Alpha Flying
 

Can anyone tell me a little about this company, and also what the interview is like. Sounds like a great place to work

Nothing at all?

it seems like a decent place i had an instructor who liked it but he was only there a few months as an fo. there are alot of daniel webster grads up there from what ive heard.

I've been here about 3 years now, feel free to PM me.

Geronimo, this site is not letting me PM. Can I reach you via e-mail? Looking at a possible career change to flying PC-12s, would like to talk about Alpha. I'm in southern Maine (Saco).

Damon - you need 10 posts to send and receive PMs.

Kit - I knew someone that worked there. Be careful. From what I hear they are shady as far as getting rid of people they don't like and cover their tracks with BS "causes for dismissal" or forced resignations. Bottom line is they have done illegal profiling/discrimination and covered their a$$es.

I'd sure love to know what you know. Seriously. The only thing I have seen people 'resign' over is something incredibly stupid that they did and they were going to be fired, but were offered the option of resigning. It looks better that way on a resume, I guess.

Geronimo,
Could you give me a brief synopsis of pay, benifits and a typical schedule. I know several (5) folks that have worked there over the past couple of years. They all liked the place. However, when they realized that the single engine Turb was not going to help them, they moved on.
I'm to old to survive at the regionals (40) so I'm researching options that will not result in a divorce:D.
Alpha along with Cape air has always interested me. Close to home, Lots of flying if I want etc,etc.

Thanks in advance.

SD

first year pay is 27k and goes up quite quickly from there. captain pay starts at I think 38k and also goes up quickly. everyone is hired as an fo. benefits are available. The schedule is a 6 on 4 off.

Second that emotion
 

I too am looking for a flying career that will not result in a divorce. Once I sell the family on the humongous pay cut, add my commercial to my PP-ASEL Instrument, several hundred more hours and many thousands of dollars to get to the Alpha minimum time, and I should have it in the bag.

Not caring about moving "up" anywhere from a PC-12 job - just really want to fly those planes.

Would a Daniel Webster MBA for aviation professionals help along the way? Not with the flying, but with getting into Alpha all other things being equal.

Any idea how many FO candidates apply vs. get hired?

Meaning, if I go in the door with 1000 hrs. PIC, Commercial ASEL & IFR am I going to get laughed out because there are 3000 hour folks looking for the same seat?

Or should I just start saving my $3M now to get my own PC-12?

What's a 6 on, 4 off schedule - is that days, or weeks?

How many hours does the average Alpha FO get in a year?

Anybody have anything bad to say about the PC-12, other than the dubious value of right seat time?

Six days on, four days off.

Alpha is a great company. if you have 1000 pic and are proficient with IFR mainly jepps you should be good to go. Everyone starts out as an FO (which is loggable because an SIC is required by the certificate). Everyone is very happy and the company is moving in the right direction

Damon,

Latest I've heard on Alpha is that 500 hours will get you in the door. Given the way the market is now and is headed toward, there are probably very few 3000 hour pilots looking for a 28k job flying in the right seat of a PC-12. For the location you live in, you probably can't beat working there if the poor pay is palatable. As for one of the other posters ripping on the company, I've known plenty of people who left there but most liked the experience, they just didn't feel it was going to take them very far in aviation outside of flying a PC-12. Keep in mind they use contracts to lock the pilots into staying there although I heard that may not continue as the market for pilots tightens and competition increases.

Mr. I.

Thanks Irrelevant...
 

Yeah, I talked to a principal in a local FBO who kind of said the same thing about the minimums, which jives with what I've seen posted on other forums. I'll have upward of 750 hours most likely by the time I get my commercial & ME (which will get some rust on it flying the Pilatus, I realize).

Any idea how many hours per year an FO flies at Alpha?

I think 600 is about the average per year

Yeah, the dubious value of single engine time.

Other than that the PC-12 is a great plane to fly. It does roll like a truck but the new PC-12/47's are supposedly fixing that.

Anyone know if Alpha is getting any PC-12/47's ? Or maybe the Next Gen Pilatus?

I have heard from a few that work there that they are expecting the next gen PC-12's.

They are also in the market for the new Grob jet but I am not sure if when or how that will happen but they are pursuing it.

This is from a CA there so it is fairly reliable

we already have 7-8 47 series aircraft. I do believe we will be getting the new gen pilatus when they are available

Does anyone know who to address the cover letter to? Looking on the website I see nothing that eludes to who the HR person may be. Thanks for the heads up.

http://www.planesense.aero/pdfs/employmentops.pdf should answer almost all of your questions, people. Do your homework.

Send resumes to [email protected]
HR is Robyn Moses-Harney
Pilot recruitment/training is Lara Greenwood.

I did 700 hours/yr as an FO at Alpha. It's a good place to be to build some quality time in a fractional with great equipment. I don't know who would sign up for the 2 year contract to upgrade in today's market unless you're planning on staying there for a long time.

There is no "contract" but you are liable for training costs that slide to zero in 18 months. Most upgrade before 18 months and the contract goes away. Send a resume' and if it looks good you'll get an application for pilot employment. AF is hiring agressively and will be 7on/7off by early spring '08.
47E's start arriving late spring '08, GROB arrives in late'08 or early '09 depending on certification.

Do you see them hiring street captains for the pc-12 in the future with the delivery of new a/c? I can't see anyone with atp mins or higher time even wanting to consider a right seat job in a single engine turbine with year or more upgrade. Their base location is very appealing though.

>>Their base location is very appealing though.<< The FXE base has generated a lot of interest and there is still a lot of interest from the 1,000-2,000 hour pilot. Upgrade is based on merit, not seniority so the "year or more" is not necessarily accurate. Many of the FO's have paid their dues and are ready to upgrade so I doubt they'll hire into the left seat. The plan is to move PC-12 Captains into the right seat of the GROB to build multi time and then move them into the GROB left seat.

Thanks for the feedback, the New England base and soon going to a 7/7 schedule (which is awesome imo) is really appealing, I should have been more clear, I understand what you're saying about the upgrade, alot of pilots have been waiting, I'm sure most deserve it, and most are ready for the upgrade. The company seems like a fair one, so they'll give you a shot before they go to the street. If they plan on moving the pc-12 captains to the right seat of the jet to build their multi time, then who do they plan on putting in the left seat to pic when they take delivery?

I almost wish I had less time, they would be something I'd really actively pursue as I want to try and move back to the northeast. It would be very tough to sit in the right seat of a pc12 and start logging sic at my current point. I'm not biased because of the plane, it sounds like a blast to fly, but single engine time at this point is pretty much worthless to me. Maybe in the future I'd consider trying to interview when I'm looking for a better qol over experience and have a little more financial security. I think at the moment cape air or big sky would be a more beneficial move if I could get hired there that is.

Try Avantair, CS and Netjets - they all have bases in the NE (Netjets will after the TA passes).

Has anyone heard anything about the PDK base? Is it open and in full swing yet? Are they hiring for this base? I live in GA and would like to stay here.

Yes, I believe PDK is up and running. Send in your resume and find out...

Talked to one of their pilots last weekend down in Florida who mentioned that 7/7 and how unlikely he believed it to happen. Said they had too much turnover to be able to get to the number of pilots required to operate that schedule. Obviously just one pilot's opinion.

BTW, that sounds like a contract if you are liable for training costs. If it looks like it and smells like it......

Mr. I.

Where do most of the pilots go after alpha? Seems like a lot of single engine time.

Lately, Avantair.

That will change when the jets arrive in a few years. Those Grob jets are sweeeeeeeeet lookin'!