Blowjets & MESA
 

You blowjets guys are funny, flying 70 seaters for what I got paid to fly 20yr old SAABS, well two years from now when you are miserable making 21k a year in your CRJ-700 and you look to go to another regional, but you can't because your company as well as MESA has brought the regional level to the mess its in now at least you know whos to blame :D

I have to disagree with you, to a point.

Yes, there are pilots willing to do the job for less, but you do not see Mesa and the like willing to put up the money either. Why, you ask? I maintain that the pilots from the Majors are partly to blame. Their wages have forced companies to go into bankruptcy. (There are many other factors that contribute to this as well, ie: fuel cost.) Now these companies need to reduce costs. What do they do? They go to the regional carrier and say, we want to pay you less. In steps Mesa. The claim we can do it.

I say in ten years, this will all way away. The retirements will be kicking in and there will be a pilot shortage. That is where we as pilots will have the position to get what we want. It is a cycle. I am sure if you have been in aviation long enough, you would know this.

although i agree with your post Saab, two things dont make sense
you fly a 20 year old saab but your avatar says your an xjet employee?
and it looks like second year at gojet is $25 so i dont know why you said 21?
but i still agree that gojet sucks

I just try to tell every CFI I can that after your first year with a regional you will realize how much of a slap in the face that companies like GoJet are to the pilot profession. Nothing like knowing you can be replaced by someone who can't frickin' wait to fly a jet and will do for less than industry AVERAGE. But if you ask a GoJetter, they will tell you that their contract will be better than Trans States! Who by the way, were the pilots who WORKED to get the GoJet flying! GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOJET!

...It's kinda sad when a CFI can say that they make more than those guys do per year :rolleyes:

if we could get everyone on the same page, get ALPA to get all regionals to back each other- we could raise wages to respectable levels. so what if the company has to charge $5 more per seat?

the whipsawing- regional vs regional pay to play is really what is killing us all. why should one united express carrier try to undercut another?

As far as I am concerned, ALPA National is doing very little to help out regional jet pilots.

WHat is Blowjets???????

Blowjets=Gojets

As long as the United Expresses are owned by different companies, you theory will never work. It is called capitalism.

I was at Colgan for almost a year on the SAAB 340, heading over to xjt and sorry 2nd year pay at blojets is 25 2nd year at expressjet is 33 yet we fly 20 pax less per airplane, however I have to worry about my future at xjt and the 69 planes becuase Continental would rather have Chatauaqua fly them for a cheaper rate, CHQ is a great company but like whats happened at xjet w/ regards to the 69 airplanes will happen to CHQ wether it be by MESA or BLOWJETS, I hope not, but seems a possibility.

SAABaroowski-
Just curious why you left Colgan to move laterally before you upgraded? I thought that was the main reason anyone would want to work for Colgan, get the quick upgrade and get out. Lateral moves just put you behind.

not quite lateral
 

Its not "lateral" Expressjet is a much better company to work for with much better equiptment, 1,000 PIC Turbine does'nt mean anything. You don't think the thousands of pilots who have 1,000's of PIC turbine time at all of these regionals have applied to the big guys? Of course they have but to get an interview you need to have way more than a 1,000 and have a few people walk in your resume, or I hate to say it but its a fact, African-American, Hispanic, or a female, cause those are the only ones who get picked up with the minimums. Besides airlines want to see you working with complex airplanes, if you think they want a guys who goes VOR to VOR all day long to the same two airports for years on end, you are mistaken.

P.S. Its no secret the mx dept at Colgan is reason alone to leave, I flew an a/c the other day with the same write up 9th to be exact in the same month, and the brilliant mx guys simply keep signing it off as ok, no thanks Ill take a longe rupgrade ogver that anyday!

Sorry to rain on your parade, but regional to regional is a lateral move. Is there a difference between a street hooker and a high class call girl? Sure, but they're both still wh*res.

not raining on my parade
 

Is a regional a regional, yes are Colgan and Expressjet even close to the same compnay or lifestyle? no. You can argue with me all day long, simple fact is QOL is better at XJT, to me thats more important than anything. Until you have flown 10 leg days on reduced rest in broken airplanes into Johnstown, PA down to minimums with captains that have 1,500 total time don't tell me its a lateral move.

CA w/ 1500 TT? That's right at ATP mins correct?

So what's the issue? You just causing havoc and spreading poo about Colgan? Or am I miss interpreting what you have written? XJT is a great company, so is Colgan. They both have their areas of expertise.

Nevertheless, please tell me what exact is wrong with the QOL at Colgan? You know they fly props, you knew what you were getting into when you took the job with them. Just sounds like you had a bit of SJS, weren't happy at Colgan, and moved laterally to XJT. Good job, congrats, you fly a jet!! Smoooooth! Now chill out, goto work, and quit crying about Colgan. Colgan isn't the problem, the problem is Go jets. Focus on the problem, win the fight.

[QUOTE=surreal1221;58183]CA w/ 1500 TT? That's right at ATP mins correct? You just causing havoc and spreading poo about Colgan?

This statement I will get to in a second.

I agree that BlowJet is a major problem in the regional level and Mesa is just as guilty. The boys in AZ have created the problem we have today and there are so many young guys and gals out there that will ***** themselves out a dollar cheaper than the last guy. Imagine what this would be like in an outsourced industry. We can try to stand side by side and move forward but if we join together and say we aren't going to fly for this the guys in suits will say NEXT. We can walk the line and not fly and hurt the company for every how many months it takes for them to get a new pilot roster...That is thinking out there. We have gotten ourselves into a whole that could be impossible to get out of. Thanks to Mesa and go jets is going to continue the legacy. I think Mesa should aquire those douche bags.

