Not to beat a dead horse, but I need some GoJet info
 

I just got the call for a first round interview at GoJet and wanted some more information. I am a very low time pilot, but could avoid becoming a CFI and all of the $$ involved in that if I get a position at a regional. I just would like some none emotional fact based information on the company. Thank you for your time.

Uhoh... I don't know anything other than you do NOT want to work there! There is a lot of animosity in the business toward GoJets because they are a TSA alter-ego airline. Many regard GoJets as a scab airline. Just some friendly advice, please decide carefully... GoJets could harm your career.

I'll do my very best to be as non-emotional as possible...
Buncha job-stealing, back-stabbing, quasi-scab m-fers. If you go there, you're pretty much throwing your career away. Go to any one of the other approximately 300 regionals that are hiring low-timers. Or instruct. Actually, just go instruct. Don't be an SJS toolbag.

Just curious, how many hours do you have, for them to call you for the interview?

(I'm wondering how low they have brought thier mins down to, like the rest of the airlines, but they just don't get discussed much in here like all the others do for being low time)

That's because the hatred for being the scum of the planet overshadows any doubt cast on their hiring practices due to lowered minimums.

There are other places hiring low time pilots. I would avoid GoJets at all costs because as long as it is on your resume, it will haunt you. While you may want to avoid emotional responses here, they will follow you forever. When you want to move on, you never know who will be on the pilot interviewing committee and immediately blacklist you. It's not worth that when you could hold out for PSA or someplace.

If despite all the responses you are bound to get in this post you decide to go there, you should plan to live in base. Commuting will be hell because more often then not you'll either get denied the jumpseat or will be 'educated' while you are in the jumpseat. :eek:

That's true. Stay AWAY from Go-Jets. All of the H.R. people I have spoken to DO NOT LIKE THAT AIRLINE AND YOU WILL HAVE RETRIBUTIONS IN YOUR CAREER. STAY AWAY. PIEDMONT AND PSA ARE HIRING LOW TIMERS. GIVE THEM A TRY.

So is Colgan (airlineapps mins posted as 300TT/ME ticket), there are also other T-prop carriers out there hiring really low time guys, some jet carriers too.

This is the best advice you will ever get: Hold out for a better airline!!!!

Despite what I (and others) would like to believe, GoJet on your resume *will not* permanently harm your career; just ask the GoJet alums at UPS, Delta, Continental, etc.

Having said that, there are a dozen other places you could likely get hired that won't cause your professional colleagues to hate your guts because you fly for an alter-ego airline flying without a contract that was used to severely weaken the negotiating power of an established ALPA carrier.

Rest assured...damn near every other small jet pilot will despise you for working at Hulas' bastard stepchild, and getting a jumpseat on another regional airline will likely be difficult if you commute. If that doesn't faze you...well then by all means, good luck...

The fact that you have to ask for "non-emotional" replies shows you already know its a bad decision to go there. Just don't do it. Don't take the easy road just because it's easy. Sometimes in life the better things are worth working for.

Just for fun I sent a resume out to a few regionals to see what would happen and I kid you not - Colgan called me within 5 minutes of me pressing the send button. That just don't seem right to me.
Mesaba called me on Saturday so I'm pretty stoked about that.

Say NO to GO!!

IF you do go... promise me this... that you will leave after you get enough time (600-800hrs) to move onto the airline you really want to work for.

By doing this you cost them money, and the more money they lose the better.

Being that there are a number of other decent carriers hiring low time guys, why would you want to betray your fellow pilots and work for a scumbag company and be branded a scab? There are plenty of other places to go. I'm a former Trans States pilot, and I can tell you that I do my best to keep GoJet pilots out of the jumpseat when I fly. Is that how you want to be treated/viewed? As bottom-feeder scum? Do yourself a favor and go to a legitimate airline. PSA, TSA, ASA, Colgan, Pinnacle, Mesaba, Piedmont, etc. are all hiring low timers.

Use your head! There is a reason that it is so easy to get a job there. You will be a part of the most hated pilot group in the industry, there is no contract, management is...

Search and you will get all the info you need.

Geez.... Every regional out there is hiring dangerously low time people every day. With so many other options, why would anyone consider going to GoJet?

There are so many reasons not to work there. The main one I would say is that you never know who will be on the interview board of the next company you want to work for.

Don't do it. They are scum. If you choose to accept the position knowing the facts, you automatically become scum.

As was suggested, you could take advantage of gojet (or mesa) by working there for six months...that will be enough experience to get a job at most other regionals, and won't really help gojet. I wouldn't hold that against you. I'm not sure if they have a training contract though.

