Can Anyone Speak To Life @ Tradewind Aviation
 

I am shopping around for my Part 135 gig to rack up some Turbine PIC time and saw Tradewind's PC-12 Captains job post on another forum. I did a search on here and most of the posts are several years old. Can anyone give any insight as to how many hours a month one might expect to fly? I guess back in the day Pilots would have to relocate between the northeast and SJU depending on the season. I am wondering if this is still the case. I would prefer to just stay south in SJU if possible. I thank you in advance for any help at all on this subject.

Can Anyone Speak To Life @ Tradewind Aviation
 

Tradewind is awesome. Fun flying, cool people, and probably one of the best entry 135/91 jobs out there. Fly the PC-12, stick around and get some jet time, and when the time is fight maybe move on to another good northeast jet operator.

SJU is cool but your instrument skills will suffer. There are some full time SJU people, most rotate though.

The chief pilot is a good guy I know from my flight training days.

Thank you both so much for your responses... I have an interview with them next Tuesday! I really appreciate the feedback...

How did the interview go? What was your take on their facilities, operations,etc? What kind of qualificatons did you have and what were they looking for? I've been interested in that place for a little while now. Thanks

Does anyone know how the schedule works here? Like a bid or a 8/6 thing.
Also if based in SJU is it possible to live in like st.thomas or st.barths and hitch a ride in?
Thanks a bunch! Hitting 135 mins and trying to scope out my options

It used to be a 4/2 schedule. Not sure if that's changed. They pay for your housing in SJU. No, a commute in from another place wouldn't work. A couple pilots live in St. Barth, but that's a special case and their flights originate from there. Apply before hitting 135 mins. You can finish up the 1200 hours on the job at TW.

Interview was good. I was very impressed by the two people that I spoke with. It was your standard part 135 interview with the obligatory drugs and background questions. Talked through some approaches and other aviation knowledge. I am a Military reservist with just over a thousand hours and I already have my restricted ATP. I did make it to the next interview round which involves traveling to their headquarters and flying in the PC-12. Now my dilemma is trying to get a weekday off on my current active duty orders.

Good info thanks for sharing. Best of luck in the next round of interviews!

Good luck to you sir.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I mean ma'am! Sorry about that.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hey y'all, I have a Skype interview with TW this week and would love to hear a little more detail about the interview. Based on my conversation with the HR gal, I am assuming that the interview will be followed by a thumbs up or down. Didn't hear anything about a trip to Connecticut (from the west coast) to fly the PC-12 before being hired. Is that a real thing?

PM sent


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

It's a 4 on 3 off now. There's no CASS/jump seat listing so commuting isn't an option. Caribbean is fun ... for about a month. Although San Juan is very Americanized, there are plenty of problems, like getting up at 04:45 for your 05:30 show and the water not working in your condo.

After 6 months, you get Delta ZED (high) fares, so theoretically you could try to "commute," using that. It's a fairly low priority and can get pricey. No commuter protections, though like some airlines, so if you miss your flights and get stuck, you're kinda screwed.


The company has no contract with its pilots, so things are changeable at will of the company. Generally they treat you pretty well, but planning ahead can be very difficult. Additionally, they just added "standby," or reserve duties as official company policy, and a seniority system does not exist to try to avoid this.

Overall it's a good place to work for the experience, and the plane is absolutely awesome, but keep your options open if you want to have a life outside of work. If you're not from the Northeast area, you will be spending a LOT of time around people from work. Even worse in the Caribbean.


My $.02.

Feel free to ask any other questions.

Traveled to CT yesterday for a flight test. My overall experience has been excellent regardless of whether they offer me a position or not.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I have an interview next week. Can somebody please provide some detailed info on what to expect during the interview?

Will send you a pm shortly.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Got an offer today! Hope to see some of you guys on Oct. 3.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

How long did you have to wait for after the interview to get the flight test? I Had my interview on August 30 and didn't get any call back yet

I interviewed on a Friday and had a flight test the following Tuesday.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hi there! I just received a call from HR- I was wondering if you'd be willing to PM me any info on the interview/flight test?

Thanks!!!

Sure will.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Quote:
Originally Posted by DarkSideMoon View Post
Hi there! I just received a call from HR- I was wondering if you'd be willing to PM me any info on the interview/flight test?

Thanks!!!


