fantm11

Thanks, Cujo. Does it matter which application a hopeful new hire fills..or does HR sort that out as part of the process?

Cujo665

It definately matters. Goes to different managers and chief pilots.
Plus, right now an E120 app will go into a pool as no hiring is expected until fall for FO E120.

SoFloFlyer

Sounds like one cool guy who’s an awesome leader

Cujo665

He’s definately way better than most. He’s smart enough to know he doesn’t know everything aviation and will listen to rational reasons why a policy or procedure should be changed. That said, he is a mega millionaire and occasionally the behavior and actions can match the best stupidity of any airline CEO. I enjoyed working for him. He’s more interested in enabling his employees to produce a great product than in micromanaging everything.

Honestly, their biggest weakness is the pilot schedules. They’re always late handing out the next months schedule. If you can get your day off requests in a month ahead, they were good at getting you the requested days off. Other than that schedules were always late. They schedule 18 days a month, at least 2 of which are always long call from home, and nobody has ever been called from long call. So, realistically it 16 days at worst. You can get that broken up in two three or all at once. Tell them and they’ll try to do it your way. They like the all at once since they don’t have to buy extra airline tickets for your home basing, but doing two or three blocks works too.
You’ll eventually get your schedule which will have at least 2 long call days, scheduled flying days, short call days in a hotel, and 30 hour days off in hotels as needed. You’re salary, so,it really doesn’t matter if your at a hotel, or out flying... the pay is the same. I’ve gone to work for a ten day block and flown two days due to mechanicals and weather... it happens. Pay stays the same.

Keeping the hotel points and all the air miles is great, you’ll be executive platinum and racking up free tickets pretty quickly. When family vacation comes around, it will be on real free award tickets and free hotel awards. There are definately worse places to work.

100LL

So since you can break up the schedule is it possible to have a permanent 9 on 9 off schedule since you will get your 18 days in per month anyways? Also how long are upgrades taking?

Cujo665

Upgrades are in seniority order with at least 1,000 on the E145

You could ask for 9/9 each month, and they’d be pretty good about doing it, or being close. You might get 10/8 with either the first two or last two being long call at home.

As long as it’s 18, they’ll try to break it up how you like. They like 1 or 2 blocks. They’ll do blocks of three for the folks living in base that don’t need airline tickets or hotels.

Pretty much it’s if you work with them, they’ll work with you. But, like I said, schedules are always late. A guy told me last night that he JUST got his yesterday for July. We all know they submit the flights to the FAA and reservations systems 90 days in advance, so there’s no excuse for this. It is their only really big fail. If you can roll with getting the final schedules late, everything else is great.

Longhornmaniac8

Is Via hiring at ATP minimums for FO on the 145? I live in Austin and this is certainly tempting.

fantm11

Any word on what the turn around time for a response is to an application? Most other regionals/charters seem to be getting back in a day or two...week at the most.

Salsa911

Stay away from this hell hole of a company. In my honest opinion anyone with the time will be better off getting hired at other regionals. Via has a history of abusing employees and tossing them to the streets when it suits them best. The managers they have in place with the exception of few are bunch of scoundrels.

Cujo665

if you are referring to MM, he's gone.

You apparently haven't worked at other regionals. Via treats their pilots far superior to the average regional.

The schedules are their biggest flaw.