COPA Airlines (Panama)
 

Any one currently going through their Fo hiring process? Kindly chime in.b If you have any other info regarding the hiring process, pay, bases, QOL, please chime in as well. I have applied with them. I did call and speak with a lady. It wasn't much help as English was not her first language.

Are the mins still 1000 hours for expat FOs and 250h for locals?

They will be attending the job fair we are hosting in March.

Hiring minimums at Copa Airines.

Captains-
Age: 26 - 62. Minimum flight experience: 5,000 total flight hours and 1,000 total time in command of transport category turbofans (50 passengers or greater). ATP license. FAA ATP or ICAO license with at least an ICAO English level 4. Valid first class medical. Willing to relocate to Panama.


First Officers-
Minimum age: 21. Minimum operational experience: 1,000 flight hours as a pilot. Single-engine, multi-engine and instruments commercial license. English level 4 (ICAO). Willing to relocate to Panama.

What are the company requirements for upgrades?

when and where is that fair??

i have 900 hours tt right now, currently cfi at ksfb, Sanford Florida, im a native spaniard and would love my first airline job to be with them or LAN.


Edit: ok, searched your profile, Atlanta on the 24th of march as you say.

What other foreign airlines are attending with similar requirements??
Thanks.

Why dont you call them and find out as far as the pay during training is concerned. They pay after training? QOL? And inform us about it. I can PM you the number of the HR, if you like.

Atlanta, GA 3-24

Aero Crew Solutions dot com

sure, go ahead, ill try to call before this weekend.

www.aerocrewsolutions.com/pilot-job-fair/

If anybody has questions about the event, send me a PM.

Remember, COPA is only a stepping stone for very low time F/Os and Captains looking to build time in the EMB or Boeing. A couple of recent joiners at my current carrier related their experiences about COPA. It’s no secret about the extremely low pay, and poor terms and conditions. One is from LA and the other from Miami. The two said that jump seating from Panama back to US is very difficult at best and very stressful.

Hi CriticalMach, I just joined this forum, I was reading at your post about Copa Airlines and I was wondering if you are kind enough to provide me that HR phone number for Copa Airlines. I'll appretiate it. Take care.

id love to know if they type you on your american license or will they issue a Panama license and type you on that one.

You will NOT receive a 737 type on your FAA Certificate, as they have no authority to do so. They issue you an AAC (Panama's FAA) ATP certificate with a "737 Capitan" type rating and an AAC radio operator's permit.

By the way, as with everything here at Copa, you will pay for both certificates and your medical, and your uniform, and your wings, hat brass, epaulettes, etc, etc...

Good Luck, you will need if at Copa.

Saw COPA airlines at the latest Aero Crew Solutions career fair. Was NOT impressed by their presentation. Not only did they struggle to answer questions, they kept bringing up how they are in negotiations and that life may get better. Considering one was HR, I think I would have taken a different tactic if I were trying to recruit pilots. Make your airline sound like it's the best thing since sliced bread and don't keep telling people it will get better. By saying such words, it makes it sounds like it sucks to work for COPA. No offense to anyone who works there as you may be able to prove me wrong, however, your HR could not.

Are you unemployed/underemployed? If so, then Copa might be a good SHORT TERM job opportunity. As an expat (especially gringos), you will never really have more than 12 months job security here anyways. Never listen to what HR people tell you as they truly have no idea what pilots do.

If you like Latina women and you want to make a little money but realize that you will not get back to your home country much, then this is a decent place to work.

New, clean aircraft with good maintenance and nice cabin crews. They feed you well when at work and the hotels are above average in most cases.

What others have said here in this thread is pretty accurate.

YMMV

From a former copa employee,

"If you like Latina women and you want to make a little money but realize that you will not get back to your home country much, then this is a decent place to work."
I would add emphasis on the "Make a LITTLE money" part. The rest is very true.
If you like Latina women, go.
If getting back to your home country often is not a big deal to you, go.
If you like a lot of un-certantity in your life, go.
If you don't mind dealing with a bucket load of BS daily, go.
If you like your schedule assigned to you, go.
If days off are not inportant to you, go.
If you don't mind having no say in your schedule ie; days off, overnights, AM vs PM, trips, go.
I don't regret going, I met and married my wife there. The experience was great, but I would not return for love nor money. LOL!
Good luck in your decision. I will be happy to answer any questions.
cielos azules siempre!