As to Colgan. I made the so-called lateral move from that place of business. If you call it in airline I will slap the **** out of you. It isn't. Those guys in Manassas have no clue what the hell they are doing. It is family run and as long as the money rolls in and the business stays at the company meeting at the Colgan house at after churn dinner then they are happy.

I wouldn't call it a lateral move. I call it going to work for an airline. I might be making a couple dollars more, getting per diem, and flying a bigger airline. I have a contract and that might be minimal but there is something the company is held to or a way to grieve it. I no longer have to hear the Chief Pilot in Manassas (who should have the last name of Colgan) saying that "looking back in a 24 hour period means looking back to midnight"

Everyday at that company is career day. If you let them they will put you into a situation where you will be violated. You have no one to support you other than yourself. I was one month...let me say that again...1 month from upgrading and my ass left. 1,000 PIC in a 1900 or SAAB isn't going to get you anywhere unless it is hand walked in but now those times are changing. So when I would finally have the 1,000 PIC what would that do me. I did my year hand flew an airplane in the NE and hones my skills and got what I wanted 121 experience. I used them like they used me.

I sent out my resume after I was stranded in LGA with one flap at 10 and the other at 35 and there was no way to get them up and they ask if we would be able to run that revenue flight to RKD. There was no way to sign it off as OPS check OK. They have that line patented. At least the MX guys in ALB try but not much you can do with a shady MX Control in HEF.

I don't regret going to Colgan because I couldn't be where I am now. If you choose this company not airline. Go for what you wanted and leave. Don't let them run over you or bully you with trying to act like they are going to fire you. If they fail to pay you overguarantee...don't be like me and just let go on and on...submit it to the labor board...don't wait 6 months. Watch out for yourself. You worked hard for your ratings and certificated don't let some **** FACE have them stripped from you. They don't care.

If you want to bash me for this fine. I can say this because I was there. I went through it. Don't be a weather or atc guy or the port john emptier in masassas and tell me they are getting a raw deal. They know what they do they just aren't smart enough to realize they are spending a dime to save a nickel.

Is it me or is everyone going sideways at the the regionals these days? 40 guys left Trans States in the last few months to go the CHQ and SKYW, me being one of them. Amazingly, two guys went from Trans States to GoJet without being furloughed!!! I hear a lot of guys are leaving Mesa and Pinnacle as well???

Anyways, I appears as if everyone who is jumping ship is looking for the same thing, QOL and getting the pay that we deserve. I think that if everyone starts telling their friends who are CFI's not to be in a such a big hurry to Live the Dream then maybe (doubtfully) things may become a little better at places such as Colgan, GoJet, etc. I guess that is wishful thinking because there are always going to be guys out there who will fly for GoJet and undercut all of us. I guess we should all just be happy for the ***kers that they are living the dream and flying a frickin' jet!!!

Then you have people like Langa Air supporting GoJet! Tough fight keeping those guys who can't wait to fly a jet out of the cockpit of a brand new CRJ that other guys worked hard to get.

The Langa guys won't be going anywhere soon. I called them when doing my CFI, got no response. They are only interested in the "career prep" thing where you go from private to cfi with them. Give them 50k or whatever, and they take you through your training. Then you get to be on a waiting list with 20 other people to get an instructing gig.

Had one come to my booth this weekend at the airshow and talk about how great the program was. I shut him up pretty quick when I asked him why he was spending that much money to get preferential hiring at a low-paying regional that will get him more or less blacklisted from any better job.

Colgan
 

to the SUrreal1221 fella its obvoius you never worked for Colgan or you would'nt have responded the way you did. Those that worked there like myself and the fella who posted above have experienced it, you have not. I am not "spreading poo" about Colgan I am simply stating my experiences there, do yuo think its fair that my captain and I had to Call the VP of ops at 6 am to get us a hotel becuase dispatch wanted us to fly an airplane back to ALB after our 20hr duty day, yes thats right 20hrs? oh but its part 91, (famous last words from some of the schedulers). So please until you have experienced this please don't make ignorant comments.

Bitter Slice
 

I hate to even reply to this Barnyard but I think the real issue Slice has is how much he has to pay when he's in need! Please don't tell us these things!

What the heck are you talking about?:confused: And why am I bitter?

THE PILOTS FAULT. Wake up, put down the snifffing glue. You must be new to this profession. Do you realize what management has been paying themselves at most airlines in the US. It's criminal. Do not blame the pilots of major airlines for sticking up for themselves and wanting to make what is their part of the pie. It is because of the once lofty paychecks that most of us got into aviation, among other things. If I knew that I was going to top out at 40,000 flying a Saab the rest of my life, I would have never pursued a flying career.

I certainly didn't get into flying for the money. Anyone that did can leave the same way they came.
I've talked to too many DRIVER's who've complained that they should've been this or been that. These types of individuals most likely will not stand shoulder to shoulder with the flying line. They're only interested in quickly getting their time so they can "get theirs".

Please don't get me wrong, I love what I do, and will always look forward to flying from point A to B. That being said, one has to support a family and pay the bills, hence my previous post

block or worse...suckers