AWAC or Colgan
 

Here we go gents. I’ve narrowed down my top 2 preferences as AWAC or Colgan and would like to get some thoughts on both. I would like to get personal experiences here, please leave the uninformed rants for elsewhere.

And yes, whichever one hires me is the best, I know. I have already received a call from Colgan and someone has walked my resume into management at AWAC, so both are a possibility. I have submitted to other places as well, would just like to have as much info as I can before I would have to make a decision, if I could be so lucky.

I am getting out of the military in a few months and I have 400 Turbine Multi and 1900 Total, the rest is helo time. So, I really only have quals for the regionals at this time. I am looking for the quickest way to Turbine PIC, as is everyone else, with some QOL thrown in. So that is why Colgan would be my 1st choice, for the quick upgrade and they seem to take care of their employees. Everything I have heard about AWAC is good and it seems upgrade time may be coming down and this may be the time to get on with them.

And yes, I have spent hours on here reading all of the other posts about both, but you can never have too much info for a decision like this.

What do you all think?! Thanks ahead for your time and input.

AWAC is in an entirely different league, a career destination in and of itself for many folks.

However, with the military background Colgan would get you a quick upgrade to finish your turbine PIC time. However, you need to be aware that turbine PIC is no longer the sole ticket at many majors. The new standard seems to be a requirement that you have 1000 turboJET (either seat) in a an aircraft > 20,000#GW.

This is basically stating they want RJ drivers (high-speed & glass) as opposed to small turboprop captains. I believe Colgan is all-prop. Look at the majors that are hiring and think about where you want to go and what you still need.

SWA will still hire you with 1000 turboprop PIC, no RJ time required.

Rickair7777, thanks for your response. I may be wrong but the only airline I can find with the 20,000 lb req is JB, if there are others please let me know.

Colgan is all T-prop, but the SAAB 340 is 29,000 max so it would fit the 20,000 min requirement. Even if I don't get the Saab to start with, after you make Captain on the Beech, you can transition to the Saab.

And I also intend to continue flying the CE-560 in the reserves to have the jet/glass time.

Trust me, I would love to fly a new, quiet RJ instead of a T-prop, which is why I'm seriously considering AWAC, but it seems the PIC time is more important.

I work for Colgan right now and its a great place. The pay like most isnt great, however the upgrade is quick, the training is pretty good, and if your looking for QOL its a good place to be because your home every night unless WX or MX has anything to do with it. So far they have been great to me and everyone i work with loves it so far.

Best of luck.

Not completely true. Colgan has had close to 35 captains (about 20% of the pilot roster starting last year) hired by majors and cargo carriers in the past year - 5 to date to Continental mainline (both 737 and 757 and one heading to class this month), over 10 to Airtran, 2 or 3 to Southwest, several to UPS, ABX, Gemini, Polar, North American, JetBlue, Netjets, and several others. I know of no captains who have left to get pure jet time at a regional. Almost all of the captains who have left for bigger airlines were hired since 2001...so about 3 to 4 years with Colgan. Most are getting interviews with between 1500 and 2000 hours of PIC time in the Saab.

Upgrade is still running 12 - 18 months depending on your total time when hired. With your times and experience, I would expect your upgrade to come in a little over a year. I flew today with an FO upgrading next month, 12 months after his hire date.

First year pay will run in the $22k range, a little more at IAH because of the per diem. Second year FO pay is mute because...well we really don't have second year FO's. They're captains. Captains average $42 - $52 first year depending on how much you are willing to fly. In the northeast you'll be home each night. In IAH you'll mostly fly two to three day trips. Reserve lasts for a month...maybe. Most are holding lines immediately or within a month. Colgan spreads reserve around. You can still catch an occasional day even with 2 or more years seniority. You can usually get the base you want within 3 months or so.

Colgan is a great little company. Still growing, very good Mx, and a great group of people. It's nice to call crew scheduling and be called by name! That said, AWAC is also a great company and with their part ownership of USAir, they could be set for some expansion in the next few years. Both are good choices.

You most likely will get the Saab 340. There are 47 online with more coming and only 11 Beech 1900's.

47 online? Wow, thats amazing. Are you guys getting any of the "new" style ones from Mesaba? Is the fleet mostly B models? Thanks

:) Actually, interesting you should mention Mesaba. Maybe...it's been rumored.

The Saabs are mostly 340B's. Recently we aquired three A models. The other rumor running around has Colgan replacing their 1900's with 340A's and going to an all Saab fleet.

I thought there was an Air Fire and Rescue problem using aircraft over 19 seats at some of the more rural airports that Colgan and others go into.

Yea, that's what I had understood too. Except it has been brought up that it's a 30 seat limit, not 19. I don't know. Maybe someone else can wade in on that question.

OK, I stand corrected; I could have absolutely sworn that continental wanted turbojet time too. Frontier says they prefer it, which in todays hiring climate probably means you'd better have it. It's good to hear you can still get out of a turboprop regional into a major without having to do ANOTHER regional to get jet time.

