Wait till media finds out about PFT Paying for Training/bonds

[airbaker]

You go from bouncing around the pattern with students, to flying checks. Often at night, in all kinds of weather, flying single pilot while keeping to a schedule. It's a big step, you learn a lot, you scare yourself a few times. You lose some co-workers, maybe even friends, in accidents. You are the PIC right out of the gate. You make the descisions, you explain to the Chief Pilot why it's unsafe to fly, you are responsible for everything that happens... You go to a commuter, now you're the new guy again, learning a new system. Working as a crew, dealing with passengers, maybe more legs in a day, but otherwise, very similar to what you did before. When they learn of your background, Captains trust you. You upgrade after a few years. You've seen a lot, you know the rules inside and out, you've picked up some good advice from the Captains you flew with before, you've figured out works and what doesn't. You know the system. At this point you're pretty seasoned. Get on with a major, and it's no sweat... You've done it all before. Now here comes the guy who tries to bypass the entire process with cheesy shortcuts, and never has the advantage of learning about his strengths and weakneses. Never gets any advice from those who came before him, and has never dealt with anything in the real world of aviation. In the end, that is the difference between climbing the ladder and going to one of these garbage PFT outfits.

Great post!

 

[Dumb Pilot]

This career used to be populated by great aviators and the rest where pilots. Now there are only a few aviators, some pilots and the rest of the bunch that can only be called "plain certificate holders" Is the mentality of the new generation folks, PFT outfits are just exploiting this new way of thinking.

 

[Poahi]

Send the media the links to gulfstream with an explanation of who/what they are. See what happens....

Shhh., the recruiters over at FedEx, UPS and Southwest might hear you.

 

[Fubijaakr]

It was brought up on day #2 of the hearing.

I listened to the hearing on line. It was Robert Sumwalt who alluded to the Captain's Gulfstream experience. He asked Mary Finnegan (Colgan VP of Admin and certified numbskull) about Pay For Training. And he pointedly asked it the Captain had "paid" for his 250 hours in an RJ.

Her response? "Don't all pilots pay for flight training to get their licenses?"

She was so incredibly dense, she not only didn't understand the context of the question, but fell directly into the trap Sumwalt laid for her.

Why? Because she indicated in an earlier answer that the Captain got hired with such low total time because he had 250 hours in an RJ.

 

[rondo]

There has actually been a investigative journalist on some other forums named Allan Cernoff from CNN digging up dirt on Gulfstream Airlines. I imagine he will get the info he's looking for.

 

[rondo]

As I remmber Colgan did PFT a few years back, didn't they?

 

[coogebeachhotel]

Looks like USA Today and WSJ got em

 

[FO 4 Life]

As I remmber Colgan did PFT a few years back, didn't they?

I don't know if they did or not, but you could include ASA, Jetlink, Chatauqua and some others.

 

[AutoBus]

You go from bouncing around the pattern with students, to flying checks. Often at night, in all kinds of weather, flying single pilot while keeping to a schedule. It's a big step, you learn a lot, you scare yourself a few times. You lose some co-workers, maybe even friends, in accidents. You are the PIC right out of the gate. You make the descisions, you explain to the Chief Pilot why it's unsafe to fly, you are responsible for everything that happens... You go to a commuter, now you're the new guy again, learning a new system. Working as a crew, dealing with passengers, maybe more legs in a day, but otherwise, very similar to what you did before. When they learn of your background, Captains trust you. You upgrade after a few years. You've seen a lot, you know the rules inside and out, you've picked up some good advice from the Captains you flew with before, you've figured out works and what doesn't. You know the system. At this point you're pretty seasoned. Get on with a major, and it's no sweat... You've done it all before. Now here comes the guy who tries to bypass the entire process with cheesy shortcuts, and never has the advantage of learning about his strengths and weakneses. Never gets any advice from those who came before him, and has never dealt with anything in the real world of aviation. In the end, that is the difference between climbing the ladder and going to one of these garbage PFT outfits.

Or the difference in attitude between trying to perform to your employers expectations VS JUST BEING A PAYING PASSENGER along for the ride!

Nice post, should be required reading for all prespective PFT'ers

 

[Hugh Johnson]

Comair was PFT for a long time.

 

[Tarquinn]

Many regionals were PFT through Flightsafety. But if I remember correctly, there were still minimum qualifications, plus an interview with the airline that was hiring. If you passed the interview then you recieved a "conditional offer of employment" that was based upon passing the Flightsafety training. I remember this from about fifteen years ago so my memory is a bit fuzzy, so please correct me if I'm wrong ( I'm sure someone will...) .

 

[AutoBus]

Many regionals were PFT through Flightsafety. But if I remember correctly, there were still minimum qualifications, plus an interview with the airline that was hiring. If you passed the interview then you recieved a "conditional offer of employment" that was based upon passing the Flightsafety training. I remember this from about fifteen years ago so my memory is a bit fuzzy, so please correct me if I'm wrong ( I'm sure someone will...) .

Those were the days, during that era the standards and the quality of the pilots suffered.

Many great pilots who could not afford the 10 grand plus expenses were left on the the sidelines while less qualified pilots (with mommy and daddies money) were hired.

It was a start of a downhill slide, for many the prospect of working a year for free (the cost of training, plus living expenses during training) was too great a barrier to cross and they simply left the industry and found other things to do (like my pool cleaner, who by the way does very well)

 

[Ty Webb]

I "sat on the sidelines" during the early Nineties. I had the money to PFT,
I just refused to pay for a job where I would be worked like a rented mule.

Ty

 

[Lear70]

I "sat on the sidelines" during the early Nineties. I had the money to PFT,
I just refused to pay for a job where I would be worked like a rented mule.

Ty

Ditto.

Got called in '95 to PFT at Pinnacle (then Express Airlines I). I was flying a King Air single pilot 135 as PIC and was a check airman and said, "Now let me get this straight. You want me to leave my PIC / Check Airman slot on a turboprop, come work for you as an SIC on basically the same damn plane, take a 70% pay cut to do it, and pay YOU for the privilege? Does that sound about right?"

The girl on the phone was like, "Ummm, well... when you put it THAT way, it doesn't sound like a deal to me, either." I laughed, thanked her for her time, and asked her to call me back when it was no longer PFT.

Slave wage regional jobs will hopefully, as people realize they will be at regionals for DECADES, dry up some of the supply and send all but the people who really just LOVE to fly to do something else for a living.

 

[1.3XVso]

llok

Quite the large difference there. Line check airman with a new checkout is way different than standard GIA captain puke with sandbag PFT FO.

Did you treat the GIA guys in pcl like you talk on this thread? I know who you are Mr. D.J at delta....hope your walking proud with you pressed sailor uniform.