Some AWAC ?s
 

Hi all, looking for some info on AWAC. Looking to maybe make the jump and am wondering how things are over there right now - still gonna be hiring for a bit? From what I've read the new LGA base will be junior; I know I may as well use a magic 8 ball but I'm wondering if that means shorter reserve times. How often do you get ready reserve over there? Any info would be great. Thanks guys.

As far as I know we're still doing 2 classes/month for a while. I'm not sure what your times are, but the competitive bar has been raised some... I know we've picked up a fair amount from Big Sky and Skyway. LGA is junior right now, but you shouldn't have too much trouble getting the base you want within a few months. You can expect to be on reserve for 2-3 months in all bases except DCA, which will be longer. There are only 1 or 2 ready lines per base. I never got stuck doing ready myself.

If you can live on base, it's a great company to work for. Still not bad if you commute, but our schedules are not particularly commuter friendly unless you're fairly senior. Our contract and pay - though concessionary - are still right up there with the best of them for a regional airline.

LGA has not yet opened, but would be by the time you got here.

Expect schedules to be pretty crappy, but if you live in domicile that can be seen from a whole different perspective. LGA is looking like the junior base based on the most recent upgrades and vacancies.

I looked at jumping ship about 2 years ago to SKW but was talked out of it. At this moment I think that my staying at AWAC was probably not a bad move, but it has involved some frustration too. Keep in mind that by jumping ship you will be adding another company to your resumé and starting over at the bottom. Right now upgrades are running at about 2.5 years, but there are no guarantees it will stay that low. It took me just under 3.5 to get the award.

But if you live in or near one of our domiciles and are currently commuting to someplace it's not all bad.

We are also opening RDU and currently operate DCA, ORF and PHL.

My gut tells me that something positive will happen here within the next 6-12 months.

Thanks guys, reserve here is getting out of hand and lord knows what the upgrade is. I'm not at 1 year yet so I don't have much to lose, I know it's a lateral move but QOL would appear to increase a bit. Right now I'm commuting to JFK so I can deal with LGA, it'd be easier anyway to get to I think.

Couple other things: are reserves getting used much these days? And how long is the callout on reserve? Thanks!

just to add a question, roughly how long does AWAC call for a interview after you've sent out a resume?

2 hour call out. I had a PC this morning and was talking to a few new hires that had just started in the sim... they have lines as soon as they finish OE.

... and as far as the PC goes... I still have a job.

Music to my ears haha. Thanks for the info.

Cool. So do I.

2 hour callout on normal reserve.
2 day callout on long-call reserve on relief lines.

Groovinaviator - My F/O ran out of rudder in CLT two weeks ago in a mega gust. We balked at about 20 feet. Felt just like AVP!

Seems like a risky move to start over again in senority at an airline that flies 50 seat RJ's. Not trying to be a jerk, but seems like a gutsy move given the age we are in currently?

What is your thoughts on this?

Speedbird, be careful with jumping ship. Here's a true story.

I was hired @ AWAC in the summer of 2005. Hiring was fast and furious until the winter, when it suddenly stopped. Attrition was slow and I stopped moving up the list at all. I was a junior FO and it didn't look so good, so I started looking around. I considered a street CA position @ Gulfstream, I had everything lined up, but just when I was about to jump things started picking up again in the spring of '06. Midwest looked like a lock with Rankin coming on board. We hired a lot for that flying that never materialized.

Winter of 2006/2007 I started looking around again, after we lost the Midwest RFP as I was losing hope in viability of AWAC as an airline. Upgrade was nowhere in sight and I was getting frustrated with the majors picking up people left and right. Skywest and Republics upgrade were down to 1 year or less. I found Bigsky was hiring street CA's. I considered it but after further review didn't want to pursue it any further. During this time I was also looking over various 135 jobs, from Ameriflight to USA Jet to you name it. I didn't want to be the 4 year FO.

Then the list started moving again. I hung on, and it hasn't stopped moving since. I got my type at 2.5 years. This while the company lost 20% of it's fleet. I guess what I'm trying to say is while things look scary now you could end up jumping to the next Bigsky. Looking back had I left for any of the places I had considered I'd either be unemployed (there are a large amount of Bigsky folks in our new hire classes now), in the left seat making less than I did as an FO, or in the on-demand industry while we enter a recession.

