Airline Pilot Forums

Taken from an employee who works for Comair, they(Comair) will soon be lowering thier mins to 300/100. They have an CRJ Jet Transition course (for new hires) so save your money.

If you choose not to, those who take the ATP jet prep course and apply for Comair have no mins, aside from Com. MEL. INST. The Comair Gouge can be found on Aviation Interviews.com (like you didn't know) Keep your eyeballs peeled everyone,this is suppose to happen very,very soon.


Take Care.

I've already made fliers to hand to paying passengers letting them know that their "Trusty" right seat driver is a 300TT pilot who had to practice more to get his/her driver's license than to fly a plane.

I can't wait to see their faces . . . ! They are going to SH!T.

I've already made fliers to hand to paying passengers letting them know that their "Trusty" right seat driver is a 300TT pilot who had to practice more to get his/her driver's license than to fly a plane.

I can't wait to see their faces . . . ! They are going to SH!T.

Ellen, somewhere in the world, a cow just farted.

I've already made fliers to hand to paying passengers letting them know that their "Trusty" right seat driver is a 300TT pilot who had to practice more to get his/her driver's license than to fly a plane.

I can't wait to see their faces . . . ! They are going to SH!T.

keep ticket prices low and they're happy. the majority cares less about pilot qualifications with today's reliable and automated equipment. it might be different if we had one pilot crews. I'd be more concerned with US carriers outsourcing maintenance to foreign countries where quality of maintenance is inferior to that performed in the US. the foreign mechanics' ability to put food on the table is a bigger concern than wondering if signing something off will eventually lead to a disaster.

my $.02 :)

I've already made fliers to hand to paying passengers letting them know that their "Trusty" right seat driver is a 300TT pilot who had to practice more to get his/her driver's license than to fly a plane.

"A 300TT pilot who had to practice more to get his/her driver's license than to fly a plane"? Wow, hyperbole much? You are aware there are folks in Europe and Asia who were brought into airline flying ab-initio flying narrowbody and widebody aircraft with as little as 250 hours, right?

I can't wait to see their faces . . . ! They are going to SH!T.

No they won't; Joe Public could care less. All they care about is safe passage from Point A to Point B at the lowest possible price, which at this point is exactly the product they are getting.

With the asinine statements you continually make on this boards you're either really naive to the realities of the airline industry or really, really bad at flamebait.

I've already made fliers to hand to paying passengers letting them know that their "Trusty" right seat driver is a 300TT pilot who had to practice more to get his/her driver's license than to fly a plane.

I can't wait to see their faces . . . ! They are going to SH!T.

So....what's your point. Places like American were hiring guys with no time and training them into the right seat all the time circa 60s/70s. As long as ticket prices stay low I don't think the general public could care less.

While I'm not all for these low mins you need to get a grip woman! Although your posts are always good for a laugh. I have no idea what your problem is but here is a good solution.

http://users.rcn.com/eglandau/bunny_pancake.jpg

Hmm... 300TT(or less) FO's... Throw that in with a 1500TT CA with only his solo cross countries for PIC (but he has 500 in type you say?....) and it sounds like a bad accident waiting to happen. Maybe then they might think it'd be worth paying reasonable wages to have some more experienced guys knock on their door.

Hmm... 300TT(or less) FO's... Throw that in with a 1500TT CA with only his solo cross countries for PIC (but he has 500 in type you say?....) and it sounds like a bad accident waiting to happen. Maybe then they might think it'd be worth paying reasonable wages to have some more experienced guys knock on their door.

Just for accuracy, Comair requires 3000TT and 500 hours at Comair to upgrade.

oh hell no , somone pulled out the pancake bunny.....own3d!

You are aware there are folks in Europe and Asia who were brought into airline flying ab-initio flying narrowbody and widebody aircraft with as little as 250 hours, right?

