Need advice
 

Hello to all. I am new to the forum and am looking to get some advice on what to do. Currently I work for mesa and have only completed the CRJ ground school awaiting to get called back for the sim. I have interviewed and recently got a call from SkyWest giving me a choice of A/C. Either the Brazilia in Aug or a pool for CRJ #40 december class. Considering I live in La and want to stay close, what would you guys do. Also, consider the fact that i can pick up a type and fly a line for about 3 months with mesa prior to getting in with Skywest in Dec.
Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance....

sounds like a win win for you. i would go ahead and finish the measa training and get some crj time. that way when you leave them in december you wont be so stressed out during ground school and sims at skywest since you will more than likely have a couple hundred hours in the rj by then.

so go ahead and get to know the plane at mesa, and then when you head to skywest you will be much better off.

I think most people on here would absolutely say Skywest, but wouldn't you then have to pay Mesa with the training contract?

My personal opinion, I'd hop on the EMB120 in August instead of waiting for a pool at either place. You can always transition to the jet at Skywest when the bid comes out, if your so inclined.

In regaurds to the training contract, I would probably owe them around 7k. Can anyone whos flown the brazilia comment on their experience.

wow, forgot about that. man just jump on the brazilia and get your seniority going. if you are going to have to pay mesa back after training then get out now. if its to late then stay there till december and then bite the bullet. i think the longer you stay there the less you would owe right?

I'd at least fly the jet once !! Heck, you've come this far. But, if you want LA area, get in the Brasilia as soon as it comes up. You're not going to get anything SoCal in the jet.

You'll go to FAT, and with any luck, could get to SBA, PSP or SAN. Also, base at SBP.

Take the first job you are offered.. This is not 2006..

Skywest
 

I would go to Skywest at the first opportunity. Messing around with Mesa could cost you big time. If hiring shuts down it could be many years before you get a chance at a place like SKW again. If ever.....

Skyhigh

I agree with the above. I will tell you what I tell people at my flight school when I visit, do your research, find a strong company, and if you have to, wait, to get with that strong company. Right now the industry is soo uncertain so it pays off to choose wisely. If Mesa goes under then you have to start all over with a new seniority number. I think the biggest problem that you will have right now is trying to get out of that training contract.

This is easy and a no brainer.

TAKE THE EMB IN AUGUST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Seriously, if you wait for the RJ you'll end up sitting reserve in ORD or 8 months until you can get SLC and then you'll sit reserve there for another 6+ months. I you take the EMB then you'll get Fresno where you'll only sit reserve 1 or 2 months.

Get out of Mesa before the ship crumbles and take the FIRST class you can get at SKW seeing seniority is everything. The EMB is a blast and if you want to stay in Socal then your QOL will be much better as an EMB FAT FO.

Take the Emb, you'll be based in FAT or PSP right out of class.

If he is going to be gone by December, maybe Mesa will be as well and he won't have to pay it back!!!!

Lemme see. A shiny jet at a crappy company that's losing flying left and right because nobody wants to be there versus a prop at a respected company with good employee morale and higher pay because of the work rules.

But hey, it is a CRJ after all.

WOW. First off, id like to thank all for the help and quick reply. The thing with the training contract is that it only takes affect after passing the type check. You guys are now driving me toward the Brazilia. Im just worried I will get stuck on the emb much longer then the 1 year seat lock. Is it true, if i get in and fly the brazilia for a year plus and when it comes my time to transition into the CRJ I might be senior enough to hold a line or at least get a west coast base.

I don't work for either, but I would take the EMB hands down. You will be in a better spot! I just read that even Pinnacle is putting a hold on the hiring!!! Who knows what will happen in the coming months, or even day! Get your foot in the door with the EMB and wait it out until things cool down. I have a class date in a month and I am freaking out that I might be jobless if something were to happen.

GO TO SKYWEST

an airplane is an airplane and the EMB will make you a better pilot.................

ABSOLUTELY! In this environment I wouldn't waste a second getting out of mesa. Mesa could be headed for a huge beating, and you never how long SKW or other regionals will continue to hire. Dec is a long ways off...

A CRJ SIC type and SIC time is 100% worthless compared to a seniority number at a stable company.

Regarding the training contract...unless they changed it, it does not take affect until AFTER completion of training, which means IOE. If you leave now, no cost. In Dec, you will have to fight that battle (assuming mesa is still in business).

Bingo!!!!!!!

Hey Jetjock16. How was the ground school on the emb. Is it true the systems are pretty complex. The thing thats making me think about going into the pool is that I know the CRJ systems really well and will have a type and some hours going into training. Also, Im trying to get some feed back on the Brazilia. Whats it like to fly, how do you like it.

My top ten reasons why I like flying the bro:
1. It is old school cool!
2. It is fun to fly.....speed isn't everything
3. It takes skill to be smooth with it and give a good ride
4. It can kill you if you become complacent
5. It is a stable a/c when in trim, it can be very heavy when out of trim
6. You can always challenge yourself in this a/c.
7. It is forgiving within reason
8. If something isn't working it just needs to warm up
9. If your bored flying the Bro, just add water
10. There is nothing quite like the sound of deep reverse thrust

Hey Swat. Are you with skywest and if so, how was the training.

