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Swift Air/iAero. What you should know

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Swift Air/iAero. What you should know

Old 02-13-2020, 11:59 PM
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Default Swift Air/iAero. What you should know

For anyone on here who is interested in learning about Swift Air, now iAero Group, I would like to talk about a lot of the practices that go on here on a daily basis to help people make educated decisions before even considering employment from this airline.

To quote the original poster, this statement still applies 100%

“Swift Air is a breeding ground for incidents, violations, and God forbid, an accident in the near future. There are some good people trying to do the right thing but are overwhelmed with a long company culture of cutting deals, violating FAR’s, and just all around being scum about things.”

During my time at Swift air this statement has held true to every word. Please, anybody that considers Swift/iAero at all even minimally, please stay away if you care about your future as a pilot, and most importantly, your safety as a human being. Before I begin, I would just like to say that I personally would not put my family on a Swift/iAero airplane. The airplanes are very old and extremely poorly maintained. A lot of crews are very inexperienced and very improperly trained and the money hungry, selfish, and complete dishonesty of management will destroy your quality of life and drive you insane.

Everyone, please, stay away. For your sake, and for the sake of Swift/iAero, this airline is completely dishonest and is putting their workers and passengers in danger. DO NOT be a part of this. Everyone at Swift/iAero is actively leaving and if you are a current pilot and are reading this right now, QUIT, for your sake, and the sake of others. It’s time to go.

Since the acquisition of iAero the quality of maintenance and overall safety has plummeted to never before imagined lows. There has been VERY little incentive from the company to improve safety concerns as well as to improve aircraft maintenance issues. Heck, not only this but Swift/iAero has an incident averaging every 2-3 weeks by now. Just in the last week there was a hard landing that pretty much totaled the plane and landing gear, a couple weeks ago a couple hard landings that blew all tires off the plane. A few days ago an airplane taxiing into the grass, and the list goes on….

There is no culture whatsoever to report safety issues and even less to address them. The programs are rumored to be monitored by the chief pilot and other members of management that will retaliate on you if you are reporting too much or bringing up too many problems about airplanes maintenance, safety issues, duty issues, etc.

Swift/iAero has a new maintenance base in Miami with a lot of brand new inexperienced employees that on a day to day basis handle issues that far exceed their capacity. This is mixed with a general culture from the pilot group that have no other option other than to “push through” or “make it work” by constantly having to work around aircraft malfunctions or issues that rise up during operations with no support from the company.

In Miami, specifically, almost all maintenance issues are pencil whipped without any real corrective action in order to keep the operation moving. Pilots are found with a devastating sense of incompetence because their safety concerns are never taken seriously and eventually lose the will to report or write up discrepancies because nothing is ever done about them. The airplanes are old, VERY old, and aside from a very few that have good mechanics that travel with them 24/7, they’re in terrible shape and terribly maintained.

I would say 4/5 flights will involve some sort of malfunction or discrepancy. Pilots are at lost. Anything that is written up or reported is pencil whipped or lost. The outcome is pilots have completely lost faith. This devastating culture is imposed by threats and/or pressure coming from management/maintenance/scheduling to constantly “make it work” or “get the job done”. These attitudes increase potential safety issues on a daily basis and cultivate fear in the pilot group of losing their jobs or being retaliated against if they do anything that will cause maintenance delays or ground aircraft.

This attitude comes from a management culture that is money hungry and prefers to put safety at risk instead of canceling a VIP flight.

Swift/iAero operates a lot of VIP customers as well as government ICE contracts. These are the bread and butter of the company and if for any reason you as the PIC decide to write up an airplane that will potentially delay or cancel a flight that involves the big money contracts there’s a great chance your job as a pilot will be potentially at risk.

I’ve seen first hand the chief pilot call to yell, insult and cuss a captain out based on the possibility of a maintenance issue delaying or cancelling the big money government contract. I have seen this same thing happen with VIP flights. The way Swift/iAero deals with their customers puts pressure on the pilot group to look away when safety issues arise in fear of losing potential contracts. I can clearly see how this problem escalates above Swift/iAero, and it’s a shame that VIP customers and Government departments think that they are immune to safety issues by pressuring Swift/iAero to always “make it work”.

