Interview to Hire timeline.
 

Looking at interviewing for Mesa. I've just recently been given a CJO from Envoy but I've been put into their "hiring pool" with no foreseeable class start date. Mesa has always been a close second for me only because I live just a couple of hours south of DFW. I'm getting on a time crunch in needing a job so I'm looking at submitting my application to Mesa. How quickly should I expect to interview and get a class date? My availability would start on the 1st of June.

Any thoughts on whether or not I should wait it out with Envoy or come join the Mesa team?

Please keep this thread nice a pleasant. I don't want any immature bashing going on.

All you have is a CJO? Here a couple things: Envoy is force upgrading their FO’s to LGA on the 145. If you are going to Envoy for DFW, it may take a while.

Mesa’s Ejet program is really backed up. They pay you to wait, but no one can tell you it will only take 4 months because they don’t really know. Right now, 6 months to IOE.

A flow is hard to pass up. I would stick it out for Envoy. Mesa will always hire you.

calmwinds: Thanks for the reply. Honestly I couldn't care less whether I fly a brand new Ejet or a the oldest bird in the fleet. I've been flying aircraft with 1970s technology for the past 7 years, I'm just excited to fly something with an FMS and can hold more than one frequency without having to off-tune. I'm mostly just interested in getting a paycheck and useful flight time that will get me to a major in a timely fashion. That being said, I'm more interested in the CRJ at Mesa in order to be able to be based at DFW. I don't see the Ejet timeline being beneficial to me and even Houston would still be a decent drive or flight in order for me to commute. The flow at Envoy is a nice thing to keep in the back pocket but I fully plan on applying to the majors as soon as I get the minimums to qualify.

CRJ is 3-4 months not bad at all compared to Ejet, since you want DFW CRJ is what you want.

Agreed. The upgrade to CA on the CRJ may take you away from DFW unless you are willing to wait.

Once you pass up Envoy, they will not likely make a second CJO you if you are unhappy at Mesa. They are fickle that way.

You could take the offer at Mesa and quit if Envoy’s current CJO ever materializes into a JO.

This is one thing that worries me with Envoy. They are automatically upgrading everyone to Captain as soon as they are eligible regardless if they want it or not. This forces everybody back up to LGA or ORD whether they like it or not. I feel like it would be better to hold a line as a senior FO for a little longer and then upgrade when you're ready when you can at least sit reserve at your choice of domicile. That is possible at Mesa correct?

That is correct. I am always surprised that we really don’t have great options in Texas for regional pilots who want to stay here. Mesa surprisingly owns Texas. The other alternative in DFW that you have is Xjet. I assume you have considered them and discarded them as an alternative already.

You put that in a way as if it were inevitable that I will be unhappy there at Mesa. Would someone with a military background, getting pushed around the world, months away from the family at times, living out of tents, flying old aircraft, and barely making minimums actually come to hate this airline and regret my decision? I've read through a lot of the negativity about this company on this forum and it's hard for me to see that it can be any worse than what I've been dealing with for 9 years.

Haha! Yea, I used to be fascinated with Xjet back in the 2005 time frame when I was in college. Not so much anymore.