Commutair
 

cant seem to find much about Commutair. Anyone have some advice. Interview gouge. Personal experience? Training? the good the bad.....:eek:

There's a pretty lengthy thread in the hiring news section....

http://www.airlinepilotforums.com/hi...commutair.html

It probably has a lot of the answers you're looking for, most of which are from within the past few months.

Welcome to the forums westcoastflier...... FYI I think the mods try to keep down on multiple/duplicate posts on the same/similar subjects...... I'm pretty sure they are going to say something along the lines of use the search function...... Anywhoo.......Welcome anyways:)

Dont do it, and stay away. That's all you need to know unless you enjoy being kicked in the balls. If you enjoy being kicked in the balls and not haveing ANY QOL then C5 is the place for you.

do tell me more. Id like to know everything before I make certain decisions....

Its simple. Just think about anything that would make your QOL life better as a pilot. Well at Commut Air every month they find new ways to destroy those idea, and take away any remaining QOL. Followed by worst pay in the industry. Need I say more?

While I agree that the pay and QOL are pretty bad, I can't say that any of the other regionals are a whole lot better. At least at CommutAir you have the possibility of getting off reserve and holding a line pretty quick, especially in CLE. Not to mention the possibility of upgrading in a fraction of the time as the other regionals with over 3,000 pilots. In four months I've moved almost halfway up the FO side of the seniority list.

Currently negotiating our first contract, which may or may not significantly improve many of the sub-standard issues like pay, scheduling, benefits, etc. to at least semi-industry-standard status - in hopefully the not too distant future (within a year?).

It's a gamble, but there is potential for more growth, as the owner is continually looking to acquire more Q300's and expand the fleet. Along with that is the increased interest of mainline to utilize more turboprops, due to their fuel efficiency with the rising cost of oil. Does that mean they will push out the other regionals with 50 seat RJ's? Who knows. It's a crazy world, pick your poison!

I find it interesting that everyone keeps talking majors cutting 50 seat RJs when they all have massive contracts that were signed fairly recently. Just last year CAL/UAL signed a 7 year deal, DAL still has 10 years to go. If the 50 seaters are going to be replaced by all these turboprops, its going to take a long, LONG time.

Unless you enjoy eating mac and cheese and living with 4 roomates then got for it. Your pay is crap try $330 a week for a first year FO. If you like that then good for you. You'll be helping keep the pay rates low for everyone else.

Enjoy being a bottleneck at EWR! Even the Colgan Q400 guys want you out of their way...

...so much hate :confused:

No hate Crawl. Just an observation. I don't envy you guys for having to fly into the busy Sewark multiple times every day.

Are your Dashes pretty well equipped (i.e., FMS and EFIS) or are they the older Piedmont versions with pure analog?

EADI/EHSI, everything else is steam but there's dual FMS and we're RNAV apch approved.

Incorrect. Pinnacle's 50 seat contract is up in 2017, Comair will be down to 16 50 seaters in less then 2 years & ASA is done by 2020.

Are you saying Commutair creates a bottleneck? I have rode to work with those guys numerous times, and have seen them running it pretty quick to the last minute. They chop and drop, and are flexible to whatever the controllers need. Just an observation.

Lamarlatrell spot on observation. !! No he is making a statement about something he really doesnt know much about . I guess hell pass on the jumpseat if needed though . You wont find a better bunch of guys to fly with than at Commutair . Thats all I really have to add.

The Heads Up Guidance System is pretty awesome too.

I don't think CommutAir is in anyones way. We go as fast as anyone else to short final. A lot of times faster. They almost always tell me not to pass the 737 landing on the parallel, lol. We get off the runway very quickly too, so I think that helps out. 11/29 Performance is also handy.

How long until the contract with CAL is up?

IIRC it is 2018.

Unless we're speed restricted we go 320 down to 10 and 250 to the marker. If you guys are going that fast, that's pretty impressive for a 200.

I was referring to ASA, so 9 years not 10 my bad. I hope im at least your FO by then anyway. After flying an RJ for 6 years, a guy can dream can't he? :)

How often can you do 250 to the marker at EWR?

250 to the marker in a CRJ?? I don't ever remember going that fast at the marker and slowing down in time when I was flying them. Then again, maybe I suck. :p

The Q200 can do about 230 (240 in a descent (clacker at about 242)) when being vectored, but in EWR, you'll be assigned 210 or 180 or something like that way out anyway so it is never a problem. Most of the time, we're being told to slow down, not speed up. Our ref speeds are roughly 90-112kts, but it'll do 140ish all the way down if we need it to, no problem.

Not often they always have us all stacked up at 180. We do land on 11 pretty often tho. I agree I don't think anyone "gets in the way".

From what I've heard CRJs take a bit to slow down, I dunno I don't fly them. As far as the Embraers go we have a profile for a high speed ILS, which is 250 to the marker. Stabilized by 800 feet I believe. Point taken though, they always slow us up in EWR.

Gotcha, ya, the Canadian Reset Jet is impossible to slow down at times, didn't know you were referencing the ERJ. Thanks for the info, I don't know much about the Jungle Jet.

Thats a new one... I gotta remember that... sounds better than Climb Restricted Jet...

How are you told not to pass the 737 on the parallel? When landing Either the 4's or the 22's one side is for arrivals while the other side is for departures??? If you're landing 11 or 29 you still wouldn't be passing someone on the parallel. Please explain.:confused:

I'd be happy for you to be a fellow FO by then, even before it. :)

Plus, even though the ASA contract lasts that long the number of 50 seaters decreases dramatically over the last several years. I believe in the final year there are only 6 CRJ200's contracted for flying.

If you're young and willing to take QOL hits for possible quicker career progression, jump on it, if you're in your late 20s or 30s, consider an ASA/Pinnacle/SkyWest/Republic.

The fastest upgrades almost always come with the lowest QOL. Pick your poison, but don't complain on the forums later. Generally in life, you can't have your cake and eat it to.

That happens in Cleveland, not EWR.

-Which base is bigger CLE, or EWR?
-Which is more likely for a new hire?

Enter Content

I second the requested info.

thx

When spacing issues arise one is often asked to sidestep to the parallel in EWR. The times this has happened to me the other airplane has configured while I haven't yet slowed due to assigned speed. Fly at EWR long enough and this will make sense to you.

CLE is currently larger. Classes have been split between the two, so you have an equal chance of getting either. That could all change as needed, so plan accordingly.

Last 2 classes about 1/3 got EWR . CLE guys that just came out are getting more flying for now but things should be heating up for the summer ...Cant wait this job is a hoot !! Looking forward to KACK this summer !! Was coming into CLE with guys lined up on the TCAS like bowling pins and got sent around . Guess the anchor chain snapped as some would have you believe .... "maintain 180 to sasco " baby!!

Job a hoot?
 

yes...it is a real hoot....for about the first month....

spend a couple year at Commut Air and tell me how big of a "hoot" it still is.