tailwheel48

Looking for any info on this outfit. I see their ads on the Climbto350.... website all the time for C-208 drivers in the northwest and Hawaii.

Anybody got the quick and dirty...?

TeamSasquatch

208’s full of FedEx and TKS. I think most routes are short, you wouldn’t build much time, but you’ll be flying during the normal awake hours. It’s single engine land time. Don’t be dazzled by the PT6. If the lifestyle fits you, that is what I’d focus on. However, you're adding Single engine fixed gear time to your logbook. That’s not very competitive. I personally think the 208 will be forced out of the feeder market because of volume increases and lack of pilots. If you meet the mins for Corporate, you also meet the mins to fly twin turboprop at a lot of feeders. Corporate Air always has jobs posted, makes me think they don’t pay enough.

What are your long term goals?

Reactivity

Their web site is amazing. Very retro. Very 1998 - built with Microsoft Frontpage 4.0, complete with nested font tags. Nice.

TeamSasquatch

Looking at your previous post, I’m guessing this is either retirement gig or for kid/friend? If someone is trying to progress their career, I’d recommend another route that builds multi time 121 SIC time. Or, multi TPIC 135.

If you’re looking for a part time, few days a week to do something in flying. This could be great. The airplanes appear well maintained and I know people flying them, and they don’t complain to me in passing on the ramp.

Having trained retired 121 4 striper’s in this type of flying, and knowing multiple people who’ve flown the van at “Air Spur”, I’d say its a 50/50 chance a retired airline cap could/would finish the training. Overall, the actual hand flying is fine, radios are fine, landings are fine. It’s learning a garmin and flying while doing the checklists and briefs that usually stops the show. Some have it and some don’t. Just some observations over time. I don’t know if they have autopilots, but wouldn’t be surprised if the didn’t.

captjns

And there you have it folks, experience from a 20,000 hour pilot with 2,000, and I’m being generous, in his logbook

That captain that you take pride in insulting probably has more flight time holding over the DPK VOR than your total flight time.

TeamSasquatch

I guess I’m not understanding what you’re saying? Not sure where you thought I had 20K hrs? Did I say something that offend you? If so, maybe address it. We are talking fixed gear Cessna... Maybe you care to share you opinion about Corp Air?

TeamSasquatch

I’m not trying to insult anyone, I’m just giving an off the cuff statistic from the training department for a large 135 I’ve worked for. I know I’m not a real pilot yet because I don’t troll people on internet boards. Maybe I should have said this “Some retired guys show up and fly a little, say this is insane, I’m out” Some show up and can’t load an approach into a Garmin 500 without crashing into the ground, or turning it off and back on to get back to page one. Some do just fine”. I never said the OP couldn’t do it, sucked as a pilot, is stupid, is ugly, or has ugly kids, just that half the people in that subset can’t or decide they won’t.

tailwheel48

Actually my kid is a CFI building time and looking for an easier gig.

I'm not looking for a job with them. I'd rather be flying my taildragger into the back country

TeamSasquatch

Great, that sounds like a better way to spend retirement.

I believe they hire at 1500hrs, as that helps to keep people who are looking to go into the regionals right at 1500hrs from coming and going. Depending on where in the NW, you could look into Western Air Express, Ameriflight, or Alpine Air Express. 1200hrs would get a job at most of these places. Last check, both AMF and Alpine do not have any contracts for 1200hr pilots in the 99’s. Not sure about WAE. They have pistons and metros. I’d speculate the piston is a similar situation?

Diesel8

Hey Bigfoot,

Man, I thought I was inflammatory and a bit of a jerk. You're really beyond the pale.

Apples and oranges dude. Like to see you handle the complexity of heavy jets, multiple crew members, overseas ops, and fatigue issues among other things that you couldn't even comprehend.

If I plop you in front of a Honeywell FMS are you going to be able to program it straight out of the box? I want you to demonstrate ALL the capabilities to me right now!

So "Captain Caravan" what do you know about energy management? You can plunk down that Caravan anywhere, anytime, any speed. Try that with a modern slippery jet. You don't even have to worry about breaking 250 below 10.

Yeah, we have some of those Caravan dudes working for us, can't even deviate around WX. Not a clue, barely holding onto the tail, mostly back at the hotel.

Oh, and get this slick, I was once "Captain Caravan" doing Fedex Ops, that was back in the days of pneumatic boots, and a KLN89. I almost never had the autopilot on as I just enjoyed the hell out of hand flying.

Recently have gotten back into GA on the side, it was a little bit of a change - but still very familiar. Complex single recip with cowl flaps which quite frankly is a bit busier than your mighty Caravan. For me it is yet another learning experience. I am always a student in some fashion or another, I like the challenge.

So, until you have seen the view from the other side maybe you should reconsider denigrating everyone around you just to inflate your own self worth.

If your in the training department at Corporate, I think it might be very interesting if they would find out how you are driving away potential candidates based on age discrimination.

See ya later slick!