Chapter 7 For Mesa
07-02-2008 | 06:55 PM
#41
Prime Minister/Moderator
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 45,167
Likes: 803
From: Engines Turn or People Swim
I debated typing this because it sickens me to defend this company, especially in public, and especially during contract negotiations.
Here’s how it works at mesa. You are guaranteed 70hrs/bid of which there are 13. Any junior assignment or volunteer flying is double time above the guarantee.
Example: I fly 65 regular hours and am junior assigned an additional 15 hours in a bid. 70 hr min + (15 x 2) = 100 hours.
As a second year FO I will very easily clear 40k this year. I know CA's that clear 100k. My basic attitude is this: Mesa will consistently try to F me, and often they succeed. All I can do is try to F them back for every penny I can get. I try to play the game better and smarter than they do, and sometimes I succeed and sometimes I don’t. Yes I go into work everyday with a militaristic attitude. I wish I didn’t have to, but I do. I agonize over open time numbers and work over my schedule with a fine-tooth comb. I argue with crew tracking often. I am the king of open time IAD-IAH-IAD day trips. Why? Because they’re worth 14 hours of pay, keep me in my own bed, and time me out for other junior assignments on days I have plans. You have to be smart, know your contract, and stick up for yourself or this company will run through your ass.
I’m fortunate because I don’t have a wife or kids and because I live in base. Admittedly I’m in a better defensive position than some. There is so much that is wrong with this company that I wouldn’t know where to start. I do not mean to defend mesa.
You can bust my balls about working for a bottom feeder, fair enough. And you can make fun of my 11 days off a month, yeah that sucks. But don’t think I’m not getting paid...
Here’s how it works at mesa. You are guaranteed 70hrs/bid of which there are 13. Any junior assignment or volunteer flying is double time above the guarantee.
Example: I fly 65 regular hours and am junior assigned an additional 15 hours in a bid. 70 hr min + (15 x 2) = 100 hours.
As a second year FO I will very easily clear 40k this year. I know CA's that clear 100k. My basic attitude is this: Mesa will consistently try to F me, and often they succeed. All I can do is try to F them back for every penny I can get. I try to play the game better and smarter than they do, and sometimes I succeed and sometimes I don’t. Yes I go into work everyday with a militaristic attitude. I wish I didn’t have to, but I do. I agonize over open time numbers and work over my schedule with a fine-tooth comb. I argue with crew tracking often. I am the king of open time IAD-IAH-IAD day trips. Why? Because they’re worth 14 hours of pay, keep me in my own bed, and time me out for other junior assignments on days I have plans. You have to be smart, know your contract, and stick up for yourself or this company will run through your ass.
I’m fortunate because I don’t have a wife or kids and because I live in base. Admittedly I’m in a better defensive position than some. There is so much that is wrong with this company that I wouldn’t know where to start. I do not mean to defend mesa.
You can bust my balls about working for a bottom feeder, fair enough. And you can make fun of my 11 days off a month, yeah that sucks. But don’t think I’m not getting paid...
I was a second-year FO at mesa once myself... $40K is totally unbelievable unless you are flying everything at x 1.5. $28K is more like it.
Some CA's do make $100K...senior 900 guys. The payscale was set up that way at the expense of all junior pilots by AH and Co.
07-02-2008 | 07:10 PM
#43
Line Holder
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 638
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EDIT* I dont think I have enough posts to PM. Maybe you can PM me first.
07-02-2008 | 07:21 PM
#44
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Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 34
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Dead Stick I believe you... You absolutely right. You ARE at an advantage to have no kids and wife and living in Base. It would have been tolerable to play those games in your situation. But Mesa did not care about mine or anyone elses issues... But you're right it was fun telling them they had my times wrong and that Yes , I had, in fact, timed out for the year... It's a sick game that really does not have to be... Mesa does suck but maybe not for you... only the rest of us...
Good luck over there.
Good luck over there.
07-02-2008 | 07:30 PM
#45
Line Holder
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 638
Likes: 4
Oh mesa does suck! Again let me reiterate that I am not trying to defend this place. It's bad and I'd love to get out, but it's not so bad that I'd leave for another 121 regional.
07-02-2008 | 07:33 PM
#46
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 232
Likes: 0
From: Waiting for retirements
07-02-2008 | 08:03 PM
#47
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 396
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From: 767 FO
I knew several F/Os out of Denver who made well over 70-80K/year on the Ocho. Not too shabby for a 37 seat t-prop.
07-02-2008 | 09:19 PM
#48
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 2,963
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From: SkyWest Capt.
70 hours of regular pay, 30 hours of JM and 400 hours TAFB. All at 3rd YR Dash FO pay.
70 x $23 = $1610
30 x $46 = #1380
400 x $1.28 = $512
Total = $3502 x 13 (bids) = $45,526
(Didn’t use deadhead pay but even if you do it won’t add much)
After running the numbers at an extreme:
All 100 hours at JM pay plus 400 hours TAFB @ 3 rd Yr pay.
100 x $46 = $4600
400 x $1.28 = $512
Total = $66,456 MAX!!!!!!! !!!! (CAN’T HAPPEN)
So by looking at the above numbers you can easily see that it’s impossible to make that kind of money on the Dash (for that matter you couldn't make $70-$80K as an RJ FO either) at Mesa…………………even if you’ve been there 20 years as an FO but if you can show us how then......................well just remember that it's puff-puff-give.
BTW, it’s also next impossible to have 100% of your time paid out at JM pay.
*NOTE** The above numbers are impossible seeing that it would require them to fly more than 1000 hours in a year. I was just maxing out what one could do in a bid period without thinking about the yearly picture.
Last edited by JetJock16; 07-02-2008 at 09:37 PM.
07-02-2008 | 09:30 PM
#50
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 2,963
Likes: 0
From: SkyWest Capt.
Even at that rate it would be hard to make K80$.
70 hours of regular pay, 30 hours of JM and 400 hours TAFB. All at 4rd YR FO Dash CA holdback pay.
70 x $44 = $3080
30 x $88 = #2640
400 x $1.28 = $512
Total = $6232 x 13 (bids) = $74,784
*NOTE** The above numbers are impossible seeing that it would require them to fly more than 1000 hours in a year. I was just maxing out what one could do in a bid period without thinking about the yearly picture.
70 hours of regular pay, 30 hours of JM and 400 hours TAFB. All at 4rd YR FO Dash CA holdback pay.
70 x $44 = $3080
30 x $88 = #2640
400 x $1.28 = $512
Total = $6232 x 13 (bids) = $74,784
*NOTE** The above numbers are impossible seeing that it would require them to fly more than 1000 hours in a year. I was just maxing out what one could do in a bid period without thinking about the yearly picture.
Last edited by JetJock16; 07-02-2008 at 09:38 PM.
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