I was there, and I saw ZERO upward movement in the captain ranks and realized that I would be commuting 2500 miles to sit reserve for many years as a mesa captain.

What if you don't get a major job? I didn't want to be condemned to life at mesa... (actually I have enough military connections that I'm not that worried, but you never know...)

Mesa is the most disfunctional and abusive organization I have ever had the misfortune of being associated with...I will tell anybody and everybody to stay the f%ck away from that place. I refused to lower my personal dignity to the level required.

If you want a fast upgrade, go to CHQ or SKW, you don't need mesa for that. Also the fast upgrades are over at mesa, unless you want to quit and come back as a D-8 street captain.

Are you ex-mesa? You kind of sound like it...believe me, you have NO IDEA what is going on over there today, it is 1000% worse than a few years ago.

Don't get the wrong idea, my issue is not with the vast majority of mesa pilots, it's with the company.

No, I wasn't the dulles guy, but I do know him. He has a buddy at fedex...

 

One of the positives about Mesa, is you upgrade quick, and get that PIC time that is needed for the majors. But that can always change. Mesa wouldn't be so bad, if it were not for the work rules, etc. With the new contract to come, Mesa may become a desirable place, who knows.

 

The quick PIC is only useful if there is a lot of hiring, or if you know someone well placed at a major that is hiring. In the current environment few majors will hire random people off the street who do not have an internal recomendation from someone in flight ops. SWA might, but the interview is VERY competetive (15% succes rate recently).


Mesa might improve some with the 2007 contract, but the larger problem is that the company simply refuses to honor the contract when it is not convenient for them to do so. To truly improve and become a place where you would be happy going to work, most of the top management would have to be removed, as they create a culture of abuse and dishonesty. If mesa gets fired by one or more of their partners this might happen, if the BOD does a much-needed house-cleaning.

 

Like I said in the before...we all made the CHOICE to be where we are at. My opinion here has nothing to do with JO and management...they are evil. My point is that I know quite a few 1900 guys from Air Midwest (MYSELF INCLUDID) and Mesa guys here. Lots of military too. We all recommend guys we have flown with. The point again is...there are some good things about flying at these places also.

I agree with you RICK...trying to commute and work at Mesa is impossible especially if you have a family...once again it all comes down to choices. I hope the pilots over there get their act together for the next contract. The Union guys really screwed it up last time...we will see.

Having a career at a Regional is a world of difference from years back....in 1992 you needed 3000-4000 hours to get on with one and you would be flying a turbo-prop. Now you can get on with less than 1000 and you are flying jets newer than me at FedEx. We will see Regional flying get over the $100k a year mark. And it is hard to believe but we will see a BIG turn around in pilot movement to the majors in the next 5 YEARS! So regardless of where you are at EVERYONE will have a chance to make it to a major if they choose.

So once again...Mesa is NOT the greatest place to work. There are others that are worse and much better. BUT...12% of the new hire classes are from Mesa/Air Midwest...and the rest are other majors and military.

PS...SAABman there is no "better" pilot. There are prepared and unprepared...you either step up and pass a check-ride, captain upgrade, or interview sim. Or you are a slacker and don't...and have lots of excuses.

ONE MORE THING.... I don't know the guy that filmed the RJ landing in Dulles...I saw the video and told my buddy in standards...that led to a FAA meeting then a carpet dance and then no job for the guy.

 

What video are you guys talking about? I am sort of curious about it.

 

2 Things:

Rick, it's great to hear that you finally got out of that sh!t hole. Who are you flying with now and how do you like it?

As for filming, I've seen a number of cockpit videos on youtube, particularly CRJ's. Whats the deal on being able to record things while in the cockpit? Is it ok if it's during non-sterile time? Is it ok during TO/LDG if you have it sitting up on the glaresheild or the jumpseater is filming?

Finally, I will officially say that as "plane crazy" as I am, I'd rather spend the rest of my life as a Brookstone retail sales associate than spend a year working for Mesa.

 

On a side note great name there bigwatchpilot...... As I remember wasn't the old flight attendant saying Big Watch Small D!ck...........

 

It's been a while since the video is off the internet now but if I remember, some guy filmed short final and landing, they weren't flying of course. It kind of looked like he was holding the camera even after vacating the runway and getting taxi instructions. Stupid thing to do, you don't do that at one of the most critical phases of flight.

 

The guys was the NFP (non-flying pilot) sitting in the right seat. He filmed the approach into Dulles while the Captain hand flew the approach. He was holding the video camera and continued to make radio calls...and that was about it. The Captain was flying single pilot at this point (as BUR said) durring one of the most critical phases of flight.

1. He did it when he knew it as wrong
2. The captain let him do it
3. HE POSTED IT ON THE INTERNET

Now...he could have keept that little treasure all to himself...but it also had the date stamp on the video and when he told the tower..."Air Shuttle 60XX cleared to land" it was not hard to look up the pairing and get his name. It is a lot to pay for such a stupid thing...I know of people that have chrashed an airplane and gotten their job back...I hope this guy learned his lesson and was able to get another job...some day.

 

He is actually a great guy, and he did get his job back at mesa after a few months off.

I wish that this could have gone through alpa pro-standards and not the FAA...plenty of other folks have done the same thing, the only difference here was that he forgot to sterilize the video when he posted it...why does that make him worthy of a call to the FAA?

Please make sure you tell everybody at Fedex that you turned him in...coincidently, he has friends there...