New Hires - Bases and Reserve Time
08-05-2018, 08:30 AM
#21
Banned
Joined APC: Oct 2017
Posts: 848
Originally Posted by Jassbuff
Expressjet is so desperate for pilots. Apply and when they call you for the interview go. In the interview tell them you need IAH or you will go elsewhere. I almost guarantee they will give it to you.
08-07-2018, 01:29 PM
#23
On Reserve
Joined APC: Sep 2014
Posts: 17
Originally Posted by Blackhawk
I was afraid what the OP would get as a response. Let me preface what I will write by saying I am hardly an ExpressJet koolaide drinker. Just look at my recent posts.
Having said that, I think we need to look at each individual separately and try to put aside our personal disappointments when we do so. There are some things I see in the OPs background that make me think XJT may be a good fit.
For the OP:
1. Training will probably be outstanding which, if coming from a GA background will be crtitical. Having said that, you must come prepared. Know how to fly instruments. Get in a PI-135 sim with a good instructor. Learn to fly an airplane with a G1000 and a GFC700 autopilot. Learn to fly with the autopilot, w/ the FD but no autopilot, and raw data. You will also have to fly visually with precision, on speed and on target. If you can find a good instructor with a Mooney fly that as well. Learn to fly it on speed and on target, landing where you want on the center line every time. If the instructor is someone who teaches to normally land zero flaps and 90 knots over the numbers that’s the wrong instructor.
2. Your training will most likely be in Houston. This is good and bad. Tell any family there that your training comes first. Consider getting a hotel room if XJT is paying for it.
3. As pointed out you probably won’t get IAH out of training, so you will be commuting to sit reserve at first. Probably ORD.
3. The company is going through... “turmoil”. You could hit the jackpot and things turn around. More likely you realize after a year that this is a sinking ship, you do a lateral move and get a bonus for doing so as a well trained pilot with 121 experience.
Good luck!
Having said that, I think we need to look at each individual separately and try to put aside our personal disappointments when we do so. There are some things I see in the OPs background that make me think XJT may be a good fit.
For the OP:
1. Training will probably be outstanding which, if coming from a GA background will be crtitical. Having said that, you must come prepared. Know how to fly instruments. Get in a PI-135 sim with a good instructor. Learn to fly an airplane with a G1000 and a GFC700 autopilot. Learn to fly with the autopilot, w/ the FD but no autopilot, and raw data. You will also have to fly visually with precision, on speed and on target. If you can find a good instructor with a Mooney fly that as well. Learn to fly it on speed and on target, landing where you want on the center line every time. If the instructor is someone who teaches to normally land zero flaps and 90 knots over the numbers that’s the wrong instructor.
2. Your training will most likely be in Houston. This is good and bad. Tell any family there that your training comes first. Consider getting a hotel room if XJT is paying for it.
3. As pointed out you probably won’t get IAH out of training, so you will be commuting to sit reserve at first. Probably ORD.
3. The company is going through... “turmoil”. You could hit the jackpot and things turn around. More likely you realize after a year that this is a sinking ship, you do a lateral move and get a bonus for doing so as a well trained pilot with 121 experience.
Good luck!
08-07-2018, 02:38 PM
#24
Part of the problem
Joined APC: Jul 2013
Position: CRJ200 CA
Posts: 577
Originally Posted by Springfield
Let me second, or third, the comments about preparing yourself for the flying training environment. Airline flying is precision glass cockpit instrument flying, even in a "visual" environment. When the second career guys have trouble, it tends to be trouble flying instruments and managing the FMS flight computers. With that said, XJT will work with you to get you through if you can continue to improve through training. Good luck.
There is some required hand flying of the sim and you absolutely have to master it, but it is a sim. It doesn't properly simulate stick and rudder.
I recently went thru 121 regional new-hire training as an old guy, with a surprising amount of other old guys from GA, corporate prop and small jet corporate. The only thing which gave any of the older guys a problem was the FMS. It can eat your lunch. My saving grace was having 9,000 hours in the plane. I logged quite a bit of after hours time, helping other old guys learn how to work the FMS on the computer sims.
