Some one Know if horizon will hire soon
02-25-2007, 08:49 AM
#11
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jul 2006
Position: FO
Posts: 290
Originally Posted by MX442
A bit exaggerated, bro... For leaving so long ago, you are quite an expert when it comes to QX questions.
Friends in the business does not qualify you to be an expert in a dynamically changing business...
For some, it IS a great career. The top half of the seniority has no desire to leave PDX or SEA or commute for the lust of big iron. Your statements assume that guys only want to go to QX for PIC time. That may be the desires of the younger generation, but that is not always true.
Had you stayed, you would have the choice to bid RJ @ $100k/yr, or Q4 @ $90k/yr. It may not be what you wanted out of your career, but others may be content.
"You should not go there" is a very powerful statement. That should not be your call to make, but the decision of an applicant based on the current facts.
You are right, it is a fairly good place to work, if that is what you are looking for.
I don't deny that right now upgrades are at 6 years. It is cyclical. The business is dynamically changing. Every time we've gone through growth, or fleet changes, the upgrade time is significantly impacted one way or the other. In 1997, nobody was hired due to the phase out of the D328 and Metro. Thus upgrade time went to 5-7 years in the late 90's. In 99-2000, we traded in 1 Dash 8 100 for every 2 Q200's, and acquired 14 F28's. That growth combined with massive hiring at the majors brought upgrades in 2000-2002 to 19-24 months... 2002, F28 phase out, 9/11, etc, and we saw furloughs.
Bottom line: Guys looking to apply at QX should know the real facts, not bitter statements made by someone whom hasn't worked there under a Union contract. QX has a unique business model compared to the other 37-76 seat operators in the U.S. There is NO rapid growth mainly because we are not racing to the bottom to win contracts for bankrupt carriers.
So, if you want to be on the fast track to get PIC time in an RJ, QX may not be the place for you. But if you want to live in PDX or SEA and fly a CRJ700, Dash8 Q400, or Dash8 Q200 all over the west coast; make more money than other similar carriers; be home 4-5 nights per week; then QX may be a quality decision for you. AS is now hiring QX FO's with 2000 hours at QX. That will take about 2.5 years and you can skip waiting for the PIC time.
Caveat emptor: The companies in the race to the bottom may go bankrupt, move your domicile, or furlough before you get that elusive PIC time.... I've flown with several FO's recently that have been furloughed twice from other regionals before getting any PIC time. IE: Independence, Comair, Mesaba. They say they came to QX knowing that they've been unlucky, and at least QX is a decent place to work without fear of being furloughed, losing pay to win a contract, or forced to move when United X's their contract.
For every debate out there, someone can find and dwell on the negatives. All this does is create unhappy, negative people... Must be from all that rain out there... I like to be happy. Focus on the positive, and take the bad with the good.... There is no perfect Eden out there, but hopefully you can use facts to find a happy balance.
Friends in the business does not qualify you to be an expert in a dynamically changing business...
For some, it IS a great career. The top half of the seniority has no desire to leave PDX or SEA or commute for the lust of big iron. Your statements assume that guys only want to go to QX for PIC time. That may be the desires of the younger generation, but that is not always true.
Had you stayed, you would have the choice to bid RJ @ $100k/yr, or Q4 @ $90k/yr. It may not be what you wanted out of your career, but others may be content.
"You should not go there" is a very powerful statement. That should not be your call to make, but the decision of an applicant based on the current facts.
You are right, it is a fairly good place to work, if that is what you are looking for.
I don't deny that right now upgrades are at 6 years. It is cyclical. The business is dynamically changing. Every time we've gone through growth, or fleet changes, the upgrade time is significantly impacted one way or the other. In 1997, nobody was hired due to the phase out of the D328 and Metro. Thus upgrade time went to 5-7 years in the late 90's. In 99-2000, we traded in 1 Dash 8 100 for every 2 Q200's, and acquired 14 F28's. That growth combined with massive hiring at the majors brought upgrades in 2000-2002 to 19-24 months... 2002, F28 phase out, 9/11, etc, and we saw furloughs.
Bottom line: Guys looking to apply at QX should know the real facts, not bitter statements made by someone whom hasn't worked there under a Union contract. QX has a unique business model compared to the other 37-76 seat operators in the U.S. There is NO rapid growth mainly because we are not racing to the bottom to win contracts for bankrupt carriers.
So, if you want to be on the fast track to get PIC time in an RJ, QX may not be the place for you. But if you want to live in PDX or SEA and fly a CRJ700, Dash8 Q400, or Dash8 Q200 all over the west coast; make more money than other similar carriers; be home 4-5 nights per week; then QX may be a quality decision for you. AS is now hiring QX FO's with 2000 hours at QX. That will take about 2.5 years and you can skip waiting for the PIC time.