Let's say that you are at the helm at COPA and that you have (as they currently do and will continue to have for the foreseeable future, Pinnacle & Eagle being the latest producers ) a constant supply of very experienced regional pilots that are willing (or have no other choice) to work for the same or less money than they were flying at a regional, just to get the 73 type and time on the hull. Why on earth would you even consider for a second to raise the term and conditions? So that people stay and you have to pay senior wages? The cost of maintaining a constant training cycle is a lot less, these folks will ride the cheap foreign labor wave for as long as they can:rolleyes:

Could you guys PM the HR phone number please
Thanks!

I'd hate to break it to all of the guys looking to apply at Copa, but we just went through a little over a week of strikes with the ground handler and cleaning crew union. Negotiations with the pilot's union just went south, as in ALL pilot's rejected the unions quiet negotiations with the company. Life at Copa will get very interesting very soon when a mass exodus occurs again, and new planes keep coming.

Anyone know if foreign First Officers are still getting on with COPA? I spoke with one of their recruiters at Fltops job fair in Vegas on 4/13/12. I was told they were "focusing on hiring Panamanian First Officers" only. They cannot reasonably expect to find enough Panamanian Pilots for 56 aircraft orders.

That is correct. Right now Copa Airlines is only recruiting for Captain, not First Officers.

Are expat mins, 1000tt, hard mins? Why do they take local Panamanians with 250 (:eek:) but foreigners need 1000?

Just wondering in the following hypothetical:

- You get hired by COPA as an F/O
- You get a Panamanian license and trained on the 737
- You fly for Copa as an F/O for X years (maybe even upgrade to captain)

1. Can you move back to the US, apply to the FAA for a transfer of the 737 type to your FAA certificate?
2. Would any major airline accept your experience there as sufficient to come fly for SWA, DAL, AA, UAL?

The FAA will NOT give you a 737 type on the basis of a Panamanian type. You will still have to go through a type rating course to get it.

Yes, the majors will accept your experience but if you are not accumulating PIC time, it helps you very little.

Advert on the big orange web site

who knows how to get in with COPA? anyone with connections? it'd be great help

any one have any connections on getting on with COPA?

does anyone know if the 1,000 Turbine PIC is a hard requirement? Would they entertain a 500hr turbine PIC guy?

Thanks!

Indeed,
Captains:1000 Hours, Jet 50 pax or more PIC, minimun.
FO's :1000 hours no turbine required

Any recent news out of the Copa camp re hiring expats?

I just received an email today that Copa Airlines will be attending our next job fair in Atlanta on July 21st. I am sorry for the short notice. They are only hiring Captains at this time.

The hiring minimums are:

Age: 26 - 62. Minimum flight experience: 5,000 total flight hours and 1,000 total time in command of transport category turbofans (50 passengers or greater). ATP license. FAA ATP or ICAO license with at least an ICAO English level 4. Valid first class medical. Willing to relocate to Panama.

I was wondering what year 1 and 2 Capt pay is at COPA? Either per hour or month. I meet the requirements for a direct hire Capt. My wife and I are looking for alittle adventure and Panama sounds like fun to us as we have no kids. How does the pay compared to the average cost of goods in Panama? Are there any domiciles other then Panama City? Can an American with rudimentary Spanish get around Panama?

Thanks for your help!

Can anyone provide an update on pay and hiring status?

I'm quite curious myself... :rolleyes:

While I was only an F/O there, I can help you a little with the pay scale. The Captains that were 15 on 15 off were making about $4,000.00 - $5,000.00 a month (Take home). The guys that were not 15 on 15 off were bringing home about $6,000.00 - $7,000.00. I found panama very expensive. I live in Houston now and I am paying the same rent here that I was paying for a smaller apartment there. I found it very expensive there. Feel free to pm me for more specifics.

Why did you leave copa?

I just received email from copa that they will be starting application process for FO's and they want me to send them my updated documents. I applied a year ago and had totally forgotten about it. Anyone else received this email?

CriticalMach, get your PM.

I got it too!! The email didn't have my name in it, but the attachments were real enough to convince me. Really curious if they sent it out to everyone who had applied or was it to selected individuals.

Do they verify all the employers and references before the next step??

I have decided to not proceed with the opportunity or shall I say it is really not an opportunity. You have to pay your own costs such as uniforms, license conversions etc etc. best of luck to all.

Well all the best to you either way. In fact this leave more chance for me, lol.

As for me, there is no better opportunity I can possibly get. At my airline, I already had to do that only to have some troubles later (won't post it on the forum, but I didn't fail anything). That was I wanted to talk to you about.

Do you mind telling me what your times are, and 121 experience if any? I am trying to see what kind of experience are they contacting.