Ok I posted this in the cape air thread but it is worth of its own thread. This is sad and potential applicants need to know the crap they pulled.
Watch out!! Beware!! New hire class starting today they were told no training contract but on day one they are making everyone sign a $30k training contract without any advance notice. They literally waited for everyone to show up to class and then sprung it on them last minute. This is the lowest of the low. People there likely turned down other jobs to go to cape air and burned those bridges. This is on par with those companies hat make you pay for your training. If they would have been honest with these young pilots up front then that would be different but this is the lowest of the low. Cape Air I thought you were a quality company but a stunt like this is messing with people's lives. You should be ashamed. Pathetic.

 

Also the one year clock doesn't start ticking until after completion of upgrade and is not pro rated.

 

There are soooooo many more options out there. Don't sign it - just leave. You have the leverage in a tight market for pilots... Get your 1500 hours and go fly an E175 for Compass or Skywest or Mesa. Commutair, Envoy, PSA and Piedmont all offer flow-throughs to legacies.

 

I think that's actually addressed on their FAQ page, which has been there for a while. There is some ambiguity in the words "depending upon your qualifications when hired" for sure, but it's not really a new policy or anything.

https://www.capeair.com/pilotjobs/FAQ.html

 

I worked there a couple years ago and they pulled some shady stuff with me as well. I came on as an FO, never signed any contract(training or otherwise) or so much as gave a verbal commitment to Cape Air for how long I would work there. This was my first airline and I found out quickly that working for a place like Cape Air you had better move to your base(in most cases) because it is an absolute nightmare trying to commute back.

I resigned for a regional to be home based before I upgraded to captain at Cape Air and the CP told me I would be marked on my PRIA as a non rehire. Good group of pilots over there but felt that it wasn't a great fit for me personally due to commuting and now I have this on my record. Can't say I'm surprised by your experience

 

Usually a desperate sign of retention/attraction issues. Surprised as the D.O., I think, is an ex American C.P. Luckily we now have APC to spread the word.

Another infamous company tried this on my class and half of us walked out.

 

I wouldn't worry too much about the PRIA. Just discuss it in future interviews and explain why you're listed as "non-rehire". At the regional level, when you give your notice and call off a trip either because of commuting, sick or family emergency ect... They mark you as "non- rehire"

 

There no such box on PRIA paperwork.

 

One of my friends left Cape Air for Mesa, and he did it the right way. He just crossed 1,500 hours, and they had him slated for an upgrade class. He turned in his two weeks, and then then got an email from the CP saying leave your stuff and get out. RB also said he was being marked as ineligible for re-hire in his PRIA even though his email stated that they expected him to stay a year after obtaining his ATP so that they could recoup their investment in him, yet he never obtained his ATP there, so they didn't live up to their end either.

 

What people on here don't realize is that when a first officer is hired, they sign a commitment letter that they will stay at Cape Air for one year after their upgrade. Cape Air has no need for FO's except to be considered as a captain in training. Your friend was paid to build flight time and bailed on the company. Your friend and many like him screwed the company. As a result, Cape Air will do its best to weed out the people that have no intention of upgrading.