A-V-8

To the good folks at Swift Air:

I'll be joining you soon and I'm stoked.

What should I expect in this oral. I have the online class thingy and it really doesn't have a comprehensive study guide that covers limitations.

Is there one published at all that you guys can send me?

Did you guys use the button book from AvSoft? If so which one?

What should I study?

Thanks in advance.
I'm studying like crazy.

Commit Aviation

Well they’ll provide a notebook with everything you need to know for the oral and sim on day one. We got JetPubs button books and charts. And you’ll get enrolled in the study Dropbox which has a lot of great resources too. If you’ve completed all the online studies before your class then you should have ample time to get the important stuff down. Otherwise it’s going to be a lot of time management while in GSO. As for studies - the notebook I referred to is your bible. It has you memory items, limitations, flows, profiles and calls. If you study those you’ll pass the Pan Am oral and training. They will get you dialed in before heading to MIA or LAS for sim. Good luck!

mexipilot84

A lot of the oral comes from the overhead panel. Hydraulics, especially the stby system.

A-V-8

Thanks for the responses.

If I buy one of those button books from AvSoft is that the same one they issue?

Can I get that notebook now? Will they email it?

Braniff DC8

The Xtra guys had a union and contract so that will be interesting. I do not think the Xtra guys will like the way things are done or will be done. Sadly, I was quite excited when I first joined but it got bad quick. The C.P., GM, has some anger and resentment issues.

Five out of nine in my class have quit. That's 3 Captains and two FO's. They have to ask why. They cannot simply expand, Dynamic too, the way they do things. It needs a massive makeover and some management need to go. A lot of the Eastern people left too so how will they grow the operation. Both places have such terrible reputations. Digging up the Eastern name again or, not letting it just die, will probably drag the whole operation down like Pan Am MK 2 did to Carnival.

Beat of luck, really! I think those of you throwing all your hope into those places are really missing out on better opportunities.

A-V-8

Thank you sir!

mexipilot84

I think the button book they issue is the same avsoft book. The 737 cockpit companion is a good guide. Very detailed.

mexipilot84

3 captains and 2 FOs? So what? That’s attrition. Happens here happens there happens everywhere! People quit regionals, part 135 ops all the time and in bigger numbers. All for different reasons. They don’t like the schedule, or bases or chief pilot peed in their Cheerios, I have no idea. I just wish everyone the best and welcome everyone who wants to come here.

I think in 6 months we’ve lost about 12-14 pilots. But on the same token we’ve hired close to 50pilots in the same time frame. With the current class it puts us at about 128 pilots. 12 more for
March. Hopefully by June we will have hired over 40 pilots just this year.

This place isn’t for everyone, it’s not perfect. It has a lot of room for improvement. I have no idea what deal dynamic has, that’s their own entity with Ken Wooley. Maybe Viola is investing in it or sold the name to Dynamic. I have no clue.

I will say they’re working on a new hire bonus of $15K. Not sure on the terms, we suggested a pay increase instead or guarantee raise.

Info for the Europe flying. They will have 3 airplanes in Czech Republic. Offering 120hr guarantee for pilots who stay 90 days. Plus completion bonuses for each time period spent that range from 12-20k. One round trip ticket for a significant other to come visit. A raise in per diem that equals to about $90/day. Schedules of 4on 2off plus there will be reserve lines. Good opportunity for those single pilots. Hard for us with families to do that.

First xtra NG is in GSO getting conformity check.

Have no idea what they will offer the Xtra guys. I am sure it will probably in similar fashion to Eastern. It’s not a merger or buyout. Buying of assets from their parent company airsale and contracts. Doubt a lot of them will come over. They have full home basing which we don’t.


Recruiting is hard work and we’re competing with the regionals in the same game! It’s tough! But as a pilot I enjoy bringing good people here and pilots who want to have a good time and bring an awesome skill set to what we do! Everyone’s experience will vary! I have been here 3 years and for the most part everyone has been good to me. We all know each other by name!

When there’s a problem you speak up and get it fixed! Enough said. Hotel problems? Refuse it! Transportation issues? I won’t go into rest until it’s resolved. Pretty much like any regional I ever worked for! Stand up and be heard!

Now again if anyone is interested I’ll answer any question you have. Our APC page is finally up! We need to edit some things that got mixed up but it’s there!

Braniff DC8

Check your pms. Best of luck.

Braniff DC8

You do not work for the same company I, and my classmates, worked for. Stand up you say, well, we did that and got hammered. It's why we left. Hiring all those pilot's does not mean they will stay. It's a free type rating. Simple really. If it really is that great why would 12-14 be leaving? If you hire 50, 25% plus percent are quitting. Something must be wrong. The money to train people will eventually bite them. How can you continue to expand with 25% of your cockpit crew leaving?

Just to be clear about GM, he does not pizz in wheaties, he makes it sound great and he's "on your side" until you have to REALLY deal with him. He brought Doughnuts to ground school and we were all enamored but it very quickly wore off. Wait to you quit, you'll see the REAL GM come out. You should here how he treated a classmate when that person resigned.

Not trying to fight with you Mexi but your experience is very different than mine and my classmates. Again, we were all typed with many hours and experience. We were not just new kids off the block.