COTriple7

pilot221, I have an interview coming up with Scenic. Any other light you can shed on the airline...good and bad. How's the maintenance? Also any tips you have for the interview would be great as well. Is the written straight out of the ATP written minus the IFR flight performance questions? Thanks.

pilot221

Hey. All around, it's not a bad place. A lot has changed but if you can go with the flow you won't have issues. Yea, it's long days but if you are just going to get some time and move on, it's a great place to be. Twin turbine, easy place to get it. The flying is pretty basic but it can be challenging. The otter will eat your lunch in the wind and it can get pretty windy out here. After going through "the windy season" anything under 40 knots of wind is calm for me now. It will make you very proficient in the takeoff and landing department and I appreciate that fact. Won't get a ton of IFR but in the winter that could change. Schedules are 5 on and 2 off (with the 3rd day being reserve but right now we aren't getting reserve) unless you are high on the list where you can get 3 off. You are not required to work on your days off, they are yours. We get lunch everyday. You are home every night. Guarantee pay. Holiday pay. Everyone is nice. Halfway decent paycheck considering.

Bad would be the schedule some days but someone has to do it. You'll miss the summer so it won't be 110 everyday which is good for you. Nothing else that you wouldn't find anywhere else. Just gotta make the best of it.

Maintenance is fine. Nothing to worry about there.

As for the interview it's like all recent gouges. 35 question ATP test. Can miss 8 I think. Don't disregard that part since it's the first thing you'll do and it's the first thing they'll boot you for. They add their own answers to some of the questions so read through them all. No IFR performance stuff. Couple diagram questions. If you can figure out which direction wheels turn you'll be fine. Just study the areas they sent you in the email. Do the sim prep the day before so there won't be any surprises on the day of. Know how to read a jepp approach plate, a METAR and a TAF and some basic 'what would you do' type questions which are straight forward. Don't second guess yourself too much, they'll ask if you're sure a bunch of times. If pass the written and do the sim prep and are a nice guy who knows the basics, you're in.

When is your interview?

Anything else let me know, good luck.

COTriple7

I interview the 2nd of August, been studying the Gleim ATP backwards and forwards. Cost of living in the Henderson area doesn't seem to bad...they are in the process of moving the operation to Boulder City right? As for me I like to be in for 6-9 months and then make the transition to SkyWest. Any word on where pilots are ending up after they put in their time at Scenic? Also no training contract as of current right? Planning on getting in on the 1st and doing the sim prep. Once again thanks for the info!

Canyonair

Hi highspeed, If you got a one week notice it was probably due to trying to fill the class at the last minute. Some people depending on their employment situation can accept a short notice call and others cannot. We understand that as we also expect atleast a two week notice as most employers would. The reason you have not heard about the August class is that we have not yet established a date for the class. That class and it's schedule will be handled by Craig Sanderson who is the Director of Ops. and I am sure he will give adequate notice for those attending.

Canyonair

"Any chance you could enlighten me? How does GCA schedule "trips"? What is a typical month (in flying time that is) like? Does GCA allowing commuting at all?
I appreciate the info. that you have shared."

Hi Belliott: We basically operate off a two week schedule which is detailed by a daily schedule. Our pilots generally work a 5 on 2 off schedule or a 4 on 3 off schedule. As we gain more pilots we can be more flexible with the schedule. During the season, pilots will fly 90-100 hours a month. Our bases are Grand Canyon and Boulder City and while commuting is difficult its not impossible. With the first of the year merger with Scenic we will be gaining additional jumpseat agreements to make travel a little easier. That said, its important to note that neither GCA or Scenic are on the CASS program so jumpseating is not a very reliable option for commuting.

pilot221

The move to Boulder City has already happened. They finished the hangars/building for maintenance and everyone else so they can move in from the North Las Vegas building...Not sure when it will start getting used though. Sometimes we fly into VGT still for maintenance but that will stop when everyone settles down in Boulder. I'm in Henderson and it's about a 15 minute easy drive. A lot of people are going to ExpressJet and Skywest. Some high time captains have gone to Allegiant. A couple have gotten corporate gigs. There is no contract.

Good luck on the 2nd.

CamYZ125

Hey guys,

Could you give me an overview of what a typical day is like at Scenic and/or GCA?

Also, is the training done in a simulator, or in the plane?

What changes do you expect to see when the companies effectively merge on Jan. 1? Good? Bad?

Thanks in advance for the info!

pilot221

I fly for Scenic so this is about Scenic...can't speak for GCA.

For me a typical day starts out at 5pm the previous day when I get my schedule for the next day. If I get a 4, 5, or 6 o'clock AM show time...I don't go out and do anything...I sleep. Our show times are 1 hour before our actual flight so a 4:10 show would mean I would be on the 5:10 departure for the Canyon. Some days are 2-3 turns to the south rim. Some are 2-5 turns to the west rim. Some are to the south then to the west, then to the south then back to boulder. It's a mixed bag. Most days now are about 12 hours. Sometimes you'll get a short day. Varies.

Training is 3 weeks ground, about a week and a half simulator, then a short time flight training in the twin otter at 3:30am since that is the only time you can get into mccarran and is the only place where there is a nearby ILS. The simulator is pretty darn near exactly like the twin otter...no movement, no monitor. When you get out of the sim the airplane is cake.

No idea on the merge, we don't get told those kinds of things but so far all the changes have been minor.

samstanton

Hey Pilot221,

Thanks for the great post. Scenic looks like a good place, I just applied. I have a little over 300TT, commercial AMEL, and ASEL. Do you think there is any realistic chance they will call? Have you heard of other FO hired with times like mine?

Again, thanks for the info
sam

pilot221

Hey Sam. I think they will call as long as you don't have anything "bad" on your application. Someone just got hired with about 600 and 30 multi but since their mins are just commercial and multi I don't see why they wouldn't call. We need people and they could probably expect you to be around for more than a couple months. If you applied today, I wouldn't be surprised if they called you tomorrow. Actually, it's a weekend...so maybe Monday.