Need Colgan Info
 

What are the bases Colgan is hiring for (Saab340)? How's the equipment?
How's tough is training? Still hiring for the Q in EWR?

1: http://airlinepilotcentral.com/airli...olgan_air.html

2: I have not flown the beech or saab but from what I have seen they are about equal as any other beech or saab around, I have not heard too many complaints. They could be better but they could certainly be worse. The Qs are brand new.

3. Training is only tough if you make it tough, putting 10% more than minimal effort will get you through. As far as I am concerned failures fail, its not the training events fault.

4. Yes

my buddy just got hired on the saab and he was told they're not hiring for the Q any more. And his class is in June which I thought was weird cause I thought they were running classes pretty regularly

Spent a little over three years at Colgan. It is what you make of it. The pros are that if your a good worker with a good attitude, then you will go a long way. The big negatives are the uncertainy in base assignments/changes and last minute schedule changes. The company can be a little shortsighted in their planning, and crew scheduling does create a lot of undue stress for pilots every now and then.

The pros, however, are the quick upgrade time, the people, and the experience. Their are a lot of good pilots at Colgan, and if you go there with a good attitude you'll go far.

Just as a warning expect a flood of negativity to come in about Colgan shortly (You'll see what I'm talking about).

If you check out the company website, you should see a lot of info, as well as a list of bases for the saab. I believe the beech 1900 are in the process of being phased out, but the saabs should be around for a while.

Either way take the information off of these forums with a grain of salt, do your research on each company and take a good look at where this industry is going. Best of luck.

Not hiring on the Q?:confused: I thought they still had 6 more planes to get by this summer. You'd think they'd be hiring like crazy.

Sounds like any job.

Only thing that's scares me is base assignment. Hoping for EWR, ABE.

It doesn't matter which a/c I get. How's commuting to other bases like?

More questions to come. Thanks for time guys!

Not all jobs put 74 children, men and women in your responsibility for $1700 a month. Take this seriously, as the rest of us do- and don't settle for an employer that won't respect your professionalism, your finances or your family time. You will thank yourself for not choosing a bottom feeder company down the road, if you do indeed make that decision.

Not necessarily a rant against Colon, more of a thought about settling for less in this profession.

sfsmmu,

See, what did I tell you? Actually surprised the negativity took as long as it did.

So you fly RJs, I could argue that you are hurting this industry severely more by flying long haul routes at regional pay that should otherwise be flown by mainline at mainline pay. Had you and anyone who flies an RJ not taken the job, then mainline would have been forced to use its people for the job. Wouldn't you agree??

I'm just saying that there is more than one way to slice an apple and your decision is yours and you should not be prosecuted for it. The kid asked about info on Colgan not your thoughts on the industry.

As for the original post. I wasn't sure they were back to hiring for the Saab. I'm not sure what base you would like, but I'm based in IAH and don't mind it. A little slow when you get there but it will pick up once you get some seniority. My biggest gripe thus far about Colgan is crew scheduling. I gave them two week notice on a trip trade and they waited until the day before just to refuse it on no valid reason.

Good points....I'd agree, but I wouldn't bother with N2.
Some people just need someone to look down to.

Been there done that, not at Colgan but one of their prop competitors. The only way I could ever go back to the Colgan/oustation type of flying is if I was born and raised and lived in one of their bases. sfsmmu, unless you're from one of the colgan bases commuting will SUCKK and so will life. Choose wisely don't just settle on the only one that hires you.

I don't want to burst your bubble...but you won't get ABE for at LEAST 6 months (if you are extremely lucky). ABE is one of the hardest bases to get as an FO and impossible to get as a Captain. If they are only hiring SAAB and Beech guys, you won't be getting EWR either. It's a Q400 base.

BUT, I will tell you that SCE and BGM are great places to be based. Cost of living is next to nothing. The ramp crews and flight crews are both second to none. And the schedules are all pretty fair. Both are college towns, so if you are over 21, the bar scene is happen'n!

Good luck.

What about IAD or LGA or CHO are they senior bases, or easier to get?

British??? Cho is wide open now. Lga is very full like 10 fo's with 3 lines. I think iad isn't too hard

Yea G its the British.

CHO has at least 2 openings that I know of. IAD has been the home of all the newbies on the UEX side of things. LGA, surprisingly is pretty senior. We have a lot of folks from the New York/New Jersey area that prefer that base. (White Plains included) You could squeeze into SYR rather quick. They just lost a few FO's to upgrade as well.

