Skywest Mins?
 

I've heard a "rumor" (I call it a rumor because I've been unable to confirm it through any reliable source) that Skywest has "unofficially" lowered their minimum total time requirement to 850 hours.

I know there are a number of Skywest guys (and gals) here, so can anybody confirm or deny? Has anybody been offered an interview or class date with less than 1,000 hours? I know the web site still says 1,000 is the min for application.

A friend of mine got picked up with something like 900/300, but 200-odd of that was 121 jet.

I always thought thaat SKyWest prided themselves with not lowering their mins. they have always kept their mins at 100/1000 with 100 instrument. with all of the hiring going on it wouldn't suprise me.

Nothing official, but if you have 121 turbojet experience you might as well submit your resume.

When I attended the group interview there was a TSA furloughee who didn't have the 1000hrs and they told him thanks, but no thanks regardless of his 121 experience.

But, I have also heard of a bridge program with ATP so maybe that's where it's coming from.

If they called him for the interview, they were obviously interested in him, even if he wasn't at their mins. My guess is, this has more to do with his interview than his experience.

I thought I saw something regarding mins of only 850tt/100me if you had done your training through ATPs.

I believe were having a real hard time filling classes right now. A group E-mail goes out to all of the pilots every several weeks asking for referrals. Additionally, the amount of group interviews and roadshows are at an all time high.

I guess $19.02 an hour to fly a CRJ900 just isn't enough to motivate people.

Yea, all that good management BS won't make a difference if a CA is paid 60/ hour to fly a CRJ900.

It was a group interview, no invite necessary. After finding out that he (and a few others) didn't meet the mins, they were thanked for coming and told to keep their resumes updated for future hiring.

Ooh, okay. That does make the difference. :)

True, but they are really hurting for people now and so are most regionals.

That motivates me just fine!! I just wanna fly :)

And I'd be real interested if someone could confirm if there is a deal between ATP and skywest

Take a look at our credits. I block 85-90 hours a month but get paid for 105-110 because of guaranteed credit minimums. $19 may not be much but I made 33K my first year, can anyone say they made that at another regional? A good friend of mine made close to 50K his second year on the jet. We also get quarterly bonuses that add up to a few thousands for FOs and 4-5K for CAs. Yes you may make $21 an hour at Mesa flying the 200-700-705/900 but when they block 85 they only get paid for 85. Plus they get paid 50% for deadhead, $1.20 per diem, if a flight is cancelled they don't get paid at all, and they only get paid BLOCK. Regardless of what they fly they only get block. Ex. If they have a flight that is 1.2 block and you fly 1.6 or 1.1 you get paid 1.2, period. We get the better of block vs. actual, 100% for deadhead, $1.60 per diem, and we have guaranteed credit mins. CREDIT MINS are: 1. The least that we can get paid is 3.45 hrs per day. So if you fly one 1 hour leg you still be paid 3.45 hours. 2. For block days that exceed 3.45 hours and the duty day is less than 12 hours you will at least be paid 6 hours. 3. For every minute you exceed 12 hours of duty day you will get paid 1 to 1 for every minute over 12 hours. SO, on Wednesday I worked a 4.6 hour block day that was 13.5 duty hours. I got paid 7.5 hours, 6 hours plus 1.5 hours for being over 12. Add our per diem and quarterly bonuses and we are one of, it not the highest paid regional pilots in the industry.

I spoke with our recruiter and she said that SW is holding firm on 1000/100, but if you have 121 time they will take a look if your resume is turned in by a SW pilot. She also said that she doesn't know of any deal between SW and any flight school. The only way that schools become affiliated with SW is if the school has several pilots at SW that continue to walk in resumes.

Good luck and I am willing to answer any other questions about SW.

Well, there is this...

http://www.atpflightschool.com/airli..._alliance.html

They don't get paid block, they get paid AVERAGE block, which is a fraudulent number generated by company managers...those abnormally high block times due to wx or ATC or whatever that would tend to drive the average up always seemed to get "modified" in their computer. So the "average" block is really an average of low to middle block times. The computer times are so far off from the actual times recorded by pilots that many guys are starting to keep spreadsheets comparing the two values for every leg. I'm assuming this is going to blow up in the companies face eventually (one can always hope).

Then there a bunch of dumb@asses who fly as fast as they can because they are not paid actual block...but this just drives the average even lower.

Throw in the inevitable mx cancellations, and most pilots get paid guarantee: 76 x their hourly rate plus per diem. No duty, daily, or trip rigs.

Glad to hear SKW is holding firm on the 1000/100. EDIT: Guess not, according to Burt :(

Yeah, that kinda sucks, but on the other hand in order to qualify you have to have been an instructor for the school so it's not exactly a "bridge" program in the sense that you do some magical CRJ transition course for $xx,000 dollars and voila, you're a CRJ pilot.

So, compared to Eagle, Pinnacle, ASA, TSA, PSA, ExpressJet, Colgan, it doesn't seem so bad. Did I miss any?

Um, how 'bout the King of PFT...Mesa!

Like he said. My fiancee made more at Skywest on first year pay than I did at UPS! 2nd year on the RJ, he was on his way to $45K. He would always get 90-100 credit and worked pretty much 4 on 3 off (it's not 3 on 4 off but it's still ok). I think Skywest is one of the best commuters out there.

That attitude certainly doesnt help things at the regional level or any level for that matter...:rolleyes: Might as well plunk down your $25,000 and go work for Gulfstream...

Yes, you are right. It's not what they actually block but what Mgt said they should block.

Where's the reduced mins. This is the same agreement that Pan Am has and it means nothing. The bottom line is that you still need the mins, period. The rest of the add is just water and BS to get students to attend the school. That's called marketing. The Interviewing CAs at SKW are hard on low time pilots and only a small fration get hired. I have never met a FO that was hired under 1000/100 and that includes all the current classes.

In the last paragraph.

"After completing all the above, in addition to obtaining 850 flight hours and 100 hours multi engine, an interview will be granted."

Just to be clear, I don't think it's a good thing, but certainly not as bad as the others that I previously mentioned. And for the record, I'm new at SKYW, but I haven't heard of anybody being hired below mins either.

I don't see anything about a JOB. It just says to interview.

True, but I think that you're splitting hairs. They wouldn't offer to interview someone they wouldn't hire. Just a waste of time. Still, I don't know of anybody who has gone this route, but I haven't been here that long.

I just flew with a FO who was an instructor ar Riddle. His student (who was very well qualified..ROTC,some NASA camp deal, FAA safety stuff, holds record for highest teen glider..etc,etc.) was just hired at SW with 950tt and 300 multi.

(sound of me eating my hat)

I guess it really is happening. Sad. I never thought it would happen. Should have asked her to come back after 50 more hours in my opinion.

Rumor has it, years ago non-pilot employees could interview and be offered the job with something on the order of 850tt (maybe even as low as 750tt). Going to class was contigent upon having 1000tt at that time. The idea was that it would be a month or two from interview to class date and they could show up right at 1000tt.

The other thing that they've done in the past is allow sim time to count towords total time. I'd heard they had done this to allow someone with some very good connections to get on way under 1000tt.