Hello All,

I am an FO for this local company which requires you to sign a year contract as a captain. Because I of my age I will not be able to upgrade to captain for almost a year after reaching 1500 hours. This would not really be an issue if we did not get paid minimum wage. Although, not on the contract I had other goals with the company that would have started my year contract going (I don't want to get into too much details)-unfortunately this is no longer an option. I am at only 900 hours, can they legally hold me to that contract if I were to leave now? I heard that companies such as GOJET will buy out pilot contracts, how bad does that look on you down the line if I were to elect for this option?

Confusing post.
I assume you have to be 23 to be a Captain and hold an ATP.
The contract is only for Captains as they want to recoup their training cost.
So have you signed or not?

There seems to be a rash of these posts lately. Millennials wanting to bail from their obligations.

Very simple: sign it, honor it.

If you don't want to honor it, don't sign it.

If you already signed it, and you knew the score going in, suck it up, do your job, honor your obligations, move on.

Never, ever sign a training contract. It’s indentured servitude.

Walk away.

Measure this decision over a 40+ year career and the impact of breaking the contract could have on it. You’ll most likely have to explain why you broke it and only on that day will you know of a future employer likes that answer.

I signed a training contract once. I wasn’t told there was one until the first of ground school. That was nice and shady, at that point I was already hooked.
Long story short, I quit before my year was out, but upheld the contract by paying them what was owed. Still, the company held it against me and tried to block me from being hired at future employers.
Food for thought.

I would really rather not break it. I have tried to work a deal with them but without success. If I could upgrade I would definitely stay and do my year as a captain but I will not be eligible for my ATP due to age. The contract is once you finish FO training you have to do a year as a captain and ATP is required. Like I said before this would not be an issue if I wasn't getting paid minimum wage. Can they legally hold me to the singed contract since I will have the time to upgrade and would be willing to upgrade but can't because of age?

..I agree with JB..If you signed the contract, then honor the contract..

..The aviation world is a very small world today..Word get´s around..Breaking a contract, just because you don´t like it, will hurt you later..Don´t do it..

Fly safe,
B757

Are saying the contract begins as you being a F/O but then assumes you will be a captain and be required, by contract, to remain as a captain for one year? Odd, because it assumes you will be upgraded at some time definite. Are they providing a type rating in a reasonably marketable plane?

GF

Yes, the contract assumes that as soon as you hold an ATP you will become a captain and your year contract would start then. I was provided no type rating and it's a piston prop aircraft. I have only been with the company for two months and still have not reached ATP mins. I wish they would be a little bit more reasonable and let me leave now even if I payed pro-rated amount of the original cost because otherwise I'm screwed.