I will fish around and see what info I can rustle up for y'all.

Lax

I finished training in the "Q" not long ago... not sure if they're still hiring for EWR. Regarding the training, it's challenging but a very rewarding experience.

It's been a great ride so far, best wishes to ya and I'll pass along any info if I find out.

Stay away from Colgan. They told me I would see PVD in 3 months and now they told me at least a year if not ever and not to call Mikey or anyone else regarding the base change issue. Plus they are not giving me the days off in which I previously told them about regarding a planned vacation with my wife and daughter for May. I told them this at the interview in August! They just dont care, period. At least that's my position. If you have a family dont do it.

You mean to tell me an airline mgmt lied to you. Get used to it!:eek:

Saab told you to stay away.....

Oh the smile on my face.............j/k

just remember this type of stuff, come UNION voting this time around ;)

I have 50 in my responsibility for $1700 a month... Am I better?

Yes, you were right! What can I say? The ONLY reason I came to Colgan was to attain PVD as a base since I live there with my wife and daughter. Since that will probably never happen I'll suck it up and wait for my contract to expire and move on. The people running the place are very unprofessional and never reply to emails or phone calls. It's pretty pathetic. Flying the Saab is easy as $hit, it's the idiot's running the show that mess everything up. The company is really just a bunch of guys out flying around.

I hear ya bro, I feel your pain, thats why I get so bitter at Colgan, I went through the same bs. I wish you luck, look at the bright side, your airline is growing :( <------ This is why you guys should be getting what you deserve, no reason not too

Colgan desperately needs a union. Thats one thing that has to happen. Had Colgan been at fault for the Comair incident in LGA there would be 2 pilots on the street the next day. No union, no protection!

Tell me something I don't know........... buddy.

Good luck...........pal.;)

It's called paying your dues guys.......deal with it.

yeah, sure..........................its called "getting raped by management" Only new naive guys would call that "paying dues", "paying dues means being at the bottom of the seniority list, dealing with the effects of being there, such as reserve, 1st year pay blah blah.


Nice avatar:p

Sheesh, blah blah blah. It is what it is, and turboprops are the hot item right now, but who knows what will happen day to day. Just happy to have a job right now, doing what I enjoy. I've been employed by several different 121 operations that went under, and Colgan is a great place to work compared to where I've been. I have no complaints.

Boy, what a difference a couple weeks make. You came to Colgan to work at PVD, didn't get it, and now are going to quit. I don't know what company will fill the bill for you since you can't relocate, you want to see your kid grow up (I'm thinking that means home every night?), and I don't think anyone else operates a base there.

I wish you best of luck, and I respect you for fulfilling your contract.

does anyone at other airlines whine and moan that much about not getting the base they want, the company cant know when a base will open up for sure, thats the way seniority and base changes work, i'm sure there are some fo's there that'll upgrade soon and move out, but when u upgrade pvd will prob be really hard cause its pretty senior although i know some of em are going to the Q

Nobody is upgrading in PVD soon! I am number 3 on the list to go. So if 2 FO's upgrade in the next 6-8 months I will still be waiting. That will be well over a year to get PVD as a base if ever. As far as whining, well lets just say that I am not a single 20 something that doesn't have a family to be near or with. I have a wife and daughter that are hanging tough until I get PVD a base. Dont tell me about seniority and base changes, I've been waiting 6 months and will continue to wait.

Just saw an interview gouge from April 18 saying" Last class for Q400 is
4/28 and are for the Saab, it's for attrition only. That doesn't sound good.
Looks like I'll become an instructor for now. Either way I'll be gettting paid for flying and building more experience.

Thanks for all of your responses.



PS: I hope Colgan goes Union this time around.

i dunno how true that is, a friend of mine is in a june 11 class for the saab

i understand your situation, i actually know you, but you cant always expect to get what you want all the time especially in this industry ya know, its the nature of the beast

Actually, it IS different at other airlines. For example, at my last company (Eagle), every month there was a "bid vacancy announcement", and you bid for what you wanted. It the bid came out about the 15th EVERY month, and it closed at the end of the month. Awards posted a few days later. So yes, an airline CAN know when a base will open, plan for the near future, etc. But this assumes that management actually PLANS, fulfills its obligations, and communicated with its pilots.

Colgan is Colgan. Don't assume it is the same everywhere else. It isn't.

May I ask where you went after Eagle?

Colgan SF3 CA

Oh, good for you man. You wouldn't happen to be one of the TYR rockstars would you?