Colgan rules!

 

thanks, whodis, I am awaiting ground school at colgan, and all though i have friends at XJT who want me to go there now, I just cant bypass flying a turboprop. I think there is something to be said about the lessons learned. Anyways, Anything can be bettter than part 91 instruction. can you guys elaborate on north american, is it a bad or good company?

 

I think you hit the nail on the head right there. Since you will have to wait 3 years MINIMUM no matter what the upgrade time is at whatever regional you go to, why don't you go somewhere that will allow you to live on FO pay? I think if I was stuck as an FO in the Beech at Colgan for 3 years going to the same 6 airports, I would want to shoot myself in the face.

As a college grad at 20 I sure hope thats not a 2 year degree you are talking about. If it is you might want to stick with instructing a while longer and go get that 4 year degree since you will need it to get on with a major anyway. If it is a 4 year degree, way to go, thats a hell of an accomplishment at 20. Problem is, your time is not really that competitive so you might be tempted to jump at the first thing you get (as evidenced by your desire to work for Colgan). In my experience, the guys who are the most miserable are the ones who took the first thing that came along without really knowing what they are getting into. You say your instructing job doesn't pay much and you get no bennies. Well why not go find another instructing job? At my last instructing job I got paid more than I do as a 1st year FO at XJT and I had health insurance (the benefits at XJT are waaaay above most other regionals). There ARE good instructing jobs out there that can lead to other good jobs. To you 20 year old guys who are itching to get onto a 121 flight deck I always ask: what is your damn hurry? Life is about the journey, not the destination. The destination is the same for all of us: either a pine box or an urn somewhere (unless you're one of those fruitcakes who want to be frozen). So enjoy the ride. To be honest, 121 flying will be some of the dullest, most repetitive flying you will ever do. Yeah, the view is great but its awful tough to see through the USAToday sometimes

 

In your case I might consider going to Colgan just to get enough time to go to a better regional (EXJ, AWAC, SKYWEST, REP). at the end the turpoprop experience will make you a better pilot. but i would not put more than a year there...

as for the guy that said he is happy at colgan, more power to you. glad you are enjoying it there. but believe me: what i wrote is true, i would not have any interests in bashing the company. apparently i am not the only one who experienced those "anectodes" over there. besides, i am just trying to help some fellow pilots to make a very important decision about their future, wouldn't you agree?

 

I have definetly thought about it, but when I finish my contract at the end of the year with the current job I'm in, I will have around 950tt with the multi time I already have (130) plus a little more. I'm just not sure if its worth it to try to instruct somewhere else when I just need a little more and I'm golden. and btw, it is a 4 year degree I worked my tail off and got it done in 2.5. Also the fact that I just had my stuff walked into Air Wisky by a friend probably seals the deal. I'm sure most would agree that a job at Air Wisconsin, in terms of pay and equipment, would probably be far better. I still want to keep my options open though, I think thats important. Another question for you Colgan guys, what is good to study for the written? I heard it bites a lot of guys.

 

Thank you Colgan pilots for providing your experiences. I am thinking a lot harder about my future decisions. I think right now, the big incentive is that I live and work at a Colgan base, so it might be a good choice at least to start, but I am taking a look at all options. Whether we like it or not, it is good to know the good and bad about a company before we make a decision.

 

The best is TOM BRINK explaining the "24hr" rule that was great hahahahaha. Expressjet, Air Wisconsin, Chatauqua, Skywest, American Eagle, Horizon blow Colgan away, and someone made a great point if Colgan is the only thing you can get, go for it, get the 121 time and jump ship to a better airline, going from Colgan to Expressjet or Skywest, or any of the other good airlines is not a side step, its not a jump like going to CAL, but it is a jump for sure. These jackasses that defend Colgan have not been there long enough. When they get phone calls from Tom Brink asking why their captain wrote something up, or when crew sheduling goes in the computer and changes your time, or how about the time we had to sleep in a 20 degree hanger in Manchester after a 14 hr duty day and have to call the VP of ops to get us a hotel becuase Crew sheduling didnt want to get us one. I know, how about the time we had to overnight, w/o an overnight bag in LGA at a Hotel 1 1/2 hrs away in Odengburg, Bum**** NY becuase they were to godamn cheap to get us a hotel at the airport then have us show 8 hrs later not taking into account the 3 hrs to go to and from the hotel, and when we did get to the hotel that night they had no clue who we were. I know here is an even better one! I go out of my way to pick up time from an FO that quite right after IOE, I had a 115 hr pay credit, guess what I got the ****in min gaurentee of 75, thats bull****! Until you ignorant 3 month 121 guys have experienced what I have went through keep your mouth shut about me and what I have to say about Colgan. By the way I am still waiting for my last paycheck that I was supposed to recieve on OCT 6. THE ONLY REASON THEY ARE HIRING IS BECUASE PEOPLE ARE LEAVING TO GO TO OTHER REGIONALS, IF YOU THINK 1 GUY A MONTH GOING TO AIRTRAN OR CAL IS A BIG DEAL YOU ARE EXTREMELY NIAVE.

 

for the written just study the ATP Gleam (91, 121, wx, aredodyn, performance). do not bother wasting time on questions that refer to figures. also, don't bother looking at the b1900, 73, 74, etc, quetsions. good luck, and if you can get that job at wisky right off the bat, go for it!

 

Right on SAAB, preach it. Posts like your's here where you make a point are FAR more valuable than the name calling and sh!t flinging.

 

Very true, Im gonna try and stop with the name calling, even my g/f thinks Im an idiot for it (Shes not too proud that I spend a lot of my time on here either but hey........)