In the case of Luftansia and Air China Ab Initio programs, each airline pre-screens and test applicants BEFORE training starts. Then the company takes the pre-screened applicant from zero time to about 400 hours flight time (and hundreds more of ground instruction) that follows a very stringent and airline specific training profile.

From what I'm seeing in the current US regional airline hiring practices there are absolutely no parallels to established ab-initio programs. While I think many people understand ab-initio exists, I'm missing your point.

I'd agree that the traveling public is focused on ticket prices and leaflets won't do much, although what are YOU focused on? Do you really think that taking a 250 hour cessna pilot and throwing them into a jet in a high traffic 121 environment is the safest operation?

No doubt that this supply and demand curve is a wonderful opportunity for low-time pilots who want to pursue poverty level wages. I do think you'll see a lot of regional captains flying "single pilot" on many flights. No offense to the new guys - they just don't have the experience under current training rules to effectively do the job outside of normal ops. I'm certain that many new pilots are sharp, they just lack experience.

As working line pilots, how can we collectively balance the demands of inexperienced (albeit enthusiastic) new pilots with airlines who don't want to spend a penny more than required AND keep the operation safe?

oh hell no , somone pulled out the pancake bunny.....own3d!


Oh man, that's funny! I've never seen it without the "I have no idea what you're talking about, so here's a bunny with a pancake on it's head" text before though...

Its not really a jet transition course we have.....well sort of. They do one day of ground, teaching you everything about the FMS, autopilot, basically how to program and fly the CRJ. Then one day in the FTD where they throw a million things at you, including flows, checklists etc... Then two days in the actual sim, and then an evaluation. Its pretty fun, but seems weird bc we havent even had systems or indoc and we are all going thru flows, and checklists which we have no idea whats going on. Apparently a few people have washed out of training at this point. Comair seems to have really changed their training program since they have lowered their minimums. they say this "launch" program is an extention of your interview since there is no sim on the actual interview.....

I've already made fliers to hand to paying passengers letting them know that their "Trusty" right seat driver is a 300TT pilot who had to practice more to get his/her driver's license than to fly a plane.

I can't wait to see their faces . . . ! They are going to SH!T.

Quit being a drama queen.

Oh, and if you are really making fliers, you have entirely too much time on your hands. Get a hobby.

I love the pancake-head bunny . . .that is too funny!!!!

From what I'm seeing in the current US regional airline hiring practices there are absolutely no parallels to established ab-initio programs. While I think many people understand ab-initio exists, I'm missing your point.

Do you really think that taking a 250 hour cessna pilot and throwing them into a jet in a high traffic 121 environment is the safest operation? I do think you'll see a lot of regional captains flying "single pilot" on many flights. No offense to the new guys - they just don't have the experience under current training rules to effectively do the job outside of normal ops.

Thank You! Well Said.

Ellen,
Good for you making fliers and handing them out. I've done a bunch of bold things before just to **** people off and laugh about it later, but I don't think I'd have the balls for that. Telling passengers, especially the nervous first time fliers, that the flight they are about to board isn't safe like that is a good way to cause a huge cluster****. Having written proof of the stunt is even worse (lesson #1 of doing stupid crap-never have hard proof). If you do goto an airport and hand this out PM me and I'll bring a camera. Then if the worst case scenarios in my head don't pan out... I'll join you!

The flying public is so clueless and passengers spend so much time sitting around airports board...the flyers would definitely get read and it'd probably be very informative for them.

Just to make sure, this is still another rumor flying around the company. Its been going on for a while, and nothing has come up official here.

I've already made fliers to hand to paying passengers letting them know that their "Trusty" right seat driver is a 300TT pilot who had to practice more to get his/her driver's license than to fly a plane.

I can't wait to see their faces . . . ! They are going to SH!T.

I hope you're joking. That's exactly what we need. Less people wanting to fly so there's less money so they pay less so less people become pilots so they drop the mins even more.