You might still be able to get a job at a good major, especially if you have connections. This is mainly because the major airline pilot groups are often unfamiliar with the current regional situation and TSA/gojet. You might be able to slip in under the radar so to speak. However...nobody is going to forget gojet, and as time passes more of the current generation of regional pilots will be moving on the the majors. You certainly would not want ME to have anything to do with the hiring process at any airline you apply to... :)

Just so you all know, I am a fresh out of college student with 214 tt and 51 mt. I have heard nothing from other airlines (altough I have to finish a few other apps) and figure that at least the interview if not the chance at a jet position at a regional would be beneficial especially when I don't have the $$ to really start my CFI course. I am making no decisions today to fly for GoJets and will take your information and that that I get from the interview to heart. Again thanks for the info. and one side note...How are Trans State and GoJets related? GoJets started separately with no union and lower pay to compete against itself?

TSA basically created GoJets to circumvent union contracts, work rules, pay and scope clauses. I'm not quite sure what event caused this event (700's coming on line for low pay??). How do you have your commercial cert with 214TT?? I thought you had to have 250... EDIT: part 141? IMO you are way too low time to go to the airlines. Instruct, fly skydivers, tow banners or do traffic watch... but build your time and do yourself and all union pilots out there a favor; stay away from GoJets.

Your not going to hear anything from any decent airline with only 214TT. If your jumping at the first thing that bites then your are making a huge mistake. You have plenty of time to gain some experience and hours....the hiring frenzy is not going anywhere too soon from what I hear. You are only doing yourself a disservice by going to a bottom feeder. You still have the respect of everyone here....don't blow it!! :eek:

Fifty hours of FTD time can be credited to the 250 hour requirement for a Commercial ticket under Part 61.

If you meet minimum times, Part 141 allows you to get a CPL at 190 hours. I had about 220 when I finished Commercial as well.

Wow, with those times no one will interview you? (Sarcasm) You're young, go out and get some flying experience. Don't stain your resume with that employer on it. If I were on a hiring board there are 3 people I wouldn't hire: Scabs, Freedom 'A' listers, and Gojet pilots. I may never have a say, but maybe someday I will. Russian roulette anyone?:eek:

When you are on the hiring board at Brown please keep us in mind. Probably 50% of us want Brown or Purple as the ultimate goal.

Well, it's HR's show right now...no line pilots involved. Probably won't change anytime soon if at all. Just trying to make a point of not burning bridges to jumpstart a career.

you're young, and with those hours looking at least a year and half to upgrade, possibly more. The hiring frenzy is good and strong right now, and competition is fierce (by the company...not us anymore) just trying to fill the seats for a class.

GoJet as was hinted earlier was started by TSA management to get around the American 50 seat (jet) scope clause that TSA was limited by. It's kinda like what you see at Chautauqua/Shuttle/Republic .... as CHQ is only using the <50 seaters. The difference, while the companies are located in the same building, have the same president, and even fly for one of the same codeshares, the pilot seniority lists are separate. As you probably have already learned, seniority is everything in this business, and as a result, guys who jumped to gojet also jumped infront of their fellow pilots for a quick upgrade and larger equipment, and they did so without union representation (not fun) and no contract (less fun) for wages that were barely better than equal to that of TSA (who is operating planes with 14 less seats)...That's why they're "scabs" or just slightly better than them, to many individuals out there. When TSA was furloughing pilots, gojet was hiring them.

I'd say you're going to need more total time to be really competitive...your multi is actually pretty decent, especially considering the current state of the industry...i'd find a couple buddies and go split some hundred dollar hamburger trips, or go do an hour of spins in a 150, just get your total up around the 250+ range, and you might have a little bit better luck. Most regionals know they have reached rock bottom on hiring minimums with 250/ticket...and having less than 250 probably makes them even more nervous, lol.

By the way, you won't have many respect problems if you try gojet's big brother TSA, they're hiring incredibly low time guys right now, upgrading them quickly (still 1.5 for ya at least though) and if you're from STL it works nice. And you get the joy of not having to wear your badge backwards...that's priceless.

If it makes you feel better- you'll never jumpseat on my Saab. Hopefully you don't have go to CRW.

I agree. The only thing harder to explain to a Captain on a hiring review board than having GoJets on your resume is having to explain why you failed out of training at GoJets. Go get some experience! Even just a few hundred more hours of YOU (pic) making all the decisions in a cockpit will serve you greatly.

j3gibbon,
This is the most honest answer I can give you...


GoJet's pilots are hated by other pilots. They are hated very much, and many people consider them the next worst things to scabs.

Have you ever taken a gun and just shot yourself in the foot to see what it feels like?? That is essentially what you will be doing if you go fly for GoJet, aka Blow Jets, Gayway, Goaway Jets, etc...

