I am in the pool at cape air and Gene just gave me the list of cities that are going to have openings. The email that reads.

This class and the bases are: STL award cities, RUT (VT), SLK, (NY)
our ALBANY Region of upstate NY OGS-Ogsdenburg, MSS-Messena, ART-Watertown and LEB (Lebannon NH). All bases are out-station based. No MA / ie BOS or HYA bases.

Due to family reasons this looks like I will have to commute to start off and I was wondering if any cape air people had comments on these locations. Are there overnights or day trips? In these cities I will be looking for some sort of minimum transportation and lodging, like a crashpad, what is available? Does anyone have any ideas?

 

Nice, when is your class? I got the call about a month ago but still waiting for a class. I'm not at ATP mins yet so maybe I'll have to wait til after a Capt class goes through.

Edit: nevermind, after reading a little more carefully I see you're still in the pool. Did Gene give you any idea as to when there will be a class? With the STL flying starting Nov 1 I would think they will have to get a class together soon (?)

 

OGS
MSS
ART
LEB
are all very commutable schedules, we don't have any overnights anywhere so you will need a crashpad, which will be very difficult to find at these locations, plan on renting a second apartment. Pay is minimal - 35 hr min is all you are going to get (that is why these are so jr and unfilled)
SLK
RUT
these locations are less commutable but still doable especially if you have commuted in the past. Schedules have much higher line values such as 47-51 hours a week (remember anything over 40 hours is time and a half)

The good news on ALL of these locations is the cities have relatively low cost of living so you could potentially find apartments cheap, SLK is pretty much Lake Placid so rent is a bit higher due to the vacationers there. I would suggest moving to one of the upstate new york or stl locations if they are open and trying to get some sort of written garauntee stating you are base protected. in that location for a set amount of time. You could live pretty well on the pay if you were to move to the city but will have very low QOL if you are commuting

The lines for STL locations (Cape Girardeau, Decatur (which i hear we may not get), Quincy, and one more i can't think of) have not been determined as of this point, we have no way of knowing what the lines will look like there but most of us are expecting to see something along the lines of 4 on 4 off 35 hour a week lines

Just my .02
Congrats on getting hired, the job market SUCKS right now

 

Is there a way of being able to stay in one location for more than a few months or whatever it is? I wonder mainly because most apts have you sign 12-month leases...and surely you guys want to settle in one place eventually? Just curious.

 

you can be sure of your base if you are in the top 10% of seniority at the company or if you bid into a newly established route ie. The guys going to the STL flying are protected for 2 years & and when ALB flying was awarded those guys had a 2 year protection as well. Base protection is a heated topic these days!
A few of the Caribbean guys got bumped from their bases (guys that have held bases for a couple years), by senior people from the north for the winter season there has a been a bit of an outcry lately.

 

Base protection. whats that?? Don't quote me but I think you are only base protected for two years if you get the advance entitlement bid, which has come and gone for STL. As for new hires going into STL im pretty sure they could get bumped if there's a reduction in another base.

 

You are correct! Only the people in the advance entitlement bid are base protected for STL which has come and gone...maybe the new hires will get lucky and we will pick up some more EAS flying...otherwise prepare to see the north in the summer and the caribbean in the winter

 

I wanted to see the south in the winter but that wasn't available.

 

Its a good bet that the bottom 5-10 guys from here on out will be stuck in OGS-ART-MSS, year round. With only 35 hours pay a week, outstation basing, three leg commutes, and all the cold, snow & ice Lake Ontario can cook up; I find it hard to imagine that there will be a long line of people fighting over those assignments.

Half a dozen open lines on the bid which goes into effect next week....

 

I could have done the commute in two legs but this is exactly why I turned it down. I could deal with the flying in upstate NY but all the down time during the winter plus only 35hour pay week was just too much.