Darn, if I didn't forget to ask the question I was actually posting about. I'm told the company authorized recruiting to pay a 7500 bonus if the 5000 doesn't get people to come. Is the 5000 working or are people waiting to it to go up to the 7500 or 10000?

10,000 is chump change when you think about it. If your base pay is 22$ an hour, then factor in 10K minus taxes divided by 12... It's really not much considering the QOL.
In all honesty look at the work rules...Ask people how they get paid, I can tell you at G7 nobody knows exactly how they do (avg block time LOL?). Ask people about work rules involving RSV. With little to no growth in the future (people bailing left and right) that's your real movement it's not looking good.
Half of all the flying is farmed out from momma Delta, if you **** her of she will just move it somewhere else and from what I hear she's got her thingy in a twist.
I would go anywhere that has potential for growth, ignore the cat calls, get your time and move on. Nobody at the Majors care what regional you worked for.
Do you have the time, no accidents incidents, good record, good attitude, ur hired.
My 2 cents and that's all it is...good luck

Anyone know if classes are scheduled through the rest of the year? Jan 2015? Hows staffing?

We are understaffed on the FO side (just like most regionals). Not sure on the CA side.

Classes should be 10-15+ for the for seeable future.


Pilotguy

GoJet updates
 

How long does it usually takes to be called for an interview once the application submitted ?

someone many have more up to date info, but I believe it's a very quick turn around time.

I've got a friend that applied a couple weeks ago... No skeletons in the closet and well above the minimums. No call. I wonder what gives?

Just like any other place there may be some box checked off wrong in the airline apps or some box may not be checked at all. Airline apps does some wonderful things at times.

Also, things are still not quite normal yet since the water incident at the HQ building...

A phone call or an email to Kristy Basham will help a lot in this case..

Just call & ask for her, leave a message & ask for someone in recruiting & get her email.

Water incident? Haha I laugh because when I interviewed the fire alarms were going off.

It took me about 5 months to hear back... but yes HQ is pretty messed up so that may be a factor nowadays.

Fact 1: Pilots at RDU and ORD when I left were being managed by flight attendants--there are lots of things pilots need answers to that are work related(technical) that they cannot answer.
Fact 2: FAs are really nice and unfortunately do not hold a contract and are fired left and right for sneezing wrong. When any of them are promoted to any management position, they will not stand up for their employees.
Fact 3: Even captain pay is hardly notable due to lack of Pay protection.
Fact 4: Be prepared to do four day trips that pay only 4 to 8 hours.
Fact 5: DO NOT COMMUTE! it will cost you money you don't have
Fact 6: Labor Contract gets violated constantly by both Pilots and Company, so there is no leverage for Pilots to get anything worth a damn.
Fact 7: GoJet was created to avoid paying another pilot group higher wages...so why would Gojet get a contract??
Fact 8: Pilots and FAs are awesome! Great diverse and well experienced group. I met an FA that spoke 5 languages and Captains that were at Legacy carriers prior to GoJet.
Fact 9: Because of Fact 8, great people don't stick around (they have a brain and know how to use it)
Fact 10: There is too much to write about, so contact me personally or whatever and I will give you an honest analysis. I'll even do it using math. I also still have a copy of their current "Contract"

I'd say Fact 7 is way over simplified from my understanding of what really happened back in the day, but for most that's water long under the bridge.

Fact 8 & 9 are exactly spot on, and why a lot of people are finding greener pastures, both Captains and FOs.

You are correct about your statement regarding Fact 7. Most pilots don't really care. However, Hulas cares. From his point of view, Fact 7 is accurate. Better contract means expenses goes up. It is not about who is mad at who and what pilot ever denied another the privilege of the jump seat. It is about the big picture (MONEY). Fallow the money! Keep your personal fights aside when making career decisions.

Look at what is happening to their pilots!

"Just to add fuel to the fire...last month a reserve guy got over 120 hrs credit. Take that lineholders! Thats the problem, if you know someone in scheduling, even a reserve pilot, you are hooked up. I sent Adam another email explaining this isnt kosher...UNION REP START A GRIEVANCE!"

This is just an example of many emails I see everyday complaining about the company stealing money and hooking other people up. About the company violating the contract. About the pilots not following proper grievance procedures. ETC.... GoJet saves Hulas millions of dollars and that is the only reason for its existence. If GoJet ever gets expensive, Hulas will either liquidate and start another company or keep GoJet and start another cheaper version.

Well, I got 120 hours credit in my first month on the line, but them trying to get me through consolidation had a lot to do with it. Beyond that it dried up considerably.

You make several valid points. Good luck to you in your next step! Where are you off too?

How often do pilots break guarantee?

Thank you,

As of now I am not focusing on any airline. My focus is to finish my two degrees and hope my business grows from there. Not to say I may never consider going back but, that is not on my mind at all right now.

