Originally Posted by
Limeice
Hello,
I’m very interested in living in Spokane and I know it’s only a Q base. I have some Qs about the Q.
-If I started in the next couple of months, how long would it take to get based in GEG?
-What is reserve life like in GEG, are you used a lot?
-Once you’re holding a line, is it easy to trade trips in GEG?
-I was told training was 3 months. Any recent hires that could tell me what it’s like? Home on weekends? Any breaks? Or nonstop 3 months?
I'm nowhere near being a new-hire, but I can pass along what some of the FO's have told me:
(1) Your chances of getting Spokane right out of training are pretty good.
(2) We've had a lot of attrition lately, so the reserve coverage is low and decreasing. Expect to get used A LOT.
(3) Spokane is one of the smaller bases, so trip trades will be difficult. I'm in Portland and I can't trade or drop anything. There may be opportunities to pick up open time (frequently offered at 150%).
(4) Training is NORMALLY about three months. Ground school is typically Monday through Friday. The sim could be literally ANYTIME, including the "coveted" 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. time slot. There will likely be a delay between the sim and IOE. I've heard that our check airmen are pretty backed up right now, and some pilots are reporting a 4 - 6 week delay between the simulator and their first IOE trip. One upgrade trainee I know is using his break time to visit some relatives in Hawaii.