Question for Republic pilots
 

Can any of you RAH guys tell me about the contract you have to sign. I heard that there are allot of drop/fails something like 30%.:confused: (I cant confirm this yet) If you, for some reason, don't pass their training do you still have to pay? It seems kind of risky to sign up if 3 in 10 get the boot. No job and pay them 15K. :eek: Any one know of how they deal with this. Ever had a classmate there not make it and if so what happened?

I got a class date offer and they send you two contracts you have to sign. I'm no lawyer but my brother is a law grad and he seems to think that it would be up to them to charge you or not. You have to sign it before training not after you start work. I can understand that they want to protect their interest but as the one looking at signing binding contract its kind of risky. What if one of the check airmen have a bad day, you get sick on your test day, etc... Any thoughts on this would be appreciated.

its a 2 yr training contract...if you bust out or are fired at any time within the first two years you pay nothing. you only have to pay the prorated amount if you quit before the contract is up (leave for another airline for example).

if your that worried about it, just sign the contract Homer J. Simpson, i doubt that HR would catch it and then if you quit within two years, just deny that you ever signed it!

And to answer the other part of the question, the wash out rate of 30% is way over. Maybe 10% is a much more realistic number.

we had two people that were sent home from our class, neither even got to their PC ride at the end of sims. Both seemed to be having trouble "keeping" up with the aircraft. that was out of a class of 21.

What certificate are you going to? The training program's reputation varies greatly with CHQ being the most "difficult", S5 in the middle, and RW has the reputation for pushing guys through. In my class of 11 FOs, no one busted out. Had one dude with extra training, but he made it through.

CHQ training is not that hard. It's all done through Flight Safety and it depends on your Instructors. Yeah 30% is way overboard Our class had 27 and everyone made it. So it's possible just don't think it's going to be a cake walk.

Going CHQ to 145 class. :) I am most worried that if for some reason (God Forbid) I bust out that I will have to owe them 15K.:eek:

I would be more worried about busting your PC one year from now. As stated before, this is a training contract and they cant hold you to it if they didnt give you the training i.e. you fail out of training. HOWEVER, i see them asking for it if you bust your probation ride in a year and they terminate/release you as a result...then do you still owe them ($7,500)?? That would suck if they did because, should it come down to money being tight there, what would stop them from deliberatly 'thinning the pilot group' out via probie rides AND getting a 'kick back' from the pilots they let go....hmmmmmmmmm

I believe you would have to leave of your own accord.

Basically if you come here and get a better job just go "Office Space" on the place so they fire you and you aren't tied to your contract. Running up a porn bill in the hotel room, telling them you aren't sick but just don't feel like flying, etc. Plenty of great things to do :D

There's also been talk that this contract is actually a form of indentured servitude. If you leave early, you're gambling that they can't enforce the contract. Who knows... As long as you don't leave of your own free will, you shouldn't have to pay anything. As for the training failure rate, our class lost 3 of 29. It was relatively recent.

Thats a relief. From a friend at AE I know that training is like drinking from a fire hose. You just have to buckle down and study your a$$ off. I am ready to give it my all and am looking forward to it.

However....
From the contract sent for my review:

"Therefore, if Pilot Candidate: (1) fails to successfully complete the training provided by Republic Airlines and fails to leave Republic Airlines in good standing, as determined by Republic Airlines in its sole discretion; or (2) resigns, or otherwise voluntarily terminates employment with Republic Airlines; or, (3) is discharged prior to completing two (2) years of active service with Republic Airlines (measured from the completion of his first successful 14 C.F.R. §121.441 proficiency check (“completion date”)), Pilot Candidate shall repay Republic Airlines the sum of $15,000, in cash, upon the date of termination, reduced by one-twenty fourth (1/24) of such cash amount for each full month of Pilot Candidate’s active service with Republic Airlines following his completion date."

Any idea what their aviation background was? Do you think it was due to poor study habits or age or low flight time? The only other thing than the Training Contract is the room mate. If the other guy wants to watch TV when we clearly need to be going over our studies. It just seems like there could be some issues. I am 40 and so I guess the idea of having a room mate when I am trying to stay as focused as I can rubs me the wrong way a little bit. Hopefully there will be mutual respect for each others needs.

I can't explain it as they are very legally written but there seem to be a lot of people who just leave and don't hear anything about it. Not just RAH but several places. Either way if CAL or Kalitta called I'd just leave lol.

SD3,

You'll be able to find plenty of people in your class that will want to study. Take an hour or two off right after class to work out/unwind/watch TV and then hit the books for two or three hours in the lobby with your classmates.

I'm starting class at Shuttle Monday. I'm kind of worried abut the roomate thing myself. However we're all in the same boat. At the other job our class met every evening and studied. It was benneficial to a point but sometimes you just have to find a quiet place for yourself.

