My experience so far:

I was hired in summer 2021. It took 4.5 months to go from Indoc to being released from IOE, others in my class took 4, 5 and 5.5 months, it can be frustrating to take long in training but I think the whole industry is going through some struggles to get pilots qualified.

After training was completed my first roster took base in Miami. I made over $16,000 picking up OT on my days off and I was 9 nights away from home (I live in Miami so I was very happy), 16k a month on a first year FO salary with a few days of extra work it's a very good deal in my opinion.

Next two rosters were temporary bases therefore I have to be away from home for 16 days including travel days. Yes the company pays for travel expenses and following your rotation you get 12 days-off in a row. It can be a blessing for commuters but I do not care for a temporary base because Miami is home. I expect to get Miami in 2 rosters from now so potentially I am looking at 4-5 rosters of Jr Temporary bases since I was released from IOE before I can get Miami.

I came from a six figure job to Amerijet because I am betting on the company and the growth it has shown to be able to achieve. The place is a mess right now and it was a disaster when I arrived. As a matter of fact 5 months ago when I was still in training I was questioning whether I made the right decision to leave a sweet job to come here, yes it looked quite messy, training was backed up and upper management changes were happening. But in all reality what can you expect from a company that went from 6 planes and 60 pilots three years ago with a Caribbean and Central America operation to now 19 planes and 185 pilots with DHL, UPS, USPS, AMAZON and Department of Defence contracts plus ETOPS and operating not only 767s but 757s as well... It ain't easy to grow at that fast rate but it seems as things are consolidating.

It's now 9 months since I've been here. I 've seen so many positive changes that all I can say is this is a place that's going in the right direction. It's not perfect, it's not for everyone, but the amount of opportunities are mind blowing for those who can see and understand a diamond in the rough.

My thoughts on the CBA are that it's something that must happen in the next few months due to a couple simple factors; First the current CBA is written for a regional Caribbean operation. If the company wants to grow they need new rules and agreements that can allow for a global operation to happen. I do not believe the current CBA it's actually favoring the company's expansion. And Second because the company won't survive the amount of pilots jumping ship at the current rate, Amerijet needs to have a competitive advantage over its competition in order for pilots to stay and until that happens many will keep leaving and not many will join the ranks.

Like it has been said here before, Amerijet is not for everyone but if you are willing to bear some growing pains like I am I believe the rate of reward can be immense considering the small investment of time you must put in. I strongly feel that Amerijet will leave many critics speechless a couple years from now.

I am not leaving, I am giving the place a chance till the end of the year, if a good CBA is not achieved by then I will have to reassess my situation. For now, que viva la bamba!