On Autopilot

No. I used to live in Florida. The cost of living down there is CRAZY!! From what I was told, you can live where your at now, they use airline jumpseats to move you to where the A/C is. They are part of CASS. I don't work there, its' what the interviewer told me. I don't even know what other runs they have, aside from the Miami/Bahama run.

belliott

Correct me if I am wrong but you can commute to work for these guys? That may actually be worth it.... although good luck getting out of MIA. I bet if we get 12 of us to get hired and share a 2 bedroom apartment it could work..... oh wait no thanks I like living by myself.

On Autopilot

Well everyone, I started Indoc today at Skyway. The quick take, you ask?


Skyway has improved all the way around. ALL UNAIRWORTHY AIRCRAFT ARE BEING PARTED OUT. They are trying to grow, bidding UPS and whatever else is they can get thier hands on. Currently staffing for AD-HOC as well as Puerto Rico, also the MIA to NAS run. If your low time, they will give you a chance. They will put you up for training, but you have to buy your own lunch and dinner. The hotel provides a gut buster breakfast.

The planes conditions as I said before have improved, with anti-corrision treatments being applied, and if the a/c isn't up to snuff, it gets parted out. Maintenance is up to snuff, as well as encouragements to sqauwk whatever is wrong with the A/C. I was so concerned about this company, I went as far as calling the Orlando FSDO as well asking around for thier reputation. I was told by the FSDO that they comply with all applicable regulations. As far as local rumors by disinterested third parties, they have a good reputation, their maintenance has even gotten work from companies outside of Skyway. If your looking for that first flying job, I would definently call Skyway, check it out for yourself, and I am not being biased. If I felt this company was unsafe, I would have RAN AWAY!!

Well, I'll keep you all informed. Take care, and get those apps in!!!

Holy Toledo

That is called jumpseat FRAUD....you should be based, and if are told to report elsewhere, you should have a ticket.


Sounds like Loumankin is up to his old tricks again.

STAY AWAY!!!!!

On Autopilot

So my question, I saw plenty of pilots that jumpseated on Express Jet when I was working as a Customer Service Agent for them, heading in to work. How is this jumpseat fraud- what Skyway does to reposition crews compared to what the majors do? One guy who jumpseated on us when I worked there (Express Jet)was going to CLT since his flights had no availibility. What is the difference? Not looking for flame bait, but this is an honest question.

Holy Toledo

The difference is that your Major Airline pilot was based in CLT, so he is only expected to report to CLT. If he needs to start a trip anywhere but Charlotte, the company will deadhead him from base to the start of the trip on the company dime.

The difference with SkyWay is they will never give you a base. You will live where you want, and when you finish a trip, they'll just say "Have fun, be back on Monday."

They should atleast bring the airplane back to your base, or get you travel back to your base on thier dime.

They will leave you in spots like Del Rio, TX, Columbia, MO, Tullahoma, TN, and expect you to get yourself home no matter the cost. (If you have to rent a car, etc.)

That's why they got CASS, to reliably defraud the airlines by moving thier crews around on the jumpseat.

One day you might be babysitting an airplane in ISM and they will ask you to jumpseat to MIA to pick up a plane and fly it back for MX.

That is Jumpseat Fraud, plane and simple.

They did it to me, they have done it to others, and it is indutry wide accepted as FRAUD.

On Autopilot

So the pilots that use the jumpseat for vacation, is that also fraud? Just wondering. Thanks for the heads up.

Holy Toledo

Of course not, because that is for personal buisness. Which is fine.

Basically, if you're jumpseating from home to anywhere else besides your base for the express purpose of of revenue flying, that is jumpseat fraud.

i.e."We need you to jumpseat to Detroit to pick up and airplane and fly it to Kissimmee"

On Autopilot

O.K. Thanks for the info. Now I see

SD3Dog

I worked there and my take on it is this. Greg the new chief pilot is great and does the best he can but the owner makes promises he doesn't keep. Ie. having a extra crew that gives other main crews a break every so often. Otherwise you only get 8 days off per month if your lucky. For the most part you will either burn out on duty time or burn out of sitting in a hotel room with some captain. YOU SHARE ROOMS! when on adhoc. If you fly adhoc you are expected to stay late Friday and report back on Monday morning. Ie you will illegally jumpseat home Saturday and back Sunday. NO TIME at home. If you fly the MIA Nassau run. It will depend on which one it is. They have two. One you will sit in the Millionair lounge for 10 hrs then fly back to MIA around 9 pm. start again the next day at 8am. The other isn't a bad gig. Fly out and back once or twice a day. Thats the only good gig there. As to MX I never felt unsafe but some of the props on the AC they used for the good MIA run looked pitted and less than what I would want to fly more than a time or two. To them they are just fine though. I guess they will wait until one of the props cracks and falls off before they replace it. When it does I hope the engine stays on the ac. Not to safe to me on that one but overall their MX dept is great. They are old birds but for the most part are in good shape. AS to the "feel free to squak" I wouldn't bet on that. It will just get mel'd and fly on. Only if they have to will they fix it. I am aware of several people that were told they would upgrade only to have to wait forever or just get sick of all the BS and leave first. The owner is a nice guy but he is way too greedy and treats the pilot group like ****. Its all about the money. I am surprised they are still around to be honest. Just be prepared to save every penny. You will gets some good flying experience but it may take forever to get time depending on what gig you get. They also run a pay for training program where you pay like 15 grand for 100 hrs so if you get hired and they have some chump come along and pay it they will send you packing. Why pay a real pilot when some other meat in the seat is there to pay them. Pay sucks 300 wk. Like you can live on that. Its a joke. Go to ACC or Mountainair first they pay in the mid thirties per year I think for a FO. Not sure about that but whatever it is its better than Skycrappy. If you are a real low time pilot and don't mind getting raped over the coals and have time to burn then do it. Just know what you will be getting yourself into. BTW the training consists of sitting and watching videos of some Irish man that you hardly understand out in a ****ty trailer for two weeks straight then a one hr check ride. Thats just a sample of the ****tyness to come if you decide to stay. The only thing worse is if you are one of the ones who paid to fly there. I saw one of the X fo's there recently and he is still is paying for it many years later and he regrets it big time. Hope this helps