I'm lucky. If my roomate snores, or smells I can just go home. The only thing the hotel is doing for me is saving about 90 minutes a day commuting.

drummer posted it. nevermind

Doesn't that seem to imply that you will have to pay it back if you fail? :confused: My brother isn't a lawyer but he did graduate from Law school and thats what he is getting from it. I would love to hear from someone who knows a person who failed out and what happend to them one way or the other. I hate to call the company and ask.(that would look good) The fact that some others are saying that very few are failing gives me great comfort. :)

LOL...Man that would draw the line for me. Get the fudge out of my room you Nasty, slovenly sloppy boy. I might have a nightmare toinght, Thanks. :rolleyes:lol Do you think if theres an odd number of guys they might throw an old dog of 40 a bone and give a brotha his own room?

Febreez my friend. Sir Stinks-a-lot will get the idea when you unscrew the cap and pour it on him. College roomate from hell resulted in me seeing the results of that one first hand. :)

I really don't think you have much to worry about. Study hard, stay ahead of the class in your nightly reading, ask lots of questions (there is no such thing as a stupid question) and don't forget to unwind for an hour every night. You'll do just fine.

Good luck, we're all counting on you.

"were all counting on you" :D lol Good one Pilotpip. Are you over under or under done? anyway thanks guys for the input. If anyone has anything to add feel free.

as for roomates....generally they were top down by age..... one guy was the odd out in our class...and anothers roomate never showed...they both had singles the whole time....

the two who washed out were both were older...... one had 1300 hours the other well over 2000 hours ..... knowledge was not the problem...problems showed in the sim....and as I wasnt in those sims what I know is second and third hand..... so I would rather not say. I will say this... BOTH of these people studied their butts off.....enough said.......

MAX....did you ever get your OE settled....???

They matched up by flight time. Low time with hight time guys. Not sure if it was an advantage for me. My sim partner had tons of time and I didn't, so he thought it was his duty to teach me everything. He attempted to teach me things that were wrong and just talk about stuff he didn't know. Just a nature of someone who thinks they're better than you. I guess it all worked out though we all made it. You'll do fine man don't worry just study.

Oh, but there can be and it makes for some entertainment during the bore of CBT's.

hey does anyone have info on the STL hotel they use for training so I can get an idea of what to pack. thank

I will second that. Hey when are you going? What certificate?

It depends. They have been sticking people in multiple hotels. Holiday Inn and Express at Riverport, Comfort Inn at Westport are a few. All will have laundry, most will have access to a fridge/microwave combo. Westport is close to food and bars. As far as I know, we aren't staying at the Slumfort Inn by the airport anymore. Make sure you visit Las Palmas and Bandana's at some point though.

Bandannas BBQ is the Best!!! I used to work there on the east side..... my mouth waters at the thought.

bandanas is awesome!!! very modestly priced as well! I remember one time me and a friend went there in uniform on our way to the employee lot and I didnt wear my hat in, and a flight manager at TSA gave me some flak for not wearing my hat! I was only a week out of IOE, if i would have known then what I know now! We would have had some words!

A gun.
Brass knuckles probably wouldn't hurt.

Bandana's is so-so. There are lots of really good BBQ places in the St Louis area if you're willing to venture into a few less-than-desirable places.

then i'll stick with some so-so bandanas! i have gotten lost in STL several times.........not cool

yeah thats when you will need the gun and brass knuckles....
Supersmokers was really good BBQ before they went bankrupt and closed, but I refuse to go anywhere near the eastside unless it is passing through on the interstate or going to the casino queen (for cheap drinks). Once you get past east st. louis, sauget, and washington park you are pretty much ok.

They told us at the interview that they make you wear the hat. I wonder who else makes the pilots wear them? I think AE has to, I don't know. Kind of goofy looking I think. Kind of like "porter... look at the build up on these shoes!... I want that wax stripped off there and I want them creamed and buffed with a fine shamos and I want them now" as Judge Schmales would say.

las palmas is the place to go, although los terras has the biggest margheritas i've ever seen!

I don't mind the hats. The Bancroft ones look more like a pilot's cover than the Superior one though. I do have beef with their policy of wearing them on the flight line. No hats on the flight line for FOD's sake. The hat also keeps you from looking like a flasher in your trenchcoat.

I've been at RAH for 9 months and i havent worn that stupid hat since IOE. and believe me, nobody will say anything to you about it. the HR ladies in the interview will tell you anything; they dont know what goes on out on the line.

Yeah, no one (save a few CKA) will give you crap for not wearing it. It seems that a good majority of the RW types wear them though.

I flew with a check airman last night and didn't bring my hat.. not a word was said about it. It felt nice not wearing the hat for a change; I felt like I went down a notch of two on the tool-o-meter.