Just to make sure, this is still another rumor flying around the company. Its been going on for a while, and nothing has come up official here.

Hey Saxman, they told me that during the career day back in March. They said get ready, cause its' coming. I assume it must be close, since this employee is about a couple weeks off when rumors come true. (So far he's been pretty damn accurate)

But then again, predicting what Comair does is like predicting what regional will be #1 this time next year, Nobody knows, maybe cept
THE "DON" Bornhorst, and he ain't talkin.

"A 300TT pilot who had to practice more to get his/her driver's license than to fly a plane"? Wow, hyperbole much? You are aware there are folks in Europe and Asia who were brought into airline flying ab-initio flying narrowbody and widebody aircraft with as little as 250 hours, right?



No they won't; Joe Public could care less. All they care about is safe passage from Point A to Point B at the lowest possible price, which at this point is exactly the product they are getting.

With the asinine statements you continually make on this boards you're either really naive to the realities of the airline industry or really, really bad at flamebait.

It's so sad that you are defending the system that will eventually bring about your financial demise.

pancake bunnies rock!!!! im still not quite shure what it means.....but they still are awesome!!

Great. I can't wait til I'm a crotchety old crj 3000 captain decades from now and have to not only be captain, but sign the 16 year old FO's logbook with dual given toward his cert.

They can keep lowering the minimums as low as they want. It won't help much cause TT isn't the problem. Multi time is the problem cause thats the hardest one to get.

I've already made fliers to hand to paying passengers letting them know that their "Trusty" right seat driver is a 300TT pilot who had to practice more to get his/her driver's license than to fly a plane.

I can't wait to see their faces . . . ! They are going to SH!T.


Actually it is kind of a Russian Roulette type of chance. I am a Comair FO and had 6000+ hours when I came to Comair. Another Comair FO is a Delta 767 Capt. retiree and another is retired Air Force F-16 fighter pilot and another FO I know of came to Comair with 2000 hours in the CRJ.

While they might hire some lower time guys they hire a lot with a good amount of experience. So to think every time you get in a CRJ the pilot in the right is a sandbag is not true.

Since the regionals have done away with the turboprops for the most part there is a pretty good gap from the equipment the new hire has flown to the CRJ. But it seems that the system works as the Captains I have flown with all seem to be very competent pilots and can completely handle the aircraft by themselves if needed.

The only time I sweat riding in back is when the Capt goes to take a wiz. LOL

Well I would like to add I know man guys with 15 years that have never declared an emergency...so when they will have first time too. Aslo I have flown with some guys with 15,000 hours that downright scare me...it really is all the individual...remember the military gives very low time guys the keys to some pretty high prfomance stuff...and a button for a nuke...so lets just be fair and say that times have just changed and those of us who spent a lot more time getting to the right seat of a jet may...just may, be a tad jealous,that, there is now a fast track.

Why doesn't Eagle lower their mins like everyone else since they have such a shortage? They need people just like everyone else.

I thought delta was going go sell comair?

I thought delta was going go sell comair?

They haven't "decided" whether to sell Comair or keep them...but what does that have to do with Comair lowering their minimums? They're going to need pilots either way.

They haven't "decided" whether to sell Comair or keep them...but what does that have to do with Comair lowering their minimums? They're going to need pilots either way.

Of course they will be sold...they are just careful about what they say. One thing is for sure, DL doesn't seem at all interested in awarding them any new flying. Anyway, Comair was my first choice and I had been beating the door down for over a month and was never invited for an interview, so best of luck to those guys, Im going to stick with Mesaba who called and hired me first and at least has a good amount of growth coming.

Hard to say if we'll be sold or not. I think if it hasn't happened already, it aint going to anytime soon. But then again, tomorrow could be the day. And we have been picking up more flying, not much or anything new, but we are taking back some of the Dash8 flying from JFK and we've actually been able to keep two of the 70's that were supposed to go to ASA/Skywest, but I think thats only temporary.