Also, keep in mind AWAC only has 50 seat CRJ's. The majors don't want these aircraft anymore. They are parking them in droves. They want the EMB products or big turboprops. I think that is where you will see the growth. If you're going to make the jump, consider the companies that operate those aircraft first IMO.

Above all, don't do anything drastic.

Thanks all for the advice. It's certainly not something I'm taking lightly, it's just thoughts for now, but it's something I'd rather do sooner than later having not moved far at all up the seniority list here...been here 8 mos now and a line not even in sight. That plus losing hours all the time and apparently parking planes it seems I'm seeing the couch in the crew room or at the crashpad way more than the front seat of the plane. And DAL announced more cutbacks just the other day, I don't see any miracles here any time soon. Believe me I hate the idea of jumping around at the regional level but things are pretty frustrating at the moment and are not improving. Again, appreciate the info and the advice.

PS The Juice I love the avatar haha

Just because US Airways hasn't announced cutbacks (that I know of) doesn't mean they aren't coming. DAL is a pretty strong carrier and is expanding it's international network much more than US Airways. If I had my choice I think I'd rather be with a DAL express than US Airways, just my $0.02.

If there are cuts, they will be at a carrier other than AWAC. Our contract is not amendable unilaterally by US Airways.

umm, we're all sub-contractors anyways, it doesn't matter really. If big Moma DAL wants to cut, they will; conversely if US airways does the same, AWAC is protected, I mean afterall we gave them $136 million.

I'd imagine that having a seat on the US Airways Board of Directors, and owning 13% of the new company counts for something as well.

Your right, not that it's a great company to own, but hey I guess you have to do what you have to do. Seems kinda strange that we can't go out and get flying, we have to buy flying, but what is normal in this industry.

I suppose you could call it buying flying, but it was more like an investment. Paid off nicely for the owners of the company, who earned several hundred million in short order.

Or take this advice, of my friends who thought any grass was greener than comair, jumped ship to Xjet bc it was SO GREAT, one of the last classes, and now will probably be furloughed... guess comair doesnt look that bad now..... or the other friends of mine who jumped ship to skywest and now have almost ZERO people under them on the CRJ bc they were the last CLASS......... stop complaining, things get better....... suck it up, i did (not to say that I didnt complain along the way)

and ps if you think AWAC is going to be that much better I and pretty sure you are mistaken.... I know a lot of people there who are not very happy either

and PSS a lot of the delta cuts are comming from freedom and chq

Who cares, you have a job and can put food on the table because they "bought" their flying. I for one am thankful that they did so. As much as the "senior" 146 and RJ guys complain about having to commute at least they still have the option to continue working. Had the owners not done what they did every single pilot @ AWAC would have been unemployed, that's a 100% paycut.

awac call times
 

not to hijack the thread, but i was just curious as well how long it takes for awac to call after you have sent in the resume. i did mine online through their website.

thanks

I got called for the phone interview 3 days after i had sent mine in. But this was also back in May of last year. The interview process has changed since I got hired...

I also had to do a sim ride.....not to mention rent a car to drive to ATW from MKE.

good luck...hope you make it...

Saab it's going to change based upon need. If they are having trouble finding people you'll get a call right away. If not it could be awhile. There isn't a *ton* of open time right now so my guess is we are fairly well staffed.

Anything new this week? I just got a call for the interview today. What I know about AWAC sounds pretty good.

Right now I am usually flying 4 out of 5 days on reserve. Unless I read my PIF's wrong, my sim partner gets to hold a line in PHL May 1.
I get to hold a line July 1. Aint that a kick in the pants.
I made the choice to live in domicile, so sitting reserve isnt so bad for now. At least I am flying every week.

So far all the captains I have flown with have been super cool. Professional, but not complete dorks or power trippers.

One thing I have learned at AWAC...
Hang out with your crew on overnights. You will gain much more respect and trust from your captain/FA while drinking a few beers and shooting the bull. They could care less if you memorized center frequencies or how many rivets were on the engine cowlings, if you hole up in your hotel room you are not going to have fun here.

A tip...if the FO buys the first round, he won't buy another round on the whole trip. Works 100% of the time 95% of the time ;)