Go! vs PenAir
 

Hmmmm, here's my current situation: Flying for Mesa out of Honolulu, 300 CRJ SIC hours per year in Hawaii, home every night, 200 surf days per year (sitting reserve with a waterproof phone), waiting for my upgrade in about 1 year. (But junior captain with Mesa Air seriously SUCKS! I'd have to live in ORD, too. Ugh.)

Should I move to Anchorage and do some fun flying with PenAir? I hate this "600 feet, autopilot on" crap. My dream is to fly the light twins for fun, but still use that time to build my twin PIC towards the FedEx minimums.

So fellas, I have two questions:

1) Any PenAir pilots out there who could tell me if I can get hired as a street captain on the smaller twins and still be based in ANC? If not, how long to upgrade?

2) Should I give up this awesome Hawaiian dream life where everything points to a future of hell, or make the move and fly the Cheyenne/Metro for fun?

My times:
1800 hrs TT
1200 hrs PIC (mostly instructing)
600 hrs ME Jet SIC
100 hrs Super-Cub out of Port Alsworth

Leave Mesa without a doubt. You'll be happier elsewhere... plus obviously the writing is on the wall for go! JO is in hot water. Mesa doesn't really have a secure, domestic future. Mesa's future is in China, if anything.

Do you have a very good contact at FDX (like a relative)? If so, you can probably get called with whatever their published mins are.

If you don't know anyone, you will probably need turbojet PIC, lots of it, and maybe heavy over-water time to get called off the street.

Ask around and be very realistic about what you need to get to where you want to go. Mesa appears at risk of losing Go! and maybe a codeshare or two...you may want to beat the rush so you have your pick of jobs before the market is flooded with furloughed mesans.

Well, the obvious answer whether to stay at Mesa or leave is "Leave as fast as possible." However, I'm thinking about quality of life, and actually, life with Go! is very very good. We make our own schedules, so even though we only get 8 days off per 28 days, I can cram all my work days towards the beginning of the month leaving 5 days in a row at the end. And next month I can start with 5 days off, which makes 10 days off in a row every other month. I've visited Australia, Peru, Paris, Phillippines, and Tokyo in only 8 months. I only wish I could upgrade back into Hawaii...

As for realistic ideas, I need 1000 ME PIC (no need for turbine) to get into FDX. I have a good friend who can walk my resume in, but he's not family. I flew a CRJ from HNL to PHX, so there's my overseas experience :)

I guess my decision lies on how fast I can get my PIC/ME time at PenAir.

You know ORD sucks when someone from Hawaii would rather move to Anchorage.

I spend a lot of time out in Port Alsworth. Who did you fly for out there??

at PenAir your:

home every night
you'll fly atleast 1000 hrs a year
they won't hire you as a street capt (short by a few thousand hrs)
no cheyenne's, but metro's and saabs in anc
and if you really want to surf, go to yakatat. or just jumpseat to hawaii
and the flying is incredible

You only get 8 days off a month at go!?!? I'm sorry to hear that, man. Over at your friendly competitor, the most junior lineholder usually gets 12 days off a month; most get 13 or 14. Reserves get 11. Do the math, but that's a lot more time you could be in the water WITHOUT your cellphone. You need to get out of Mesa, man. That job is abusive, and you and everyone else needs to get out right now while you still can. Go ANYWHERE else. Even if there are no waves. Heck, Alaska has waves if you have a really thick wetsuit. Vancouver Island has waves. People surf on the Great Lakes, man. Get creative. Just GET OUT.

And, if I ever see some Mesa/go! kook on a 10' 00" Softop answer his cellphone in the lineup out here so help me God I'll shove it right up his tailpipe after I grab it out of his hands and tell the crew tracker that he's "calling in sick due to Rectal FOD".

P.S. I'm the guy on the blue 6'2" Merrick quad with the "No go!" sticker glassed into the nose.

Seriously, though, leave Mesa. Even if you have to leave Hawaii. It's better to leave like a man, on your own terms, than to be forced out later on. Trust me.

Forget the surfing, its all about the skiing (or snowboarding)! Here are the mins I found for the 135 stuff...

PenAir is currently interviewing for 135 Pilot In Command (PIC) positions, located at one or more of the following locations:

• King Salmon
• Dillingham
• Cold Bay

ATP, 500 Hours Alaska experience. Initial New Hire Ground School is scheduled for September 4, 2007. Wages depending on experience.
Send your resume:

• FAX: (907) 771-2664
• Email: // [email protected]

as well as 121 stuff...

PenAir is currently interviewing for 121 First Officer positions located in Anchorage. 700 hours total flight time, Commercial, Instrument, and MEL ratings. Initial New Hire Ground School is scheduled for September 17, 2007.
Send your resume:

• FAX: (907) 771-2664
• Email: // [email protected]

Done with those classes. Look at January for another class.