I'd say probably not...can't imagine the FAA (and ASA) would go with a training program anything more than a few hours of ground-training being that their -700 training is already fairly intensive...but I could probably be blowing smoke LoL

 

At ASA you do your SIC type in the 200, and a week long differences program for the 700, since there is no specific 700 only training program.

 

yeah which means a weekend of drinking to forget the 200 flows and crap then go in and learn the 700. fun fun

 

What?? All we have to do in the -700 is remember "Flaps 1" and "Bleed Valves AUTO" LoL

 

there's a little more to it than just that ;-)

 

Does the 700 transfer the bleeds from the APU to 10th stage air automatically? I don't know much about the differences between the two.

 

The differences is pretty laid back. I was on the 200 for a bit when I went to the 700 they just give you a few days of ground class, a few days of sim training and then a little SOE to finish up. Then they finally get around to creating a line for you which is mutually agreed upon. It takes about a month to finish all the training. I hear all sorts of estimates as to the length of reserve. Guys quote anywhere between 4-10 months as an FO. Of course you hear otherwise on this forum which are guys who heard it from someone else and so on. For now I'll just go on what an actual 700 FO told ME.

As far as QOL it all depends on whether you like reserve or want a line. That's totally preference of course. When you hold a line you fly all the hours you get paid for but you accrue time faster for upgrade and it's easier to commute. Of course I would like to get my hours building much faster but right now on first year pay it's kind of helpful to be able to do a little work on the side to offset some living costs.

The way I see it: on reserve you get your 75 hour guarantee (75X23= 1725) and I only fly about 40 hours a month so basically it's kind if like 1725/40=43hr. And during my free time I work out of the house and the local area for another 40hrs a month at a significantly greater rate/hour than my normal pay. So I could hold a line and actually work 85-90 hours at 23/hour or I can work 80hrs a month and get paid for 115hrs (75+40). Just something for now. And FYI I don't have to commute and only live about 25mins from the airport in which I can just take the train so reserve isn't bad at all. All in all that's really the only difference between the 700 and the 200 besides the better overnights on the 700 and the thing is a lot funner to fly. But then again who flies for fun anymore

 

Yeah, it's pretty neat. As soon as you pull the power back to the climb detent it switches the bleeds over automatically. I remember on the 200 almost shutting the APU down after takeoff and I had missed one of the bleed valves on the flow. No more of that.

 

We're getting two 700s from Comair in April but besides that no further expansion has been planned. The main focus of ASA right now is improving our reliability and on time performance. With the ATR leaving more senior FOs will be coming to the 700 and pushing less senior reserves back down. If 900s do arrive on property I expect it to be an extremely senior aircraft for a couple years.

 

It may not go too senior if the pay is the same as the 700.