We have mostley B models, but the ones we got from Chicago Express are "A "models configured to 30 pax, and the ones from Shuttle America are to 30 as well,we might change the seat plan still up in the air though.

A&F Flyer and WEACLRS, thanks for all the info. You guys are giving me some good info.

2 questions for you:

1. Do the Saabs have Auto-pilot? I know the Beech does not.

2. Got an email from the company on Friday to call, noone there by the time I called. How was the initial phone interview with Mr. Colgan? Any gouge here would be appreciated.

You're probably right about Frontier as I don't think anyone has gotten an interview there yet. I know some have tried, including a pilot who lives there and who's dad used to work for the old Frontier. What we're hearing overall though from hiring recruiters is pure-jet time in not a big deal. However PIC time is everything.

Yes, the Saab has an autopilot. The gouges on aviationinterviews dot com are right on. I'll add this though. With Colgan it's all about your attitude in the interview. Yes you have to pass the written (ATP based - just study the Gliem) and the sim check (very straight forward - were just looking for sound instrument skills so we don't spend time in the sim getting you up-to-speed). So the interview is everything. There we're trying to make sure you're a good fit in the company, flightdecks, and crew rooms. When you talk with Mr. (Chuck) Colgan just be yourself.

Having thought about this for a moment, forgive me while I be more specific -

PIC time and recommendations are everything. :)

True dat. True dat.

Everything I'm hearing here is solidifying what I already thought. Thanks to all for your honest opinions. Hopefully I will have an interview oppurtunity after tomorrow. I'm excited about the chance!!

I'm sure you'll get the job with your good attitude. It's actually common for military guys to fail regional interviews due to attitude or total lack of preparation due to the perception that it's "just a regional"... Well that's true lol, but you don't want to come off that way...

Does Colgan have preferential hiring for military or "pilot factory" guys that you know of? I've in the middle of my training at a local FBO.

Thanks!

Don't know about "pilot factory" preference, but almost any airline will have some preference for military, since they are all educated, have in-depth technical training far beyond what civilian pilots get in the US and really good stick and rudder skills. Civilian flight schools will always work with a problem student, and try to get him (or her) through training $$$$. The military will give you two maybe three scewups and then you're gone. Having to repeat a flight lesson is a screwup. Did you master power-on stalls on the FIRST lesson? How about short-field landings?

Remember airlines aren't interested in just hiring people who can get through 121 training, they want to hire people who can get through training with the MINIMUM amount of sim time. Sims cost big $$$ (almost as much as a real airplane!), so they don't want to spend any more than the FAA mandated minimum time. My airline does 40 hours, and if you need more than two, maybe possibly four extra hours you're gone...Did you get your PPL in 40 hours? :eek: Military guys have already proven that they can get through a similar program. Known quantity.

The good news for you is that there are no military pilots competing for your CFI job and not too many competing for your regional job. When you apply to a major is when the military competion comes in.

Nope. Just good pilots with great attitudes. Where are you in your training?

Yes, the Saab's do have auto-pilot, Beeches dont.

I'm about to start my IFR flight training. I did my PPL with Delta Connection Academy here in Houston but they're expensive ($220/hr) :( And the airport they use is a long hike from where I live, so I'm doing the rest of my ratings at a close FBO.

I'm relieved that they look at the pilot more than a piece of paper.

Thanks!

Chris

$220 for PPL????:eek: I did mine for $55 in $outhern California!!!

Congrats, you'll be much better off for having realized this early on :D

Wow, $55 is a bargain. Considering that's in California is even more amazing.

I guess it worked for you if you're at the regionals now.

Well that was a few years ago, gas was cheap, and the CFI was my buddy. I should probably inflation adjust to about $70-75. But still...

It does not cost nearly $220/hr. at Delta Connection Academy. Its more than $50/hr. cheaper than that. Im not tryin to say its cheap thats for sure, but lets not throw crazy numbers like that out there. And to comment on that by saying thats crazy i paid $55 an hour then throw in there that u didnt have to pay for an instructor and it was years ago before gas got out of control is kinda silly too.

We all know flight training isnt cheap, and Delta is definitely more expensive than most places. But i started part 61 at my local FBO in NY and was paying more per hour than what i paid at the academy as a student. Its all relative.

Do they look closely at how much time it took you to do your PPL and IFR?? If I remember corrently, I had something like 58 hours when I came down from my PPL checkride, and I was 18 years old. It's more than 40, but keep in mind that the national average is well over 60 hours, and that I basically wasn't able to fly during the school year (crapp winter weather and high school band). Scored an 87 on the PPL written.

Right not I'm working on IFR and expect to go for the ride just after passing 40 hours.

Should I be worried?

BTW, I have a friend who just got hired by Colgan. Didn't tell me anything about the interview though....