Originally Posted by
FrankAir1
All,
Some general questions for you. Looks like I might get a class for an accelerated captain position at AMF. I'm told I'll be a FO on a B99 until I get the min hours (I'm only short the mins by small amount but over on ME time). Location could be anywhere. My research indicates most likely for FO time would be OMA, PDX, PHX, or SLC. Have I got that right? More gouge on locations for FO time?
After I get the min hours for Captain I can bid on any base with B99s. Gouge on those bases if different from ones for FO training? I live near Dallas so am hoping to get that one of course.
Finally am new to 135 ops. Given the potentially very short times you could be based somewhere, where do pilots live when off duty at home base? Also do most locations have housing facilities when laying over not at home base? Just for my planing purposes. All help appreciated!!
Hi, there!
Awesome to hear!
So for the first part while you are an ACP FO, you won't have a base (for paperwork reasons your base is our headquarters DFW) and will fly wherever we need you in the system. Typically, the Flight department tries to plan it to where you get what you need to become a Captain with us as fast as possible. For example, if you are in need of night time, we'd have you fly some routes in CVG because it gets darker earlier and you'd get those night hours. If you are just needing the TT, we'd have you fly some high timed routes to get your hours asap. etc. etc. etc.
To sum that up, you don't technically have a base and you fly anywhere we need you, BUT we pay for your travel, housing, per diem, and your normal pay.
As for where we will send you to fly: anywhere in our system where there are 99s. There are a lot of 99 hours to be had in SLC, ABQ, PDX, PHX, and DFW.
After your FO time is up and you become a restricted Captain (at 1,000TT), you select a base. That base becomes your home. We stop paying for your travel, housing, and per diem because you will drive from your house to the airport, fly your route, and drive home. (Should we ask you to do any TDYing, your travel, housing, and per diem will be paid for.) From restricted Captain to unrestricted Captain there's not much of a change. You keep your base and are just able to fly at normal weather mins without mentoring.
Bases you'll likely get depend on our openings at the time. Of course, the more 99s we have at a base, the more likely you are to get that base (since there are so many options). We also have a bid every 90 days, so if you don't immediately get the base you want, you can bid the next time there's an opening.
Your last question. We provide housing when you are away from you home base for more than five hours (even if that's sitting at an outstation). When you are an ACP FO and don't have a base, we provide your housing. Any time you are TDY, we provide your housing. If you are sitting at an outstation (for more than five hours) or have to stay overnight somewhere, we provide your housing. Most of our bases have crew apartment; a hotel will be provided if not.
To sum it all up, while you are an FO, you do not have a base; once you become a restricted Captain, you get a base; once you become an unrestricted full blown normal regular Captain, you get to fly at normal weather mins without the mentoring.
My apologies for the length of this comment.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions!