No, canada only requires a type rating. that is for both captains and fo's. the only problem is with the fo's since captains get the type when they upgrade. All it took was for me to go into one of our checkairmans offices, fill out an 8710, and then i had my type. that is what canada required

 

Mesa is still hiring street CA's on both the 1900 and the dash. I know for a fact that several of the street CA's have been CFI's. However, they were high time CFI's. Not the typical guys with their couple hundred hours that think they are ready to fly a 777 . I was hired as a street CA myself and have thankfully managed to make it a year with no violations but I am quickly considering jumping ship with my time to sit at another regional while I wait in line for one of those major jobs. The main problem with the quick upgrade's at Mesa on the T-props is that MANY ppl right now are getting letters in their files due to FAR violations or company violations. We are also seeing quite a few ppl bumped back to F.O. or even worse let go because of relatively minor infractions. And just to set things straight our most junior Capt's on the Jets are as follows (Current as of this week)

CRJ - IAD hired 01-12-04 Global Seniority # 997
ERJ - IAD hired 11-29-04 Global Seniority # 1174

So for those of you coming to Mesa for the quick upgrade T-prop..Yes but it's a gamble with those expensive certificates. Jet....well forget it.

Oh and disregard grammar and spellin' it after 2am

 

Can you give some specific examples on what the infractions and violations involved?

 

One of the guys leaned to side of caution and chose to return to SLC when a line of thunderstorms was over his destination. He was unable to reach the company on SelCall and told the ground crew he was diverting. Well they said they called dispatch and that dispatch wanted him to hold. The CA decided he wasn't comfortable with this and went to SLC. 1 week later he was returned to FO status and pay. We have several CA's with letters just for incorrectly blocking the flight time. Another words they called the block in time 5 or 10 minutes after they landed. Wrong...yes but justified?? Another CA boarded the pax and shut the door and left. Well aparently they left a pax. Gate agent supposedly sent message they were waiting on a pax. CA says no. Ground crew marshalled the CA out??Alright I know if pax stop coming and the ground crew starts marshalling, personally I'm gone. Any one that works on the little props know that each stop is like a madrush anyways. Long story short, I feel MOST of these incidents were no reason to bump someone back to FO and especially not let them go. I could post a ton of these things incidents too which is sad considering we only have about 70 CA's anyways. So in one year I have seen this many incidents within that small of a group. So you have to ask yourself "Do you feel lucky?, Well...Do you punk!"
No all kidding aside just becareful in your choices.

 

Surprised no one's mentioned it yet, but the upgrade at Great Lakes is still pretty short to the 1900. It was right around a year, but recently things have slowed a bit to about a year and a half. Still not too bad, even though just a year as an FO at Lakes is more than long enough for most.

 

All of that stuff could probably be easily corrected, so there is certainly not any reason to be punishing people. Those guys that are getting demoted should just walk out of there. Although I think you guys still have training contracts at Mesa. They can do much better as an FO somewhere else. Oh well, it's Mesa.

 

AWAC is over 3 years now and getting worse. I believe our mins are an ATP and that's it. Kinda scary!

 

Huh ?

Sound like you are saying that current ZW FO's do not have enough time to upgrade.. doesn't sound right

 

I have some friends over there and you guys have a great bunch of guys working there, but there is no way I could work there for a year before upgrade. That is mainly because of the pay. If you are willing to tuck your tail between your legs and slide into a 1900 then I would do it here first. Upgrade comes when ever you want it. Our CP writes an email about every 45 days begging ppl to upgrade....then they just hire more street CA's to cover the work.
The real problem is all those 5 and 10 minute turns though, and those are still a reality at Lakes as well. That is one thing that helps you get violated. Trying to go through a 7 or 8 page release and find problems with it and be gone in that time span is just asking for trouble.

 

What domiciles are they operating the turboprops out of?