DB744

Western Global is growing fast and improving. Most of the bad stuff you have read about the place a year or two ago is no longer valid. WG may now be a good fit for some pilots. Ask questions before, during and after the interview. Be honest about what you want. Regular overtime, fast upgrade, good QOL, exotic flying, mundane flying and excellent job security are all possible at WG, but there is a big difference between the two fleets. Some things are possible on one fleet and not the other, so make sure you choose the best fit for you. Nobody wants to share the cockpit with unhappy co-workers!

FlyPurdue

Hello! I am facing an imminent displacement to NYC CA at my current regional. As I will be facing a perpetual commute to reserve, and a long term training cycle, I have started searching for other airline options to avoid this situation. I have read all the Western Global threads, and think that it would be a good fit in my current situation.

Fundamentally, the flying excites me, and gets to the core of why I became a pilot. I am a little short of the total time requirement (FO Position), but have more than 1000 under part 121. I applied online, but was unable to attend the career expo from a few weeks back due to my flight schedule.

Would someone currently flying for WG be willing to PM me a contact in recruiting (I of course would not name drop you) so I can send my cover letter, express my interest, and sell why I would be a good addition to the WG team.

Thanks!

FlyPurdue

PS. I know that commercial deadheads are in coach, and that is a concern of mine...how frequent are these middle seat Grand Tours per bid period? Alas, what is the hotel quality when in theater?

No Land 3

Just a suggestion... You started off as saying it was a good fit, then you are suggesting it is not a good fit with your last paragraph, and telling people that your situation is desperate will make any recruiter doubt your sincerity of truly wanting the job over simply wanting out of your current situation. May I suggest Emerald Coast?

FlyPurdue

Thank you for your feedback - candor is always appreciated. In all honesty, my current situation is not desperate...certinaly not ideal, but not desperate, and it was not my goal to come off as sounding desperate to escape.

Ad Hoc / ACMI flying excites me, and I am disappointed that it sounded as if I was simply looking for an escape. I like the success WG has seen in the few years since inception, and being a small firm - I like how all the employees have an opportunity to place their mark on the long term success of Western Global, and I could absolutely see myself working my way up through the ranks.

Are there areas that concern me...absolutely as there is with all jobs, but the purpose of my postscript was to better understand how meaningful my concerns should be. Ultimately (should I someday get an an offer), I want this to be a good fit for both parties and want to understand the positives as well as potential negatives.

HercDriver130

Just for clarity.. im a K4 Captain. And if the my choice was only between these two I would probably still choose Atlas. WG is still the brain child of Jeff Neff of Southern Air Enfamy. Leopards dont change their spots so we will see how things pan out over the next few years over there. Its also non union... you know ... that pesky thing you hate.. until you need it.....

Granted things have changed for the better over there during the past year... they had to in this hiring environment... just like at every other tier 2 or 3 carrier... dont mistake that for benevolence.

Atlas Shrugged

I have flown with 3 or 4 WG guys here at Atlas. They have all been good dudes, and said that WG was stepping stone for them. They got some real international experience and it shows when you fly with them. But they all got out of there ASAP!

DB744

I've been doing this way too long to be confused about why certain things happen. The "rising tide" theory most definitely affects all carriers in our segment of the industry.


WG may still be a stepping stone for the less experienced pilots, but with recent improvements, it's no longer a stepping stone to Atlas. With rapid growth, heavy flying and quick upgrades (for the switched on new folks who meet the requirements), WG may be a better route to FedEx, UPS or a major pax carrier.

Things to consider when deciding where to work:

Are the planes owned or leased?
What's the company's debt load?
Who are the primary customers?
Are they quality customers, or are they "race to the bottom" type of customers?
Does the company have "too many eggs in one basket" with the wrong type of customer?
Does the management team consist of highly experienced air cargo professionals, or are they "bean counters" who weaseled their way to an executive suite?
Is management actively at war with their pilots?
Is the hiring due to growth or attrition?

Choose wisely!

wheresthefood

What are the upgrade qualifications?

CactusCrew

Just a footnote, about one of the customers ... UPS.

This flying WG performs for UPS is being disputed by the UPS pilots union. I won't fill you with any opinions of the eventual outcome, because honestly, it would be a guess.

We hear that the WG contract with UPS is for a year. We do believe this to be in violation of our pilots contract with UPS. It could ultimately be determined by arbitration.

Nothing in this business is a sure thing, even with UPS.

Carry On, and as advised ... chose wisely. Don't dwell on one thing, lots of good advice.

Ave8tor218

For the sake of discussion, any WG pilots in here that can indicate how many days/mo they are flying on average? Frequent to work 20 days or is at/below guarantee more typical?