Is there a contract for first officers who don't get their atp's with cape air? Say a FO wanted to build time to 1500 hours and then leave and get their atp at a part 121.

 

If you were hired today you wouldn't see the line until September or later. Unless something changes. If you want to build time it might be a good idea to go somewhere that training won't be 3+ months. Its a cool place without a doubt but we are hurting in the training dept.

 

Cape don't need FO's in it's main aircraft, so yea there would be a problem with a pilot using them purely as time building. The biggest being that you would be much better off at a busy flight school if all you care about is hours. Now, will it stop you getting a job at a regional right now? No. But you lose the ability to ever come back and any potential employer that calls is told you left on bad terms. Again, probably not enough to stop some regional from hiring you right now, but at some point you are going to get laid off and need a place to go, or move up and have interviews with United, Jetblue, American, etc. Most of which have relationships with Cape and the management there. So I would say that is is short-sighted but it does happen.

As for the training department, they have a sim and a bunch of spare aircraft around right now. This winter the weather was so bad that you had aircraft getting stuck at out-stations and spare aircraft at Hyannis being the few without GPS or boots. Speaking of training, I would much prefer to mess up at Cape and get given a 2nd or 3rd chance than booted out of class at a regional.

If you want to fly regional then stick to flight instructing, getting hired for peanuts for first few years flying bigger equipment, being treated like crap at both, and hoping that you pass training and that the airline doesn't fold before you move to the left seat and get enough hours. Otherwise you will spend few years at Cape and then take a paycut going to bigger regional.

 

DO NOT come here to time build. It's wrong to build time here as FO, then leave at 1500. It's a shame that people are so eager to go to a regional to fly something "big" and still not make enough money to pay bills and live comfortably. Someone who comes to Cape and fulfills the 1 year after ATP requirement will have a lot of great experience and stick skills. The 402 is a lot of fun, and you will definitely not be broke on captain pay. Come here and learn PIC stuff, enjoy CASS, and the pay.

Also, Cape Air is stable. What's the status of any other regional airline over the next 10 years? What if in 5 years when I'm at a regional, it tanks, or there is some global event that hurts the industry again and I'm furloughed? If I honored my commitment at Cape, I'll be hired again. And sure, I can't read the future and promise Cape will be totally healthy, but there's little evidence of any trouble. And I'd hate to burn this bridge.

 

Not to mention the time that you consume during training could be used for training someone that actually wants to stick around.

 

Definitely. Plus the time and energy of the training staff, who are quite thorough.

 

Sorry if this has been covered already, I did read through the past 15 pages. Are the atrs only based in Guam?

 

Thanks Grandpa. How about you manage your own career and let others manage theirs.

 

Sounded like good advice to me. I guess I'm getting old. I'm betting they will make a real training agreement if they continue to have people jump ship as soon as they reach 1500.

 

You're welcome, but I don't have grand kids yet.