Sure will.QUOTE=GreenWater;2212043]Sure will.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk[/QUOTE]

Would you be so kind to do that for me too ?
I am about to have a skype interview.
Thanks

Does anyone know how firm the 900 hour requirement is? I'm really stretching here, but I have 550 hours total time. My seasonal job is ending within about a week or two, and I am kind of entering panic mode a little bit.

Anyone know how many hours SICs are getting per month?? Upgrade time to CA? I'm 200 away (TT and XC) from 135 mins so wondering what that looks like with these guys

Skype interview next week so any gouge would be solid as well. Post skype process?

So I have just hit the line out of their October class in SJU and was told that I need to keep good track of my monthly hours. They have a 120 hour per month limit and word on the street is some pilots have been known to accidentally go over the 120. Yesterday I flew 3 turns from San Juan to St Barts and logged 5 hours... From the looks of the schedule most crews will fly three turns a day. They do have some schedules with overnights but they try to get everyone home at night. Upgrade is merit and time. They make it clear from the beginning that you are not just going to upgrade to PIC at the 135 mins. If you are not a team player and not company focused you are going to be in the right seat for a while. They self implement some minimums for PIC's into St. Barts which is this companies money maker destination and it could take an SIC a good 4 to 6 months just to reach those mins if they are not flying into St. Barts regularly. Again I am only speaking for the Caribbean pilots based in SJU. But pilots based up north tend to be more senior with the company so I assume it is not much different.

There were people in my class with less than 900 hours but more than 550... Put in an application... Worse thing that can happen is they tell you to circle back with more time...

C130H

Can you start at the north bases before going to SJU?

Yes you can. Just make that request and they'll do their best to accommodate you.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thank you.

Can you also tell me how many hours are you guys flying per month?

Appreciate your help

Congrats on hitting the line. How's life in SJU these days, did they make it easy for you to find a decent place to live and how are the accomodations for the overnighter runs?

So if you select SJU as your permanent base you have to find your own place to stay... The economy here is in the crapper and there are a lot of decent furnished places near the airport and beach for between $800 and $1,200 a month... Several good realtors here to help you in your search... If you select to be at their mercy and let them send you wherever they need you then they give you $750 per month for housing or you can stay in one of their crew apartments with other pilots. They are decent in a good location here in SJU but you have roommates. Also you will have a car to share between your roommates... That is a nice perk... I found finding a good reliable car here to be the hardest part... There are car brokers here that can help... If you buy a used car here you don't have to pay saxes tax as PR only charges the Tax when the car or truck sells the first time... One trick that some of the new guys are using is to be on the flex plan and take the $750 per month for a couple months then change to make SJU permanent. This way you get your rent paid for a few months by the company... 6 month leases are a little hard to come by here but they can be found. If you know you want to be here in SJU you can negotiate huge rent discounts signing an 18 month lease. Hope this helps...

Do you know if they have crew apartments in Oxford and the other bases or this benefit is only for PR?

If I ask for a CT/NY base I'm on my own to find accommodations?

Thanks in advance

Correct. If you request CT/NY, you are on your own.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The only way you get crew housing or the $750 a month allowance provided is to be at their mercy to send you wherever they need you... Then you get free crew housing with other crew members included wherever they send you... Or you can find your own and take the $750 a month allowance but you are never going to find a furnished short term rental for $750 a month in either place... Guys or girls who take the allowance usually have a significant other and pay the extra out of pocket for a short term rental. Some of the company crew houses do not allow your significant other to live there with you. It is at the discretion of your roommates...

Thanks for your answer.

My question was because when tell call me for the interview they told me I'm supposed to rotate between bases every 4 months. If they send me to CT for some time and then to another place after4-6 months it's impossible to get a place, move all furniture

Thanks to Greenwater also, you are always helping me with my questions =)

Option 1: Request Puerto Rico as your permanent base and ask that they not send you to CT.

Option 2: Request CT as permanent base and ask not to be sent to PR.

Option 3: Put all of your furniture in storage and find a furnished short term lease in PR and then in CT once you rotate back to the Northeast.

There may be some other/better options but those are the three that I would consider if it were me.

Hope this helps.

My amigo C130H may chime in with a better option.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Sure does, thanks much for the info!

I have a Skype interview today I was wondering if I could get detailed information on what HR and technical questions will be asked of me during the interview. Thank you.

How did the interview go ?