Originally Posted by
cf105
I still find it insulting for an airline with such a vocal ambition and growth plan to refuse to provide health insurance for 90 days, and alike that other cargo company, not pay their new hires in training (because $1,000 before tax + $700 per diem/month for 90 days is equivalent to not being paid. it's coffee money, doesn't support a living), what you would expect from Mesa or Great Lakes.
It's a big hurdle to new hires and really doesn't express any warm welcome feeling.
I still find training unrealistic for an airline that wants to be considered a major player, having low time ex-regional FO's rushed through training just to save money on sim time, while other similar airlines take time to train you properly, in a timely manner, is surprising.
Not only being rushed through but having to learn flows and call outs for both seats and go through training in the left seat to end up having a check ride in the right seat is a bit... cost efficient but counter intuitive somehow.
But, hey, it works. So why change anything
I think he program needs some changing yes, but it’s not unrealistic for those coming from a 121 background. Guys that only have 135/91 backgrounds are in for a wake up call.
Having a good instructor also helps. I had the same instructor all the way through and I’m sure I would’ve had some retrains if it weren’t for him. I think most of our instructors want to do a good job but they have to take a set of boxes to check and make their own lesson out of it. Some are better than others at it and having continuity helps immensely imo.
If they add the extra Sim I keep hearing about and give the instructors a detailed syllabus it would go a long way. And fixing the garbage FTDs.
In the end, getting experienced 121 guys and making small changes to the program would almost eliminate the failures.