Grand Canyon Airlines
#42
What's the scoop on commuting? I've heard conflicting answers about whether it's commutable or not, whether you get any jumpseat or other travel benefits, etc. Some guys say no, but then I hear about guys (former instructors at my old school) that live near their base to fly, then fly home on time off. I once had a potential lead to apply and interview as an FO but graduation and my wife's job brought us to Phoenix so I didn't interview, but then my buddy with a wet part 141 commercial multi just got hired and started class, so it got me thinking if I should shoot an application.
#45
New Hire
Joined APC: Sep 2016
Posts: 3
It's not very commutable, cabin seat "jumpseat" agreements only with most carriers except United and Alaska. Work schedule is 4 on/3 off - 5 on/2 off alternating on a 4 week bid. Home every night, but once in a blue moon you may have to overnight at another station for minimal per diem. Usual workday is something around 5:15am to 5:00pm or so, varies based on the line that you get for the day. Sometimes you get a later show, or a shorter day.
FO starting pay is $12/duty hour based on a 64.6 duty hour biweekly minimum guarantee.
Caravan pay is $15/hr.
Otter Captain pay starts at $22/hr.
Bases are BVU and GCN. The season will be over around the end of September, may trickle slightly into October. Pilots will get 230-300 flight hours during the six month period between Oct 1-Mar 31. There will be minimum guarantee checks during winter. Most pilots use winter as a recuperation period from summer, lots of time to travel and rest.
Contract: Otter is one-year, $10,000 training contract which they'll tell you starts the day you pass your checkride, but there's nothing in the contract about that, only one-year from date signed - which is your indoc date. Pro-rated after six months.
Caravan is one-year, $5,000 training contract or something in that range.
Training is very serious, Part 121 style training program. When GCA and Scenic Airlines merged, they took a lot of the training program from Scenic which was 121 at the time. The aircraft aren't very difficult to learn, but it is a lot of classroom and sim time. You can expect to fly your last couple training flights and checkride at 3am into LAS for your approaches.
Day to day isn't bad, but can get fatiguing. Anywhere from 4 to 10 legs daily, constantly taking photos with passengers, giving briefings, cleaning the cabin after every flight, etc. But, if you're a low-time guy, this place can launch your career with a year of hard work.
FO starting pay is $12/duty hour based on a 64.6 duty hour biweekly minimum guarantee.
Caravan pay is $15/hr.
Otter Captain pay starts at $22/hr.
Bases are BVU and GCN. The season will be over around the end of September, may trickle slightly into October. Pilots will get 230-300 flight hours during the six month period between Oct 1-Mar 31. There will be minimum guarantee checks during winter. Most pilots use winter as a recuperation period from summer, lots of time to travel and rest.
Contract: Otter is one-year, $10,000 training contract which they'll tell you starts the day you pass your checkride, but there's nothing in the contract about that, only one-year from date signed - which is your indoc date. Pro-rated after six months.
Caravan is one-year, $5,000 training contract or something in that range.
Training is very serious, Part 121 style training program. When GCA and Scenic Airlines merged, they took a lot of the training program from Scenic which was 121 at the time. The aircraft aren't very difficult to learn, but it is a lot of classroom and sim time. You can expect to fly your last couple training flights and checkride at 3am into LAS for your approaches.
Day to day isn't bad, but can get fatiguing. Anywhere from 4 to 10 legs daily, constantly taking photos with passengers, giving briefings, cleaning the cabin after every flight, etc. But, if you're a low-time guy, this place can launch your career with a year of hard work.
#46
Gets Weekends Off
Thread Starter
Joined APC: May 2012
Posts: 927
Great info!!, thanks a lot.
My low season still gives me 13h days haha, for maybe 1.5-2.5h of flight. LONG days.
Not sure if I could justify going through a new training instead of staying flying VFR here in PR. Vegas would be turbine though....and no humidity haha
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
My low season still gives me 13h days haha, for maybe 1.5-2.5h of flight. LONG days.
Not sure if I could justify going through a new training instead of staying flying VFR here in PR. Vegas would be turbine though....and no humidity haha
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
#49
It's not very commutable, cabin seat "jumpseat" agreements only with most carriers except United and Alaska. Work schedule is 4 on/3 off - 5 on/2 off alternating on a 4 week bid. Home every night, but once in a blue moon you may have to overnight at another station for minimal per diem. Usual workday is something around 5:15am to 5:00pm or so, varies based on the line that you get for the day. Sometimes you get a later show, or a shorter day.
#50
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Mar 2017
Posts: 285
Still $12 an hour? Jesus, that's what it was when I worked there from 08-10. FYI scenic was 135 when they merged with GCA. They were 121 at some point before that, but not during the merger. Great place to work and get a taste of commercial aviation. Training was 121esque. Summer out of Vegas sucks. Summer at the south rim was fun, and the schedule was commutable. When I was here they just let us work out ou Own schedules at the canyon among the FOs.
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