Yes. It was very thorough. Yes the systems are complex. You will get two three inch binders for the A/C and one two inch binder for indoc. Plus a training cd with all the lecture presentations and flows on it. The instructors are very good. They are there to help you succeed and will spend extra time with you if you ask. The exams are geared to the application level and are challenging. It is not just reguritation. It, like all 121 ground schools, are like learning to drink from a fire hose. It takes a concerted effort and more than the time in class to pass. When they recommend you have all the emergency procedures and limitations memorized before class, do it. This stuff will be in the Pre-Study packet. It's no joke that you have to have 161 limitations, 10 QRC items and 4 emergency checklists memorized because you are tested on them at the end of the second week. If you have to spend time memorizing the above stuff during class you will be overwhelmed. I saw a few classmates trying to do it, some were successful, some not. Plan on not going home for the duration of training, unless you are local to Salt Lake. The weekend is a good time to catch up and review with your classmates. It is also a good time to learn the flows. Some of them are long and the earlier you get started on them the easier the last week of ground school will be. After ground school is FTD, then sim. I would go straight thru all of it if you have the option. It is senority based, so if your in the back of the class, make a friend at the front of the class to get the schedule you both want. I hope this helps. I am happy to answer any other questions to help with your decision. Senority is everything and the Bro will make you a better pilot.

Hold out at Mesa until the last minute, when you have to sign the contract, then leave........

The way most contracts work is that you can actually finishing up through your sim ride with mesa and even start IOE. Typically the contract starts at the completion of training so if you do your first two days of IOE and than leave than you never completed training and should not be obligated to the contract. Think of how far ahead you will be with 4.3 of SIC jet time! At least this way you can get an SIC type out of the deal and a completed training evolution and the checkride experience and even get a chance to fly the jet so you will never wonder what it would have been like. You can tell war stories of flying in outerspace at FL310 to your brasillia friends.

seniority is everything

I'm not sure(check with other MAG guys), but most training contracts aren't in force until you complete your first PC. Leave before the sim, no repayment.

I've always heard that you have to pay it as soon as you pass the checkride. I'm at Mesa too and not as lucky because I have 4 months left on my training contract. So I'm gonna hold out for the CRJ to reduce it as much as possible. The good news is I'm on the Freedom side, and with no flying it looks like it will be a paid vacation till I leave. Hold out until they give you a sim schedule. I had 2 months of pay with travel benefits in between Ground school and the sim. Not sure if everything is that backed up still but it was the only nice thing about working here so far.

Rolling on the floor man...rolling on the floor!! :D

Swat, don't worry about it. You'll find that the systems are very similar to the RJ’s. The Pneumatic systems are extremely similar, all turbine engines are roughly the same, a props a prop, and the EMB's DC system is very similar to the RJ's DC system. Just remove the automation and remember that systems are all basically the same, they’ve just been slightly improved upon over time. I guess to say there is no automation in the EMB would be a lie……………………………..there is the FO. LOL!

Know the limitations and emergency procedures and you'll do just fine. Believe me when I say.............once you leave Mesa and start with SKW......day one...........you'll never look back. Period!

I don't care who you are.......................................that's funny there.

My top ten reasons why I like flying the bro:
1. It is old school cool!
2. It is fun to fly.....speed isn't everything
3. It takes skill to be smooth with it and give a good ride
4. It can kill you if you become complacent
5. It is a stable a/c when in trim, it can be very heavy when out of trim
6. You can always challenge yourself in this a/c.
7. It is forgiving within reason
8. If something isn't working it just needs to warm up
9. If your bored flying the Bro, just add water
10. There is nothing quite like the sound of deep reverse thrust

Sounds like he's talking about the Saab!!!!

So if FL310 is like outer space to you Brasilia guys FL370 must be like going to Pluto! :D

Yes and FL390 is like being out past the Kipper Belt. LOL! :D

FL390 in the -900 isn't even the milky way anymore ;)

JJ you beat me! ::shakes fist::

Haaaaaa Ha Ha Ha...............great minds think alike.

What??? I fly the Bro. Guess you meant the guy that started this thread

"I guess to say there is no automation in the EMB would be a lie……………………………..there is the FO. LOL!"

How true this is. Especially since I flew with you last week.....hahaha

Ya, typo, how's it going? See you in FAT.

BTW..........post #2000. Not that that really means anything other than I spend way too much time in hotels.

Two pages later and if someone already answered sorry..

If you start in the EMB, the seat lock starts on your date of hire After your one year anniversary you shouldn't have any problem transitioning to the RJ as long as they are running classes. The past 5 months or so have been the slowest in the past 3 years so we have some EMB FO's that want to transition and may not have been able to. With a year of seniority you'd probably avoid reserve in all except some of the California domiciles. This assumes that newhires junior to you are hired into the RJ later this year and into next. If you specify the senior domiciles only for transition it may take longer than a year. Many of the California RJ FOs are senior enought to hold EMB captain by the way.

In another year though the demographics could change, with speculation that the 18 UA 700s will be west coast based. If they don't decrease the EMB flying that would possibly add pilots to the CA domiciles.