Colgan Training Freeze?
 

Does anyone know what the word is on the Colgan training freeze? I hear that they hired a bunch of guys recently but haven't given them training dates. Instead they have been placed into a "hiring pool" since training is backed up.

Anyone in that position have any idea when they will be starting classes again? Any updates on how many pilots they intend to hire (They have added approximately 65 pilots to the seniority list since April)?

Thanks

Hello,
I wouldn't be surprised if they are indeed putting a freeze on starting any new-hire classes for a short period of time. The freeze is a function of training throughput. At the moment, we don't have enough instructors, check airman, APDs to keep the schoolhouse operating at the rate required to keep classes running.
The company is taking measures to correct this by hiring more ground instructors and bringing more line-qualified pilots into the schoolhouse as part-time instructors as well. The manning plan for the company is still on-track to add another 90 or so pilots by the end of the second quarter of FY-2011.

Regards,

ex-Navy Rotorhead

Rumor is IOE wait is 3+ weeks.

Does anyone have any firm training class dates coming up? I know originally there was an Oct. 6th and Oct 25th training class scheduled, but I believe those two were pushed back. Anyone in those classes know a new start date?

There's a class starting on the 19th. Anybody know if and when CASS kicks in during training?

you don't get CASS until after your checkride so be prepared to sit in the hotel for a long time.

probably a freeze on training because the school house is full and pinnacle needs 150 pilots on the line by december pluse upgrades.

Yeah, that's funny. I don't think they've known about the hiring plans....so it stands to reason they wouldn't properly staff the training department for this current growth. Yep, that was sarcasm.

Yet again, Colgan mgmt appears to have dropped the ball. No surprise there, sadly.

We dont have enough instructors, check airman, APDs to keep the schoolhouse operating at the rate required to keep classes running, so we will reduce the number of line pilots (which are at bare minimums) to increase the ranks of trainers.

call from scheduling, "We NEED to extend you. You will fly 20 calender days in a row, but we will give you 24 hours off from noon to noon a couple times to keep you legal."


Sounds about right.

There's another forum on jetcareers that seems to suggest that they expect training to pick back up in January, but they're still doing training for the Q.