I am not sure how it is right now, however; the question is why would you want to break guarantee?

This is a company that cancels a lot for MX and other "Operational" reasons. You will not be paid protected and basing your bid on the hopes for getting paid 95% of your award based on reaching a 98% completion rate is a gamble. Many senior pilots can bid "productive" trips (damn few) and most do. The percentage of productive trips available is small.

What most pilots do is bid min guarantee so that way if they get cancelled, they don't grow more white hair over it. These two different bidding strategies which many use to date.

Reality, you will be at min days off with min guarantee....again, most four day trips are worth anywhere between 4 to 12 hours...I have even seen a trip worth 2 hours. It literally consisted of nothing but dead heading you around for a few days and only flying one leg on your last day.

109
 

The only time I have ever seen anyone over 100 credit was before FAR 117 and when their trips were dropped due to IOE (in which case the pilot who was dropped gets paid as if he/she was doing the trip) During that time the pilot that was dropped would pick up trips on open-time and get paid at 150%. But those days are over. Picking up open-time is difficult because the company awards left over trips to Reserve pilots without allowing Line Holders to bid for them first. This is against the "Contract" and was apparently "fixed".

If your line was 120 credit and none of the criterieas above applied, then you were not legal to fly based on FAR 117 rules. There were a lot of lines awarded while I was there that were not 117 compliant.

Like I said, it was my first month on the line, not my first month as a line holder. There were 2 days of 150% because of flying on a day off (although at least two other days should've been as well per the contract), and three 30 hour overnights that paid 4 hour min day for reserves. I blocked about 75 that month and credited just shy of 120.

Again, none of the above is normal, and probably also why I'm starting at a different regional tomorrow.

3rd airlines a charm lol.

GoJet updates
 

Darn straight.

Where to now?

"The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits."
Albert Einstein

I am just simply trying to understand your math. " it was my first month on the line, not my first month as a line holde" meaning you were on reserve.

1. You blocked (actually flew) ~75 hours.
2. You had two days paid at 150%
3. 12 credits added due to your 30 hour over nights

1. At Gojet 99% of the time Block = Credit so you had ~75 credit
2. Two days at 150% for flying on your days off giving GoJet the benefit of the doubt and assuming your two days were credited at 10 hours each = 30 credit
3. 12 credits
All adds us to 117 like you said :) that is awesome :)

My questions are:

1.IF you were on reserve, how were you able to fly legally at GoJet because you only would have had a max of 3 days off in between reserve periods once maybe twice in one month?

2. How were you assigned those trips right away? Pilots on reserve as per the contract cannot be assigned trips until after Open Time bids are closed and Line Holders have been given the opportunity to trade/pick up those trips?

Don't take this the wrong way, I am just trying to learn.

Aside from the current flow of questions: Don't fall for the Bonus program at any airline. Take it from me if you will; when I was in the Navy, I received a $5000 bonus. After taxes (yes it is taxed) and other small installments, the money never made up for all the heart ache and pain I had to endure until I made rank and was actually paid properly.

I joined not knowing there was a bonus so, to me it wasn't about the money. But it did give me knowledge and experience when dealing with companies that offer bonuses.

This is what GoJet does: When line holders cannot complete a trip/flight, instead of publishing it on Open Time, those flights are immediately given to a reserve pilot. Reserve pilots are happy because they get to fly and get to save money on hotels during their reserve periods. You may think, well this ok then, why wouldn't I be ok with helping a fellow pilot? Its not about that, its about the fact that both line holders and reserve pilots are ok with this (which is a violation of the contract). So, If I am Steve Briner (D.O) and the stewards came to me to resolve this matter and perhaps ask for better reserve rules, I would laugh at them after the meeting is over.

For one, I would blast this issue right back at the GoJet stewards with the fact that their pilots are ok with the way things are and give them examples of the may times their pilot groups were ok with breaking the contract for their own gain, but then come back at Me the D.O when I need something done in order to ensure the company's success.

This is what actually happens ladies and gents at the negotiation tables. Do not go there expecting things to get better. Do not go there hoping to change things. Do not go there HOPING.

“False hope is a terrible thing, if its the only thing keeping you alive you'll be dead by dawn.”
― Charlie Rae

One the birds with one FMS, does the FO program as well, or just the captain?serious question.

It's the same as it is for the dual FMS, the PF does what the PF always does and the PNF does what the PNF always does.

You will do great at GoJet, they need sharp pilots like you. To answer your question; Most Captains know its a pain to reach around the Thrust Levers and type on those useless keys that stick and double types, so they will do it for you. While flying the Pilot Monitoring will handle the FMS and on the ground its a toss up.

