unfortunate that you haven't taken the time to look into the facts. VA currently has some of the A319 cadre at former IDE. Let me see now...the pass rate was over 99.8% in the Airbus at IDE.

Please don't even mention those of us here at VA in the same breath with the monsters that destroyed careers at will in the CRJ program. That's another thread. There is a good mix here of IDE, USAir and USA3000 guys. The pay scales are FIRST year and minimum guarantee only until operations start.

For those of you expecting 20 year rates on day one...won't happen. It doesn't happen at any company, or airline. Sure, we would all like life to be rosy and sweet, but it ain't.

For those of you that have done well after IDE went out I certainly hope the best for you in whatever you have moved on to.

Good luck to all.

Mike

Cappy, congrats...I kinda of figured you'd be one of the early one's over there. I keep expecting to see the two birds that have been parked up in CYUL (for awhile now) to be gone anyday now, but no joy yet it. Let me know if you are gonna get to fly one of them out...I am always up there (as in home away from home) we can grab some beers and the best steak in town at Bifteck on St. Laurent. Bonne Journee!

CHL

 

[MED]

Found this from PPrune;

Virgin America info
Want to work for a new carrier using A320's. Using a California State grant to train pilots to start at $41 flt hr and topping out at $126 for a senior Capt. Then give Carmela a call @650 762 7151 and let her know that your ready to move into the big leagues and ahhh...don't expect her pick up the airfare, hotel, meals, or even cab fare. Though she really feels bad that she can't help you with it. And hey...you know that training bond thing...don't sweat it man. It will be paid off before you die, your family won't have to pick it up. Unless the stress of working 23 twelve hour days a month, wondering if the next pay check will pay the basic bills, the increasing cost of your family's health insurance is more than Richie Rich pays you each month starts to eat at you. But thats no sweat man, because you know you made the big times and twelve years from now when you are raking in the dough at $126 an hour your going to be on easy street. Makes you want to call up Richie and offer to shine his shoes, doesn't it. Or at least mow his lawn.

Check out thier web site for a list of the World's most experienced failures in the Airline business. And hey...tell em I said hello

 

[HA25]

Found this from PPrune;

Virgin America info
Want to work for a new carrier using A320's. Using a California State grant to train pilots to start at $41 flt hr and topping out at $126 for a senior Capt. Then give Carmela a call @650 762 7151 and let her know that your ready to move into the big leagues and ahhh...don't expect her pick up the airfare, hotel, meals, or even cab fare. Though she really feels bad that she can't help you with it. And hey...you know that training bond thing...don't sweat it man. It will be paid off before you die, your family won't have to pick it up. Unless the stress of working 23 twelve hour days a month, wondering if the next pay check will pay the basic bills, the increasing cost of your family's health insurance is more than Richie Rich pays you each month starts to eat at you. But thats no sweat man, because you know you made the big times and twelve years from now when you are raking in the dough at $126 an hour your going to be on easy street. Makes you want to call up Richie and offer to shine his shoes, doesn't it. Or at least mow his lawn.

Check out thier web site for a list of the World's most experienced failures in the Airline business. And hey...tell em I said hello

Haling from the Bay Area myself, I look forward to seeing how all of these $80K/yr Captains are going to pay their rent in their slum apartments. I hope EVERY one of them plans to commute in.

In Burlingame, where the company is HQ'd and where SFO more or less lies, the "Average" home price on the "less desirable" aside of town is $850,000 and on the other side of El Camino, you're into the mid 1's... Property taxes are among the highest in the country.

60 minutes drive north or south of Burlingame, you're hard pressed to find even an apartment for rent for under $2000/mo..

Gas prices are $3/gal when the rest of the nation is at $2.. Taxes are higher, Sales tax is pushing 9%, and just about everything costs more.

 

[SWAPoolie]

It's unfortunate that you haven't taken the time to look into the facts. VA currently has some of the A319 cadre at former IDE. Let me see now...the pass rate was over 99.8% in the Airbus at IDE.

And how many of that percent were trained by Airbus? How many Captains were instructors? How many of them were your buddies? All you CRJ f-ups went to the airbus. Please! We had like 6 of them for a whopping few months. You sound like a lying politician with your '99.8%.'

You can't separate yourself now from the pack of wolves you ran with. You and others could have taken a stand against the BS of the CRJ system but you sat back and let it happen for 10 years.

Mike Hamner isn't one of the good ones like that other poster stated.

 

[HA25]

And how many of that percent were trained by Airbus? How many Captains were instructors? How many of them were your buddies? All you CRJ f-ups went to the airbus. Please! We had like 6 of them for a whopping few months. You sound like a lying politician with your '99.8%.'

You can't separate yourself now from the pack of wolves you ran with. You and others could have taken a stand against the BS of the CRJ system but you sat back and let it happen for 10 years.

Mike Hamner isn't one of the good ones like that other poster stated.