There is no at home trainer available for the FMS, so my advice is to be all over the FMS before you get in the sim. Instructors in the classroom may say "All this will make more sense in the sim when you can actually push the buttons rather than click a mouse." And they are correct, but you have got to be able to initialize the FMS in less than 5 minutes, before getting into the sim- despite the fact that it is a mouse driven computer simulator.
Take it from a fellow old guy.
08-07-2018, 04:26 PM
#25
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Sep 2011
Position: lav dumper
Posts: 707
The first order of business should be a psych evaluation for any new hire. This place has nothing to offer. Not sure what nonsense the recruiters are spewing. The only thing we have going is a perpetual net loss of pilots, indefinite upgrades, stalled contract. In regional land we are the new bottom of the barrel.
08-07-2018, 04:40 PM
#26
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Mar 2005
Posts: 1,888
Originally Posted by DirkDiggler
The first order of business should be a psych evaluation for any new hire. This place has nothing to offer. Not sure what nonsense the recruiters are spewing. The only thing we have going is a perpetual net loss of pilots, indefinite upgrades, stalled contract. In regional land we are the new bottom of the barrel.
08-07-2018, 04:44 PM
#27
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Mar 2005
Posts: 1,888
Originally Posted by Springfield
Let me second, or third, the comments about preparing yourself for the flying training environment. Airline flying is precision glass cockpit instrument flying, even in a "visual" environment. When the second career guys have trouble, it tends to be trouble flying instruments and managing the FMS flight computers. With that said, XJT will work with you to get you through if you can continue to improve through training. Good luck.
08-07-2018, 05:53 PM
#28
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Sep 2011
Position: lav dumper
Posts: 707
I would be curious to hear what the recruiters are telling our handful of new hires. Because we really have nothing to offer besides a decent training department,
Note to any new hires: A regional recruiter is equivalent to a human parasite. A self-serving piece of panty waste who will tell you anything to make themselves shine.
Note to any new hires: A regional recruiter is equivalent to a human parasite. A self-serving piece of panty waste who will tell you anything to make themselves shine.
08-07-2018, 06:10 PM
#29
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Oct 2016
Posts: 592
You guys are making 121 training seem so much harder than I remember it. 
I was so bored for that 10 weeks. It's mostly death by powerpoint for the first few weeks. The ftd and sims are kinda fun; you see the instruction come together. Every procedure and profile is spelled out in detail in the FOM Vol 1 and the instructors will teach you from that. Follow the procedures and instructions and it's not hard. The 145 is a very easy first jet. Relatively simple systems and equally simple FMS.
Your experience can and will vary.
I was so bored for that 10 weeks. It's mostly death by powerpoint for the first few weeks. The ftd and sims are kinda fun; you see the instruction come together. Every procedure and profile is spelled out in detail in the FOM Vol 1 and the instructors will teach you from that. Follow the procedures and instructions and it's not hard. The 145 is a very easy first jet. Relatively simple systems and equally simple FMS. Your experience can and will vary.
08-07-2018, 06:23 PM
#30
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Mar 2005
Posts: 1,888
Originally Posted by Arliss
You guys are making 121 training seem so much harder than I remember it. I was so bored for that 10 weeks. It's mostly death by powerpoint for the first few weeks. The ftd and sims are kinda fun; you see the instruction come together. Every procedure and profile is spelled out in detail in the FOM Vol 1 and the instructors will teach you from that. Follow the procedures and instructions and it's not hard. The 145 is a very easy first jet. Relatively simple systems and equally simple FMS.
Your experience can and will vary.
I was so bored for that 10 weeks. It's mostly death by powerpoint for the first few weeks. The ftd and sims are kinda fun; you see the instruction come together. Every procedure and profile is spelled out in detail in the FOM Vol 1 and the instructors will teach you from that. Follow the procedures and instructions and it's not hard. The 145 is a very easy first jet. Relatively simple systems and equally simple FMS. Your experience can and will vary.
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