All the Delta (Comair/ASA) birds are single FMS. Delta offers meals during certain times of the day and length of the leg. United have meal boxes (crackers). GoJet considers taking a coke or water with you as theft. Some crew members (new) try to enforce that so be careful with taking a bottle of water to the Hotel (which do not provide free water) with you, you might get written up for theft and you may be looking at a life long sentence at as a GoJet Pilot.

Delta birds are pretty, but bent out of shape. Always will need lots of rudder and aileron trip to keep the flying straight. The United birds are newer, however the FO FMS always goes out (dark). This happens because it overheats and shuts down as a safety feature. It gets written up and deffered all the time, but never really fixed. All they do is reset the breaker.

All the GoJet birds' nose wheel shimmies like crazy during take off and landing. Its so bad that it feels like its going to fall off at some point. This gets written up all the time, but it must be a brain buster because it never gets fixed.

Double check your logbook after your captain. Many have flown with open write ups and missing registration. Fly that plane as if you were the captain. Don't be intimidated because you are a flight instructor who is now new to an airline. A plane is a plane, and the regs are the regs. Speak up and never assume anything. The moment you assume, just hit the timer because it will be only a matter of time before the hammer drops.

Know you GOM/SOP,,,believe it of not, some check airman think they are GOD and know it all. Your only defense is to know where to find the answer and show him/her in black and white. You don't even have to argue.

Every trip you fly it will be spent in the cockpit talking about the **** pay and other nonsense the Union isn't doing for the pilot group. Don't be that guy because guess what, you chose to be there and you can leave if you don't like it.

All the birds have paint chipping and dents everywhere. The first time you do your walk around just make sure nothing is leaking and parts are not on the tarmac LOL...sorry but its true.

Planes are pretty, they are bigger than the E145. You will be sitting higher up than your seminole. Cockpit its nice, lots of space I think. There is a cup holder but its a bit useless because the cup can't fit due to the stick shaker on/off switch being in the way. There will be a nice area for your flight kit. Don't buy a flight Kit with side bags because they wont fit. The carpets needs replacement. They keep duct taping it so people don't trip over them.

Make sure you are familiar with over wing refueling procedures. You will be doing them a lot!! No you cannot gravity fuel the center tank! Yes this was actually done! They somehow pulled the fairing out or GOD knows what and managed to do it!. Know your fuel imbalance limits because your cross flow pump will become inop and or differed!!! PLEASE do NOT taxi around the airport in circles with your GRAVITY CROSS FLOW OPEN to try and even it out that way....YES IT WAS DONE! If you have an inop CROSS FLOW PUMP remind the captain that the APU draws from the left collector tank, and to taxi out with both engines running or alternate LOL.

The most important of all if you get into an imbalance situation in the air and get to the QRH part where it says to consider a side slip: PLEASE PLEASE DO NOT DO THIS! Swept back wing in thin air slipping is NUTS: and yes somebody actually suggested this during a recurrent scenario discussion!!!!

Please PEOPLE, all I ask is to use your head and remember that your captain needs your help too! There is a reason for the type requiring two pilots to fly it. Even though you are on the right seat, act is if you were the captain. This doesn't mean telling anybody what to do, this just means double and triple check everything and make suggestions. If something doesn't look safe, you can walk away. The plane will not go anywhere with just the captain at the wheel.

GoJet updates
 

Hey guys. Public service announcement for those of us lucky enough to escape. Your last 2 checks after you resign will be paper checks mailed to your house, only after you call and ask them to do so. Not a big deal unless you are out of town for two weeks and could really use the money. Hope this helps some of you avoid giving HJs for gas money behind a 711.

That's what I was wondering. It looks like a hassle to reach around the thrust levers. Not sure if you were being a smart alloc with your comment though.

Yup, and if anyone called in sick the same year as your vacation time and left GoJet before taking your vacation, they will NOT pay you the vacation time. YES EVEN McDonalds pays you the vacation time you are earned if you leave without using it. NO GoJEt will not pay you the vacation you have earned if you leave before using it.

GoJet updates
 

They better pay my vacation!!! They said they were going to. That means they will. Right????? Ha!!!!

Hey buddy! Ya, the will pay your vaca AS LONG AS YOU DO NOT CALL IN SICK DURING YOU LAST TWO WEEKS. You must also give them two FULL weeks notice at least. Make sure you go through your checks with a fine tooth comb. It took two extra pay checks to get everything right. I will say... They did pay every dollar they owed me, I just had to go back and fix multiple problems. MANY PROBLEMS, but I did finally get all my monies..... Good luck buddy, I hope you are going on to shinier and happier places!

How's Denver looking in terms of senority?

Very senior....

One guy told me that he gave his 2 week notice. He flew his last trip and when he went to jumpseat home he had been taken out of CASS. No jumpseat, no flight privileges. He thinks they would rather not get the 2 weeks notice so they can save the 2 weeks of vacation pay. Impressive how they watch every penny.