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[QUOTE=BURflyer]try www.willflyforfood.cc and click on the Horizon interviews. It looks like you need some more experience than being a CFI. I think it's great that you are aiming high for an airline job but consider that Horizon is not a good place if you are trying to go to the majors as fast as you can because of the slow upgrade time. You might want to consider an airline that has good work rules and a good upgrade time. Plus, I have no idea but it seems like Horizon is a turboprop friendly airline. If major airline hiring is still slow I wouldn't want to be stuck flying a turboprop![/QUOTE]--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Sounds like someone has a case of "Shiny Jet Syndrome." This might be the most ignorant statement I have ever read. While you're blasting through the sky in your shiny 50 seat jet at minimum wage, Horizon seems to be the only airline that has figured out that you can't make money in those things.

Have you sat in a Dash-8? They are far roomier (up front and in the back) then any CRJ/ERJ and it's safe to say (at least for the time being) that Horizon prop-drivers are makin' more money then most flyin' jets.

Don't get caught up in the equipment you are flying. The focus should be on livable wages and good work rules. Turbine time is turbine time. It's this mentality that is one of the reasons we got into this mess in the first place.

 

While I have no knowledge of the books I wouldnt say this is a safe assumption to make. XJT, TSA, Pinnacle, PSA, AWAC all seem to be doing great and they are all rj companies.

I would assume (yes Im only assuming) rj;s are not working out for horizion because of the market they serve. How many people want to go to Chicago, DC, NY, Atlanta, Houston, and Philly compared to Portland, Eugine, Santa Barbra, Helena, great falls, and Calgary?

Im not saying these cities arent as populated as the eastern ones but I couldnt imagine that there is a demand for many 50 seater jets.

Most of the bigger cities out west are more spaced out that Im sure it could be more cost effiecent not to use a regional to service them.

 

I'm not talking about salary here or which plane is a better at saving the company money, I'm talking about prop or jet type. Surely you will agree that flying a jet is better than a turboprop?

 

[QUOTE=Punkpilot48]While I have no knowledge of the books I wouldnt say this is a safe assumption to make. XJT, TSA, Pinnacle, PSA, AWAC all seem to be doing great and they are all rj companies.

QUOTE]

Doing great is relative...ask the 9E FO that is makin' $19/hr and was gettin' junior-manned all the time

You have to consider the business model. Look at Indy Air, they tried it on their own, without the contract flying that 9E,AWAC,XJT have, and they no longer exist. If any of these airlines tried it on their own without the contract flying, they would probably end up in the situation Indy Air did.

Horizon has their own native route structure and does not rely entirely on contract flying and on those routes is where you see the props. And as a matter of fact, Horizon is ordering more 74 seat props because there is, in fact, demand for the current city pairings that QX flies too.

 

[QUOTE=Ju52]Turbine time is not turbine time anymore. Some Major airlines are officially or unofficially requiring or prefering turbojet time (CAL and AWA have been hiring RJ FO's). If you have a target/dream major airline, make sure you understand what they require when you make a decision to work for a prop-only airline. SWA will hire prop-only pilots.

Other than that there is no GOOD reson to prefer a jet over a turboprop...pay and quality of life and other factors should be your deciding points.

 

I'm not aware of CAL not hiring prop guys. I know of XJ Saab Captains that went on to fly for CAL and AWA. There are some majors that require a certain MTOW like 25,000 lbs but most 121 props weight that much anyway.

 

I think all of the cities you mentioned could easily support a 50 seat RJ. Lets not forget the Q400 seats over 70. The smaller Q200 allows horizon to offer more frequency, not to mention the Dash's are a quite a bit more efficient than an RJ. I heard from a station manager several years back that horizon was looking at phasing out the Q200 for the Q400. All the Q200's are still around though so I guess all they did is look at it.

 

No. Prop guys have more fun!

 

As far as I'm concerned Horizon is a great place to work. We fly in a beautiful part of the country, and have some very wild approaches. If you want to fly a jet go somewhere else. We have 20 and it appears that's all we are going to have for a while. However, the Q400 is as state-of-the-art as it gets when it comes to aircraft. Horizon has always and will continue to have some of the best and most modern equipment out there. We have Heads-up guidance systems on all aircraft, giving us CAT III capability (hand flying to 50' minimums with 600 RVR....what a rush!)the only regional to have that capability, the Q400's and CRJ's will be RNP capable in the near future, electronic flight bags are on the way with XM link to the ground for any info we could possibly need.

The pay is good and will continue to be so, even after our next contract. We fly many of our own routes under our own name. We are profitable and have been the last three years. Did I mention no pay cut?

What else would you like to know. Oh...yes the upgrade time is currently six years, however we didn't hire for two years to it will eventually drop overnight by two years. (Today's performance is not an indication of tomorrows).

Any other questions?