Hey guys, I'm an XJT pilot about to hit the street and am possibly interested in what Cape Air is up to these days. I have a former student over there who loves it, and says they're hiring like mad.

So, what's the scoop? What's hiring look like for the rest of the year over there? Pay? Bennies?

Thanks.

 

Check out their Pilot Jobs page:

Cape Air Pilot Opportunities

I'm headed out there in about a month for an internship. Everyone I've had the pleasure of talking with there has been really helpful, which I've really appreciated especially since I'm moving halfway across the country.

I know there's several Cape Air pilots on the message boards here, so they'll probably be chiming in soon and can provide more help than I can right now. But if you really wanna feel free to PM me.

 

I don't know about hiring like mad, but we are still looking for people. We just picked up 4 additional airframes, for a total of 53. Growth is in the EAS business. A new ALB base in the fall to feed upstate NY EAS cities. We applied for routes from BOS to ME, Bar Harbor or someplace like that. I don't think its been awarded as of yet - but that seems to be the growth strategy. We are doing a state EAS contract in Indiana. The SBN-IND subsidy was not renewed, but the Hoosiers seem happy with the EVV-IND route, so I hear that will continue.

Pay for Captains starts at $15 a duty hour stateside, $18 a duty hour in the Caribbean. Overtime paid for over 8 hours in a day, 40 in a week. Bonus ($3k?) for transferring to the Carrib. in the winter. Another bonus for going north in summer. Medical coverage is good, but a little pricey. Teamsters union was voted in. 1st contract negotiations are underway.

They're paying a bonus for picking up open time on days off this summer, on top of the time and a half premium.

Current lines are valued between 49 hours to 35 hours per week. The median line value for HYA and BOS is 41. You are home every night. Which is great if you live here, but can be bad for commuters. Cape Cod is expensive. Downtown Boston may be worse.

In the winter it will be very difficult not to be displaced to the Carrib. I'd guess this year BOS lines will be cut from 12 to less than 6. HYA Lines will go from 39 to down to maybe a dozen to twenty, but the EAS routes may soften the cuts.

The flying is productive. On ACK air I flew 12 legs today, 4:15 flight, in 7 1/2 hours. My longest ground time was 42 minutes, the shortest was 7. The longest block time was 26 minutes, the shortest was 16. Another fellow doing ACK-BOS did 7 legs, 4:50 flight, in 7 hours of duty. 15 minute turns, 40 minute legs.

Its single pilot, and some of the hardest IFR anywhere. Going to DH with 1800 RVR is not unusual. I shot a no-sh!t ILS into HYA with a 70 knot crosswind, it sheared to a mere 40 knot headwind below 1000', and found the lights at 350' - all after going to DH at ACK and not seeing anything. The weather can get really, really bad on the Cape. But regular ACK fog (of the Pea Soup variety) is far more common.

 

Wow, thanks for the great write up. What is the hiring situation looking like for the rest of the year (specifically after October 1st )? My former student got on with the bridge program thing and is there with something like 300 hours at the moment, so how's things looking for people with 1500ish TT? Still a demand for people who can upgrade quickly?

By the way, I don't have an ATP yet.

 

IF you meet all the ATP requirements they'll give you the ticket on your initial ride. Otherwise once you do meet the mins you get your upgrade training. I would guess that there will be a lot of guys sending in their CVs sooner than October, but who knows? After 9/11 the place was crawling with mainline furloughees. As of last week, the recruiter said we're still hiring, SIC mins have gone up. Looking for ATPs or people who can upgrade quickly.

 

whats 2nd year CA pay like?

 

got an interview... about to get booted from a regional and sont really care... cape sounds like a great group of people... does anyone know if theres a training contract or anything and what first year capt pay is??

 

Mccube... $16 or so. About a buck a year scale increase. (ps Go Sox!)

Smithee... No training contract per se, but you are expected to complete the season you were hired for. If you go to GUM its an 18 month commitment on the ATR. There are very few ATR positions however.

First year PIC pay is $15 an hour, duty time, plus a $3 override in the Caribbean, plus bonuses for going south in winter, north in summer.

If you pick up the available OT you should clear mid $40s. If you fly your axx off you can probably hit $50k. BUT, the Cape is expensive, Boston and the islands even more so.

 

I think you are right about Boston and the Cape.... but PR is the cheapest place I have ever lived thus far into my aviation career. I was paying 550 for a 2B/2BA with utilities taken care of.... I think you need to shop around instead of settling for Isla Verde.... then again.... it has been a while since I was there so maybe its changed.

B

 

belliot,

SJU is reportedly much cheaper than STT or STX. Even Isla Verde. I never got out of the terminal in SJU to give my 2 years of Spanish 1 any exercise however.