GoJet was created by Trans States. They wanted their pilots to fly 70 seat jets, but Trans States scope clause said they could not fly bigger airplanes unless a pay rate was negotiated. Instead of negotiating, Trans States went around the pilots contract and created GoJet's. They got the jets. People were hired there and "upgraded" out of seniority order over Trans States pilots. Not only were Trans States pilots screwed in that sense, but many were furloughed at this time. Usually this is against US Labor Laws, but somehow Trans States was able to circumvent these laws. That is the story (more or less).

GoJet's pilots are hated by all. Their is no discriminating. Every GoJet pilot is hated equally. Many will not allow you ride on their airplane (in jumpseat or even in back). You had better live in Saint Louis, or within close driving distance. Otherwise, I don't see how you are going to get to work.
If you ever want to go to another airline, you will have a hard time answering, "So why did you fly at GoJet's?" Be ready for people ignoring/not talking to you in future jobs. Only speak when spoken to, and only when absolutely necessary for the safe operation of the flight.

GoJet's only has about 150 pilots. Having that small of a group makes it easy to keep tabs on you. There used to be a list of all GoJet's pilots that was published (to use to deny GoJet's pilots from riding jumpseats), but I can't seem to find it. It was something like gojetpilots.com.

Anyway, there are very good reasons not to go and work for GoJet's. You may be committing career suicide. There are plenty of other regionals out there. They are hiring thousands of pilots this year. They are lowering minimums every single day. You WILL get hired by another carrier soon. Do not take the job at GoJet!!!
But hey, if you want to shoot yourself in the foot (by going to GoJet), let me know how it feels. I sure as hell don't want to try it.

Feel free to ask more questions to fully understand the implications of your choice.
Good luck making the right choice.
Ryan

I don't know much about GoJet but I haven't heard anything good about them. I know that they are a scab carrier which means stay away. I wouldn't recommend going to GoJet.

Just because he wants a job doesn't make him an SJS toolbag. If the same opportunity was open to you with such low time, you'd probably take it too. Most guys at the regionals are just trying to build time anyway so they can get to the majors or brown/purple. Flight instructing would be nice to build time and learn a thing or two but it's not absolutely fatal that he go that route. There's still plenty of opportunity without the CFI. I say go for it (at any place but GoJet), build your time and go on to bigger and better things. Best of luck to the young lad!

UPS has only One GoJet alum. Singular, non plural. Hundred reasons I guess, but I would go for a less controversial carrier.

I only meant that there are former GJ pilots at places like UPS, Delta and CAL...so at least three have escaped purgatory.:o

Technically they are not scabs, because a scab, by definition has to cross a picket line.

They are just as bad though, because in today's political climate no airline would be allowed to strike, therefore there are no picket lines to cross...but if there were, the gojetters would be lined up at the door!

Boilerup is right - a pilot from Gojets probably will get hired at most if not all majors at some point for many reasons. Some airlines don't use pilots in their interview process. Many major airline pilots don't pay attention to regional issues and don't have a clue about this. Some people have amazing connections.

But as more of the current regional folks move up to the majors, it becomes a much bigger risk. Rather than one bullet in the game of Russian roulette, there are two, and it will keep growing until 5 of the 6 chambers are loaded. I doubt anyone who was a regional pilot while Gojets is/was an issue will forget what happened. For example, look at the Eastern/CAL situation - nearly 20 years have passed and people still talk about it. I know all about it and I was 14! Last month I met gentleman in his 70s who had retired from American, and I though he was having a heart attack when someone mentioned Eastern scabs because he turned this lovely shade of reddish purple.

If you only want to think short term, I'll repeat my first comment: Commuting will be hell because more often then not you'll either get denied the jumpseat or will be 'educated' while you are in the jumpseat. And being in the terminals won't be a picnic either I am sure.

GoJet pilots should be beaten like dead horses.

BoilerUP,
I'm not busting on ya. I am just letting anyone contemplating the move of the best info available :D Only the best to you!

If you do don't gate check your carry-on... Someone might sh*t in your flight bag!

I'll give it to the lav service vendor. He probably has all kinds of interesting ideas to try out on it.

Someone said earlier that some (more than one?) went to CAL. I'll keep an eye out ;) It must have been hard for him/her to conceal that fact during training. What a shame. That alone is reason enough to go to a different regional.

Oh yeah and if some (or one) went to CAL, that means that they would've already been employed by a regional, TSA maybe?, and then crossed over laterally to GoJet for a DEC position. That's really scumbag material!!

Why are you not on a hiring board where you work now? Then you can NOT hire all these Scabs? Get in there!

Cheers

When would going to alter eGO-JETS ever be acceptable. Is it like ten year thing when all of the people that did jump will be expunged from there, or will it forever have the black eye persona?

If - and I don't think this would ever happen - Trans States Holdings turned GoJet into a Freedom-type situation, the B-listers would be okay by me. The originals, though? Never.