Spirit and ERAU contract deal
#31
Apparently they are looking for RJ FO's with 1000 SIC or less, no TPIC, that's from the DoA. I can only put two and two together and assume they have high attrition and also want to do the Mesa thing where they hire low timers in order to push them around better.
A guy with 300 TT is gonna vote yes for a crappy contract, be intimidated, and want to hang around because he's got so much invested in the company. Someone with TPIC, a few types, and Airbus time is major material and will bail at the first opportunity.
Something about Spirit doesn't sit right with me. They could be losing hundreds of millions a year, we wouldn't know about it. That being said, if I had 300 hours TT and had to chose between a regional and Spirit, I know where I'd chose (Spirit). But for those with at least some experience, I wouldn't go there. Just my $0.02.
A guy with 300 TT is gonna vote yes for a crappy contract, be intimidated, and want to hang around because he's got so much invested in the company. Someone with TPIC, a few types, and Airbus time is major material and will bail at the first opportunity.
Something about Spirit doesn't sit right with me. They could be losing hundreds of millions a year, we wouldn't know about it. That being said, if I had 300 hours TT and had to chose between a regional and Spirit, I know where I'd chose (Spirit). But for those with at least some experience, I wouldn't go there. Just my $0.02.
#32
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Nov 2006
Posts: 124
I'll admit I also went to riddle like many other people on here. Its a place to make some decent friends and move on. I unfortunately got an aviation degree and injured my eye, had a hole in my retina and it took me close to 8 months to heal and get back on my feet flying again. I am fortunate to have healed up and looking back, yeah I should have gotten a degree in something to fall back on in case the unfortnate happens.
I went straight from 0 currency over those 8 months to flying a lear (not bragging about the plane, I'm still hanging on to the tail sometimes), at a questionable company whose training philosophy is "put them in the plane and let them figure it out on their own." I don't feel entitled to a job at an airline or a job where I look good in a uniform, the experience I've gained is invaluable and will make a better pilot. The things i've seen in the short amount of time flying this thing would make the riddle and pilot-factory instructors cry and be calling the chief pilot and faa.
Many of the pilots that come out of there have an entitlement and holier than thou attitude because of the name behind them, that doesnt make them a pilot, real-world experience out side of the watchful eye of big-brother makes them a better pilot. Thats where I feel going from a 172 and light twin to an rj gives them a lack in experience. They learn to be an autopilot and flight-director chaser.
I did hear a rumor from some of my friends at Spirit that girl from riddle was hired with close to 200 hours, and not hired through a bridge program, it was through some personal contacts in upper management but like I said its a rumor.
I understand the stereotype of these pilots but people do need to cut alot of riddle grads slack, we do go other places besides the regionals for our initial flying experiences, we do have ambitions and goals of self improvement, not just a right seat rj job and an attitude like the world should bow down to us.
Maybe some of the people getting on at Spirit out of ERAU are pretty nice, but good luck to them with the training, they'll be in for a ride, and I'm sure the performance expectations are very high there also.
I went straight from 0 currency over those 8 months to flying a lear (not bragging about the plane, I'm still hanging on to the tail sometimes), at a questionable company whose training philosophy is "put them in the plane and let them figure it out on their own." I don't feel entitled to a job at an airline or a job where I look good in a uniform, the experience I've gained is invaluable and will make a better pilot. The things i've seen in the short amount of time flying this thing would make the riddle and pilot-factory instructors cry and be calling the chief pilot and faa.
Many of the pilots that come out of there have an entitlement and holier than thou attitude because of the name behind them, that doesnt make them a pilot, real-world experience out side of the watchful eye of big-brother makes them a better pilot. Thats where I feel going from a 172 and light twin to an rj gives them a lack in experience. They learn to be an autopilot and flight-director chaser.
I did hear a rumor from some of my friends at Spirit that girl from riddle was hired with close to 200 hours, and not hired through a bridge program, it was through some personal contacts in upper management but like I said its a rumor.
I understand the stereotype of these pilots but people do need to cut alot of riddle grads slack, we do go other places besides the regionals for our initial flying experiences, we do have ambitions and goals of self improvement, not just a right seat rj job and an attitude like the world should bow down to us.
Maybe some of the people getting on at Spirit out of ERAU are pretty nice, but good luck to them with the training, they'll be in for a ride, and I'm sure the performance expectations are very high there also.
Last edited by JPilot77; 12-03-2007 at 11:29 AM.
#33
#35
Whatever. Good for them. I'm an NK pilot. They'll be fine. Won't have to unlearn any bad habits. They will be highly motivated and probably know more esoterica about the Bus than most (let's hope they don't make them check airmen). At least this way, they won't have to haul checks, fly turboprops, RJ's, DC-8's, and all manner of other assorted REALLY ****ty flying jobs like me and most of my co-workers at NK did. I just hope they take the time to learn good judgement and decision making skills before they move to the left seat.
Good luck all you riddle guys- everyone bashin' ya' is just jealous. We all would have taken that kind of opportunity if we could have.
Good luck all you riddle guys- everyone bashin' ya' is just jealous. We all would have taken that kind of opportunity if we could have.
#38
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jan 2006
Position: MD-11 F/O
Posts: 229
actually, TWA and UAL hired 300 hour pilots in the early '60s that were FOs quick.
#39
If this lack of real world experience is such an impossible thing to overcome for these right seaters, I guess that we have a huge problem in the military where you have guys with a couple of hundred hours flying some pretty complicated equipment.
#40
At UPS, the ANC domicile, specifically the F/O position, is staffed mostly by new hires. I can remember reading this message board and the intra-union message board (Bar and Grill) at UPS and seeing posts how the ANC flights would be unsafe because only probies and newbies would be in the cockpits of the 747-400 and the MD11. Boiled down to simple terms, it was posted that the ANC Capts would be babysitting the new hires.
Similar to this thread there was a fair amount of rock-throwing and piling-on trumpeting how unsafe these new hires would be in the cockpits.
For those not familiar with UPS' hiring requirements, in the past year they required overwater, heavy jet time and a minimum of 1000 hrs of PIC time.
Stunning to many in the ANC, their pre-conceived notion that the newbie sitting next to them was inexpereinced proved to be unfounded. In many cases the newbie was a heavy jet Capt or F/O at a former airline and had the most overwater experience on the flight deck and the most time in the MD11. Still others had the military equivalent and again were more than competent.
I know I am comparing apples with mangos, but my point is I remember all the banter about how unsafe the UPS newbies would be prior to their arrival in ANC and how they needed "babysitting".
--------------------------------------
Good posting JPilot77, glad to hear you are back flying. I myself had a job whereas On-the-job training was the norm. At Focus Air Cargo I had two things working against me. 1. I had zero 747 experience and 2. Some of the places that Focus and all other ACMI carriers fly to are hard to pronounce much less easy to find on a map. I leaned pretty heavily on my F/O and F/E. I learned a lot from them and was humbled on many occasions. I hope the candidates for programs like these no matter what academy or background have the same level headed attitude as yourself.
Ok, back to bashing Riddle...I guess it's a slow news day.
FF-maybe I'm the mayor
Last edited by FliFast; 12-03-2007 at 07:41 PM.
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