taildragger1946

Thanks for the insight. I am looking for a career in flying. Planes breaking and ****ty schedules I think are a big part of all flying (CHANGE is the name of the game right?). The hotel situation is not cool. I use to stay in great hotels in my previous company and so I will miss that. I am still going into this with a positive attitude. I will try to make the best of this experience and hopefully learn a lot in the process. Maybe Ill learn to hate the airlines, but maybe Ill look back at all this one day and say "That sucked back then, but it got me to where I am now" we all need to start somewhere I guess.

Does anyone know what the headset situation is at Air Wisconsin, Do they provide one? Does everyone pay for their own? Do they give you an certain amount for a headset?

How is the base situation? Where are you more likely to upgrade faster? and Whats the cheapest one to live in?

BlueSkiesAhead

No company headset, you provide your own.

Base situation depends on what your current situation is. Do you live on the east coast or in any one of the domiciles? If so then they might not be that bad. If not, the base choices leave much to be desired due to the high cost of living in those cities coupled with the low pay that you will be receiving. Cheapest base to live in would likely be RDU.

Upgrade has absolutely nothing to do with your base. It has everything to do with your seniority number. I can't emphasize this enough...if you're looking for a fast upgrade, this is not the place for you. I've been here for 4 years now with no upgrade in sight. If you want to upgrade fast go elsewhere.

VanDriver208

AWAC has a headset allowance which helps if you are in the market for a new headset. As far as bases, it seems like ORF is the one with the most movement at the moment. I was hired in November, and I am already holding a line there starting in April. I'm not sure how that really impacts upgrades, vacancies are announced and people from all bases bid for the Captain slots. As of now, upgrades are running around 4-5 years. Hope that helps.

BoilerUP

But you can't use it for a few years, right?

BlueSkiesAhead

Correct. It's useless for a new hire without a headset. They have some type of payroll deduction deal where they will give you money to buy a headset and then payroll deduct it over several pay periods.

taildragger1946

Ok do you know what that amount is that they will give you and then deduct from each paycheck. I guess I was looking for the base with the shortest reserve not exactly a captain upgrade. Thanks everyone!

IlliniPilot99

Not sure but its around $450 after a 2 year period that you can use, don't quote me on that number though.

the actual base is a moot point, it depends on how you set up your permanent bid sheet.

(for example I have set up to for me to hold a line instead of a certain base, meaing that regardless of where I am, if my number is up and a line FO position is available somewhere, I can get it

or you can select a base so keep your PHL FO and PHL FO RSV ahead of other positions so you will only get those if it comes up to your number)

it makes more sense in Indoc.

So right now I'm on PHL reserve for Jan, feb and March, but was awarded a line in ORF starting in April (and I will stay there unless I am displaced or pick another base)


cheers

BlueSkiesAhead

Here it is directly from the contract...

E. Headsets

1. During the ground school portion of initial training, a new hire
pilot may request up to two hundred dollars ($200.00) for the
reimbursement of a headset. A receipt must be provided.
The two hundred dollar ($200.00) disbursement will be
payroll deducted at twenty-five dollars ($25.00) per pay
period.

2. A pilot will accrue, from his date of hire, fifty dollars ($50.00)
per year toward the purchase of a replacement headset.
Upon reaching an accumulated total of three hundred dollars
($300.00), the pilot may purchase a replacement and provide
a receipt to the Company. The pilot will be reimbursed for the
amount reflected on the receipt, not to exceed three hundred
dollars ($300.00).

taildragger1946

That doesn't sound too bad for a headset. Thanks for looking that up.

cka411

Excuse this comment, but it just seems like there is no magic regional airline that fulfills all the wants and needs of the pilots or anyone, with that being said, with the mostly negative comments about it, are they still REALLY that bad in the overall scheme of things? If things are so bad then why not move on out, just an observation, but I just want to get a better feel, are things truly that bad there or is it just manageable?