shurb

hey I have about 260tt and 25multi. should I apply there? College is getting pretty boring and i'd love to fly into Mexico,

Shrek

Nice flame ...........lol

Joepa84

I am also pretty bored with college also so I see where shrub is coming from. I guess the one question everyone wants to know is why is this airline any better than a regional? (I fly out of CMI, and have seen some old DC-9's in front of the F.B.O.) However, when I see them I ask myself who the hell are they? Any POSITIVE information would be helpful.

crimson tide

I do not fly for USA Jet but I am in YIP often for a similar company, got friends over there. Pay there is good, good people too. Downsides are living in YIP (YUCK!!!!) and being chained to the pager. I wanted to work there but got a job much closer to home.

STILL GROUNDED

I talked to these guys a year ago at an Air Inc conference. They were pretty high on there horse about having 1200 total with 700 multi. Nice to see them wiggle a little bit. The back side of the clock can suck, I've been there.

I couldn't imagine who this guy thought he was requiring those times when Comair is in the next room talking to people with 1000 and 100 to fly automated airplanes with 50 live people in the back. It didn't take a crystal ball to see this coming.

atpcliff

Hi!

Sorry-kind of lost this thread and neglected it. If u want a ton of info, PM me-just sent one out.

Here is some info:
www.activeaero.com
www.usajetairlines.com

In 2002, mins were 2000/1000. Then we went to 1500/500, then 1200/750, now it's 0/0. First year pay was cancelled (all guys start at Yr 2 pay), then the training contract went buy-buy, then training pay went back to regular pay.

$34K is starting Falcon FO-max FO is $37K.
$38K is -9 FO-max is $43K.
Falcon capt range is $48K-$80K.
-9 capt range is $52K-$94K.

The max pay pilots have pretty much made about $150K over the last 5 years. Sep, 2005 -9 max guy was $26K. About 6-8 -9 capts made over $20K that month, with about 4 making over $24K. Max Falcon capt pay this past Feb was about $16K. Jun 2006 a Falcon FO made over $7k. When it's busy, you can make a lot.

Hired a 230 and 380 TT guy. Can afford 1 low time guy in a class of 4. Most other guys have 2000 or so hours. Our insurance said with our good training program, we can hire whoever we want. Initial training takes about 3 mos. Flying about 50 hrs a month average, but last 6 it's been more than that.

No hiring pool, as the guys in it only last 2 weeks. If Randy finds a good guy, he sets up a class around him. Interviewing whenever u can make it in. Class starts when u can make it (standard regional stuff nowadays). We have 4 female pilots now-Randy doesn't care-as long as you can do the job.

We actually DON'T fly that much IFR. If the weather is really bad somewhere, we just pickup or drop the freight somewhere else-not like NWA who has to get the PAX to a specific airport. I did not deice once this winter, and I flew the most I've ever flown.

ALL the planes have GPS, and RVSM. The Falcons are all (slowly) getting KLN-94s, which have a color moving map, which is fantastic. The new altimeters in the Falcons for the RVSM are great. The rest of the plane is old. Some of them have excellent Flt Directors, some don't. The -9s, PAX Falcon/Lear/King Air all have GPWS and TCAS. The -9s all have good flt directors.

Falcon upgrade is 3000 TT. For -9 FO need 2000 TT and 1500 ME.
The LONGEST Falcon upgrade was 3.5 years. Now will probably have a couple of 3 mos guys. Normal Falcon Capt is 2 years. -9 FO is 6-12 mos.
Jul new hire class, with probably 2 guys going straight to the -9: only higher time guys go right to the -9.

Started an ABQ gov't contract. Any open slots there (2 are open now) go to the ABQ guys first, then YIP guys, then off the street. They fly about 250 a year, make more in guarantee, but don't fly over. No commuting, and lots more down time. Everyone there is a capt (3 -9s, 1 GIII, 1 Lear 35, 2 Twin Otters. Getting 737s in FY 2009).

ALL the days off at USAJet are hard days. If you're on the road, they'll airline U to DTW, or wherevever you want to go, as long as the cost is within reason. I go to GRB or MSP normally. About 20% of the guys commute from outside of MI, with another 40% or so from within MI, but outside of the 25" callout.

25" is the min, but it happens less than 1/2 the time. My last trip I had 12 hours notice. After you're #1 for 12 hrs, you can rotate to the bottom of the board, AND after 24 hrs at #2. Unless you're #1, you can usually get short-time off up to 4 hrs, which means they won't call you during that period (car fixed, dr appointment, go to movie, whatever).

The Falcons have 10 off every 28, the -9s 12. Most of the -9 pilots fly the PAX charter. 2 hour callout on reserve. During the NCAA season you have a 6-month schedule of 6/4, 6/3 type rotations. You'll know 95+% of your schedule on your 6 day trip.

The auto flying was the worst it's EVER been in 2005/2006. It's cyclical, so it's been steadily picking up for the last year. We've been adding more freighters back lately, and flying them to the max.

The company is not buying any more -9s (we've bought 1 new PAX -9 every year the last 3 years). Too old and too small. Going to something bigger/newer in the future is the PLAN. When? Only God knows.

This past year, guys are going to NWA/DAL (recalls) NetJets, Spirit and Allegiant. In the past they've gone everywhere. Except during furloughs/paycuts (had that one year), no one has left USA Jet for a regional.

I was at USAF, TSA and then USA Jet. I like USAJ the best.

cliff
YIP

PS-Steve S. is a -9 captain, and doing well (so is Pryor). Jay was replaced by Fred who was replaced by Gerry W. CH is next up.

PPS-For all the college degree smarta$$es. USA Jet will pay 1/2 of tuition for an aviation related degree. A number of guys have gotten their 4 yr. or masters at Riddle via online.

quinny89

atpcliff, it's been 6 months since this post, could you please give us an update? Hopefully as indepth as this last one. Are you still hiring low time pilots? pay, benefits, QOL, and equipment changes?

OnMyWay

Last I heard, minnimums are back to the 1000TTish levels.

atpcliff

Hi!

Official mins for the Falcon are 1000/500, and 1 year -121/mil experience for direct to the -9, but we've hired pilots with less.

-9s have been MASSIVELY busy, and with PAX season starting up, we need a lot of guys on the -9. Falcons have been slow lately-lots of new captains there.

ABQ is looking for two more pilots. Last I heard they have gotten the money to replace their -9s with -737s starting FY 2009 (which starts 1 Oct 2008). Only new plane for YIP so far is a Lear 24-we'll need some more guys flying the Lears.

PAX flying looks to be quite busy-starting up in full about now.

Trying new callouts this month/next. #1 is still on 25" callout. Others are 1 hour during the week, and 2 hours on the weekends. If it works, 1 Jan we will make this program permanent-I hope it works. The last trip I flew I was on 25" callout-had about 4 hours of notice for the trip. Sometimes it's 25", sometimes not.

Looking for larger aircraft...no luck yet.

Capt upgrade on Falcons went down to 6 months, but with their flying slow, may be going back up.

We have a 4:1 Duty Rig, and a 4:1 Rig for required training (initial, recurrent, etc.).

Had 4 guys in from Midwest (Mesa). 1 of those 4 went to ABQ. Last I heard, they all liked it. The guy I know best commutes from Huron, SD. Says it's working very well for him, and WAY better than Mesa (a shocker!).

If U want info, PM me with your email-it's LONG!

cliff
CUN

Pilotpip

How are you guys handling the work reductions at auto plants? We used to see you all the time at STL but now it's rare because of the Ford plant closure and layoffs at Chrysler.