I just got off the phone with a pal from UAL that was just recalled, and we got to talking about VA as he also came from ACA.. He told me the same stories that I'm hearing here about the f-ed up training dept and the guys who ran it. He said that even though he was plenty senior enough to hold the line on the CRJ at ACA, he held tight on the J31 so as to avoid those guys.

It's a small industry and what goes around comes around.. Read my signature carefully, and understand its significance.

 

[Porch]

Bs

Anyone know where B Silverstein is now? sounds like he would have fit in well at ACA and would jump at the chance of VA. We shared the same sim building for the 328 prop at psa as the ACA guys on the dorkjet. sounded like it was just as bad on that side of the house as well.

Mookie

OMG! I know Silverstein...HaHa. I worked a mesa long ago...He had quite the reputation.

 

[LaGarbage Man]

Congrats Mr. Cramden
It is one of your former crash pad compadres. (Not the one who drank Larry's booze) Glad to see things moving along over there. Drop me a PM or msg on Ipilot. Tell John and Mike congrats as well and say hello to Clem.
BB (ABE/J32)
P.S.
It must be good for you to give up SAV your most favorite of ACA overnights

 

[GogglesPisano]

Sounds like there'll be 26 memory items at Virgin. "Let's see. I say we make them memorize the ADG speed limit envelope."

Somehow I don't think Sir Richard will tolerate having to pay to train 80% of his pilots twce.

 

[HA25]

You guys are killing me! My stomach hurts from from laughing so hard.
DH to WN what a pathetic loser.

so let me understand..

the SWA 737 FO's who's pulling in $100K and looking at $200K inside of 3 years as a CP with 18 days off per month is the looser?

Who's the winner? the $80K A320 CP?

 

[poppi]

Heard the interview there is a little different. More like how they interview FA in UK.

 

[AA717driver]

They want REALLY motivated people. I'm guessing the attitudes of the VA pilot group will make the JB "blue-aid drinkers" look like a senior NWA FA with 10 cats and hemmoroids! TC

 

[HA25]

They want REALLY motivated people. I'm guessing the attitudes of the VA pilot group will make the JB "blue-aid drinkers" look like a senior NWA FA with 10 cats and hemmoroids! TC

for the $80K/yr they'll be required to clean the cabin out after the flight, while the FA's are in the smoke break room, and stock the new snacks and beverages for the next leg. I can see it now... let's try to take the SWA model and mandate their moral on our people, all the while pay them less than half.

 

[LandGreen]

so let me understand..

the SWA 737 FO's who's pulling in $100K and looking at $200K inside of 3 years as a CP with 18 days off per month is the looser?

Who's the winner? the $80K A320 CP?

There are 3 year CA's making 200K with 18 days off? Hmmm...could you please provide some evidence!

 

[HA25]

There are 3 year CA's making 200K with 18 days off? Hmmm...could you please provide some evidence!

no but my good friend Mike is a 5 year CA making $200K.. The "inside of 3 years" refers to the 2nd year $100K FO (so that's 2nd year FO, Plus 3 years to get the the 5 year upgrade in some junior bases, and YES, he works 14 days a month max).. Either I can't punctuate, or you can't read.. not relevant either way.

Do the math.. typical month credit is over 90hrs with their workrules and loopholes in their UNION contract.

http://airlinepilotcentral.com/airlines/major-national-lcc/southwest.html

 

[HA25]

V70T5 tell us, where do you work, how much do you make, and how long have you been there? Then I will decide if you brought the bar down.

Private real estate investment fund manager, $340,000 last year (not counting $1.1M in Cap Gains), I fly contract on the CE750 at $1000/day, and I've been out of flying since 9/11.. now have interviews at a couple of airlines (none of your business which).

I've got photo's of my Mercedes, Home, and $20,000 Audemars Piguet watch if you need proof of that, send your email via PM..

I don't work for peanuts.. and when peanuts are the wages of the day, I took my talents and worked out side aviation. I did however turn down many a job offers and told the various FAR 135's and 121's that I spoke with that it was a direct result of their wages.

Now, rather than attack me personally, defend your raising the bar with $80K/yr to captain a $30M AirBus with 100 lives out of SFO daily..

 

[DH2WN]

You guys are killing me! My stomach hurts from from laughing so hard.
DH to WN what a pathetic loser.

Oh, I'm hurting....ouch.

14+ thousand hours and working at Vigina America or Net Jets or wherever your stupid ass has led you. All for less than 80k because you sat on your ass stroking yourself at ACA as the big fish in a little pond. What did you make what at ACA to stoke yourself? Less than 80k. You probably acted like a dick and now can't get a job at SWA because people you f-ed over have 8-balled you.

awwwww....

Yep, I'm the loser.

 

[DH2WN]

Private real estate investment fund manager, $340,000 last year (not counting $1.1M in Cap Gains), I fly contract on the CE750 at $1000/day, and I've been out of flying since 9/11.. now have interviews at a couple of airlines (none of your business which).

I've got photo's of my Mercedes, Home, and $20,000 Audemars Piguet watch if you need proof of that, send your email via PM..

