WIPilot

Unless anyone else's experience was different...99.9% of the time when on reserve you will just make guarantee. When you get a build up you will head over 75 probably though.

truebluesp

Why do I think that you and I work for the same company? haha gotta love EWR.

flylow

No you won't. Build up this month and way short of 75 hours.
On a different note, I deadheaded back to DTW from BJI through MSP last night, resigned to swapping my love of flying for Thanksgiving with my family. As I boarded the bus, I was destined for the employee parking lot, a lonely ride in my truck to the crashpad, to be concluded by a solo salad while the Lions finished getting their asses whipped by...anybody in a football uniform. As we pulled away, an FA I struck up a conversational friendship with months earlier asked me what I was doing for Thanksgiving, and I 'fessed up that it was going to be a solo affair. She asked me if I wanted to go to a party (yeah, I my imagination went from 0 to V1 in a flash), so I stammered out a tentative yes. A phone call later, I was invited to Thanksgiving dinner at the house of an LCA with whom I had flow half a year ago.
I walked into someone's family Thanksgiving, asked if I was in the right house, was welcomed with open arms, fed to capacity, and taken in as if I had been an old and well-liked neighbor. Oh, and the FA who arranged for the invitation gave me the Thanksgiving box dinner the company had provided her earlier. I enjoyed it tonight on the Mesa-flown CRJ200 that flew me home.
I am thankful to be in a company and working environment where the workers realize what FNG commuters go through as they pay their dues sitting reserve on important holidays. I give thanks for the workers at Mesaba, where QOL may be modest, but the real texture of life is pretty f..ing good, from my perspective.
Happy holidays to all. If you bump into someone you chatted up, even if only once, in the crew room, take them in and offer up your friendship; it'll be unforgettable for both of you.

bgmann

Hello. I was called today for an interview. I have passed up Mesaba interviews twice. Not by choice! (gosh that sucks, i could have been with Mesaba for a year already)

My questions are: 1) I know MSP is a senior base and that SEVERAL pilots are trying to get the opportunity to bid MSP. But can you please tell me which aircraft I would have the "best" opportunity of geting MSP? (My ex-gf is in MSP and she's my ex cus she cant handle me being away).

2) What is reserve life like? Lots of airport standby? How long should I expect to be on RSV on the -900 and the SF3?

3) How many hours to be "eligible" for captain by XJ standards? I am thinking if I am stuck on RSV for a while (not flying) I will probably be restricted by my total flight time and not my seniority? Currently have 1100TT.

Thank you all.

flyboy2136

With 1,100 hours im sure you will meet the mins before you are are senior enough to upgrade. I think its 1,500 hours, but im not positive. As for getting MSP in either of the aircraft, it depends on your seniority in your hire class (determined by age). They go down the list in your class and ask which base you want, depending on which bases have openings. However if you don't get your base of choice, you can bid what you want and likely get it before you get done with class. As for reserve times im not certain, i am a relatively new hire myself. Good luck!

But if you get the 200 your only option is the MSP... that depends on which class you are in if you are hired

bored

Flylow - your experience is EXACTLY why we're proud of the culture we have at Mesaba. For everyone else, this is why landing the job takes more than flight time.

Upgrade mins at Mesaba are actually far higher than ATP mins. If you read the contract it spells it out very carefully. It's just that during this time of growth, those upgrade mins can be reduced to lower levels, hitting the lowest level at ATP mins, to prevent street captains.

yacko

Hey all. I have an issue with my schedule next week. Basically, I am on reserve Friday night from 7-midnight. I have drill weekend with the guard on Saturday at 7 am. I am a commuter so I would not be able to get home in time for the guard stuff. I have Wed and Thurs off with only four days on before that so I called to see if they would move the Friday reserve to Wed. They said I have to either fill out a trip trade to do it or request to just drop it all together. I can not find a form for dropping the day. Can anyone help me out and point me in the right direction? Also, is it common for them to just drop a reserve day like that? Obviously I have to get it either dropped or moved or I will have issues so am I better off doing trip trade request or ask to drop it or request both? Thanks.

A10crewdawg

Hey Yacko,


while I was at TSA they had us fill out a form for Military duty. I would usually request the friday and monday for that weekend off to give me commuting time because of that exact situation. I would talk to a flight manager or a base manager if you have one. I'm not sure how it works, but they may have to allow you to set the friday and monday as two of your min. days off for military duty....couldn't tell you for sure. I never had an issue with it.

__________________
"Ugly but well hung" wink!

bored

Yacko - just use the trip trade form. It just has to be in writing... you can even fax it on a napkin, as long as it's in writing. The bid pack also gives guidance on how to inform planning on your military duty so you're not dealing with this at the last minute.

Also - there are websites just for Mesaba pilots, your union rep, Captains you fly with, your ALPA mentor and many better avenues to get advice than a public message board like this.

Theoden

In DTW, on the Saab, I got over a 100 hours of credit for December. Its been picking up the last 3 months.