Caveat emptor: The companies in the race to the bottom may go bankrupt, move your domicile, or furlough before you get that elusive PIC time.... I've flown with several FO's recently that have been furloughed twice from other regionals before getting any PIC time. IE: Independence, Comair, Mesaba. They say they came to QX knowing that they've been unlucky, and at least QX is a decent place to work without fear of being furloughed, losing pay to win a contract, or forced to move when United X's their contract.
For every debate out there, someone can find and dwell on the negatives. All this does is create unhappy, negative people... Must be from all that rain out there... I like to be happy. Focus on the positive, and take the bad with the good.... There is no perfect Eden out there, but hopefully you can use facts to find a happy balance.
02-25-2007, 09:47 AM
#12
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jul 2006
Position: Soon to be Ex Dash-Trash
Posts: 270
Originally Posted by bintynogin
4-5nights per week at home.. Really... Since when..
02-25-2007, 09:52 AM
#13
Line Holder
Joined APC: Feb 2007
Posts: 53
Originally Posted by bintynogin
4-5nights per week at home.. Really... Since when..
So, if you want to be on the fast track to get PIC time in an RJ, QX may not be the place for you. But if you want to live in PDX or SEA and fly a CRJ700, Dash8 Q400, or Dash8 Q200 all over the west coast; make more money than other similar carriers; spend 3 nights a row in a hotel away from your family every single week of the year, except when on vacation or calling in sick; OR 2-3 nights a week in a hotel when working a reserve line with 5 on, 2 off, 4 on, 3 off, but sometimes work a 4 day trip when someone calls in sick and you're P.O.'d because you have to spend 3 nights in a row in a hotel; then QX may be a quality decision for you.
The FACT is, the math is still the same...
Lineholder: (4) day trips: 7 days per week - 3 nights hotel = 4 nights at home.
Typical reserve: (2) 2-day trips = 2 hotels = 5 nights home. (1) 3-day trip and (1) 2-day trip = 3 hotels = 4 nights home. (1) 4-day trip = 3 hotels = 4 nights home. (1) 2-day trip + 1 hotel + 6 nights home. You might even get lucky and only work 2 day trips a week or not at all and be home every night for the week. And of course you could end up doing a bunch of day trips.
Airport reserve: sit in crew room for 8 hours a day and be gone maybe 4 nights in a bid.
Just trying to represent the facts here, not preach doom and gloom. I'm sure you can probably find an example where I'm wrong, but these are rare occurances. We can all tell a horror story of how we got screwed, or flew into our day off 4 times per year, or got drafted because we were stupid enough to answer the phone... I can go on... Just the facts...
02-25-2007, 11:52 AM
#14
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jul 2006
Position: FO
Posts: 290
You're right, but who really want to sit airport reserve. It's probably been a while since you've done that.. I dont think its as fun as you remember it to be. Other than that every thing else you said was right on.
02-28-2007, 09:50 AM
#16
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Mar 2006
Position: SFO Guppy CA
Posts: 1,112
Horizon is a good place to be. We are hiring. From what I understand we're going to have one class for each bid (5 wk. bid period). But QX is not a good fit for everyone. Upgrade is still at least 5-6 yrs. and that is a long time to sit in the right seat and read checklists. So what I'm saying, is that if all you want to do is build 1000 PIC and you have somewhere to go (you have good connections somewhere) then QX is probably not the place for you. But if you want to be at a good, stable place and be able pick and choose to go somewhere good (i.e. FedEx, UPS, SWA, or maybe even CO) then Horizon is a good place. QX does not w**** themselves out like SkyWest, Mesa, and pretty much every other regional. We do our own stuff with our own tailfeathers.
02-28-2007, 10:16 AM
#17
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Feb 2007
Position: EMB
Posts: 128
Originally Posted by DashTrash
Horizon is a good place to be. We are hiring. From what I understand we're going to have one class for each bid (5 wk. bid period). But QX is not a good fit for everyone. Upgrade is still at least 5-6 yrs. and that is a long time to sit in the right seat and read checklists. So what I'm saying, is that if all you want to do is build 1000 PIC and you have somewhere to go (you have good connections somewhere) then QX is probably not the place for you. But if you want to be at a good, stable place and be able pick and choose to go somewhere good (i.e. FedEx, UPS, SWA, or maybe even CO) then Horizon is a good place. QX does not w**** themselves out like SkyWest, Mesa, and pretty much every other regional. We do our own stuff with our own tailfeathers.
02-28-2007, 07:45 PM
#19
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Dec 2005
Position: 7ER B...whatever that means.
Posts: 3,966
Originally Posted by bintynogin
You're right, but who really want to sit airport reserve. It's probably been a while since you've done that.. I dont think its as fun as you remember it to be. Other than that every thing else you said was right on.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