I don't work for peanuts.. and when peanuts are the wages of the day, I took my talents and worked out side aviation. I did however turn down many a job offers and told the various FAR 135's and 121's that I spoke with that it was a direct result of their wages.

Now, rather than attack me personally, defend your raising the bar with $80K/yr to captain a $30M AirBus with 100 lives out of SFO daily..

Again some were good like Cappy but most were pricks. You don't need to justify anything to these complete and utter wastes to society.

Who stays at a regional during the hiring boom of the 90s? Idiots that were the ACA training deptartment. They all got rejected in their interviews at the majors and lived the 'misery loves company' motto by failing everyone that stepped in their sim.

Yep, I'm the loser. 14 thousand hours and your still floundering around! HA!

 

[SWAPoolie]

Private real estate investment fund manager, $340,000 last year (not counting $1.1M in Cap Gains), I fly contract on the CE750 at $1000/day, and I've been out of flying since 9/11.. now have interviews at a couple of airlines (none of your business which).

I've got photo's of my Mercedes, Home, and $20,000 Audemars Piguet watch if you need proof of that, send your email via PM..

I don't work for peanuts.. and when peanuts are the wages of the day, I took my talents and worked out side aviation. I did however turn down many a job offers and told the various FAR 135's and 121's that I spoke with that it was a direct result of their wages.

Now, rather than attack me personally, defend your raising the bar with $80K/yr to captain a $30M AirBus with 100 lives out of SFO daily..

DH2WN is right. Don't even bother lumping yourself in with these idiots.

SWA is awesome and I didn't know DH2WN was here. Perfect fit! One of the best f-ing captains I ever flew with. I hope I get to fly with him again here.

The only losers are the ACA crj dept. morons who have screwed themselves in the oh so small world of aviation.

 

[US Flyer]

unions suck anyways, look at your paycheck. nuf said!!

word to your mother yo!

YO YO Man- Since all of your union dues are tax deductible, you get the money back each year that you contribute to the organization. I get it all back every year as does anyone else who does their tax return correctly.

The first time you make a minor/major mistake on the flightdeck and get fired because you did not have a union to protect you, you'll think that it is not such a bad deal.

I've had several acquaintances I work with go through this exact scenario. The only reason they got their job back was because of ALPA. I'm not a big union supporter, but they DO serve a purpose.

 

[jhill]

YO YO Man- Since all of your union dues are tax deductible, you essentially pay nothing to belong to the organization. I get it all back every year as does anyone else who does their tax return correctly.

The first time you make a minor/major mistake on the flightdeck and get fired because you did not have a union to protect you, you'll think that it is not such a bad deal.

I've had several acquaintances I work with go through this exact scenario. The only reason they got their job back was because of ALPA. I'm not a big union supporter, but they DO serve a purpose.

I'd be willing to bet my part 121 paycheck is bigger than your CFI one. Enough said.

So now if something is deductable it's free? You need a basic math course. I'd hate to see your descent profile.

 

[US Flyer]

Technically no its not free, but if I get it back then I essentially paid nothing for it.

My point was about the potential benefits of the union to someone who sounded like a young CFI in his post.

My descent profile is no different from anyone elses.

Part of the reason I don't post on flightinfo that often anymore is because it's rare to have a debate or discussion without people making rude comments about someones flying skills, math skills, etc. I also have to sort through too much BS to find any actual facts or data.

Can we get back to the subject of Virgin America now?

 

[whymeworry?]

Why ? so i can be sloted into the sen list with 3 yr AWA F/O and never upgrade .I would rather leave and work for Branson then remain at UAir

But... but... I thought your beloved CEO of UAir said things were going well with the merger.

 

[whymeworry?]

Haling from the Bay Area myself, I look forward to seeing how all of these $80K/yr Captains are going to pay their rent in their slum apartments. I hope EVERY one of them plans to commute in.

In Burlingame, where the company is HQ'd and where SFO more or less lies, the "Average" home price on the "less desirable" aside of town is $850,000 and on the other side of El Camino, you're into the mid 1's... Property taxes are among the highest in the country.

60 minutes drive north or south of Burlingame, you're hard pressed to find even an apartment for rent for under $2000/mo..

Gas prices are $3/gal when the rest of the nation is at $2.. Taxes are higher, Sales tax is pushing 9%, and just about everything costs more.

He's right. Lived there 10 years. Beautiful place, wish I kept my house. Whenever I layover now and hook up with my old buds, I am amazed how they even survive. Of course, they all have jobs that pay over $200K so they're not really concerned with the high cost of living there.

Unless you're already established in the Bay Area (family, house, etc), you're going to be on ramin noodles as an F/O. As a Captain, considering how most live beyond their means anyway) you're not far ahead of the F/O.

If that's true the Calif gov't is paying the pilot trng, I would be furious as a taxpayer.

Good Luck guys. Remember, when you're miserable about pilot pay and bitching about it once the honeymoon is over. You only need look in the mirror to find those responsible.

I guess there is a pilot group out there afterall who is willing to go lower then NW.