I have to say, aside from all the previous issues mentioned, all the maintenance and frustration on behalf of the pilot group about safety, it’s incredible how much a lot of the pilots employed here really put up a fight for what’s right. It really takes a different type of person to constantly be in the middle of so much chaos and so many things going wrong and still be able to push your way through it. Aside from all the corruption, many pilots here put up a fight on a daily basis with multiple departments of the Swift/iAero inferno to do things as close as by the book as possible.

Swift/iAero has a a minimum of 12 days off. Now, that doesn’t mean like in EVERY OTHER AIRLINE that while 12 days if your minimum, you can and normally will on a normal basis get more days off than that. No, at Swift you work 18 days and have off 12 days. In a 31 day month you will work 19 days and have off 12 days. Mandatory, Always. You will never have more than 12 days off. You have a better chance at being called by Nasa to pilot the next mission to mars than getting Swift to give you 1 extra day off. Swift/iAero has a culture where they believe that for 18/19 days out of the month they own you. These are words not only directly from people from crew scheduling but from the COO Boris Van Lier himself. “We own you for 18 days.” –Boris Van Lier. Wow… how would you feel after hearing your COO say that he “owns” you?

When they mean they “own” you, they take it seriously, and going to back to the before mentioned, on your work days Swift/iAero will do everything they can to work you to your limit. The norm is for you to work 6 days straight, get your required 30 hours free from duty, then repeat. The regular flying will never put you above your minimum guarantee so if you want to make any extra money you will have to work on your days off. but remember, you only have 12! So if you need any extra money expect to have 8 days off a month. Yeah, pitiful.

If you haven’t been able to get the hint by now…. No, there are NO work rules at Swift/iAero. Why would there be? They OWN you. The COO himself says it all the time.

At Swift you have a mix of schedule options. Pilots are either home based, Miami based, or Phoenix Based. Once again, you will ONLY have 12 days off, ever, no exceptions. Home based pilots can live anywhere within the US and Swift will positive space you to work… now… before you think start thinking this is actually not too bad… If you are home based, even if you’re not flying, unless you live in Phoenix which is the ICE base, you will be away from home for 18/19 days out of the month. This means that the company might not have anything for you to do, but their mentality in “owning” you causes them to fly you out to sit reserve away from home in a random city.

For example, let’s say you live in Denver, on your first work day, you will be scheduled to deadhead out to let’s say, Brownsville, Texas. You will deadhead out on the first flight of the day, no exceptions, to sit reserve for 2-4 days. For these 2-4 days you most likely will never get called, and on your last reserve day they will just deadhead you out to another city to start a trip with actual flying. This wastes 2-4 days where you could have been at home, enjoying your time, with the same capacity of getting to an airport or to another assignment.

Swift/iAero goes out of their way to interfere with your quality of life and your time spent at home. Not only that, the scheduling department has a list of pilots they will pick on on a regular basis. Did you refuse an illegal assignment? Scheduling will now make your life hell. Did you call in sick? You’ll be the new playtoy for scheduling as they actively find ways to ruin your quality of life now. You might think I’m joking, but I am dead serious that one of the most senior schedulers at Swift/iAero goes out of his way to purposely deteriorate your quality of life.

Another example, you live in Miami and you need to deadhead to Charlotte. Sure, there are probably 10+ direct daily flights from Miami to Charlotte on any given day, but no, this scheduler I mentioned will purposely buy you a ticket that will stop in JFK and then PHL before flying to CLT. This person makes it a sport to interfere with a pilot’s quality of life and I have heard him first hand boast and laugh about how he’s “making” someone do some ridiculous commute, ON PURPOSE.

Yes, this person will purposely put you on a 3 leg, 8+ hour deadhead to an assignment when a direct flight was available. Did I mention that at Swift/iAero there is NO deadhead pay? Yes, that’s correct. If you deadhead halfway across the country, spend 7-8+ hours deadheading, you will not be paid a dime.

As a pilot, your schedule if one of the biggest factors with quality of life. The crew scheduling department is as corrupt and as dirty and as embarrassing as management, they go hand in hand because management constantly micromanages the scheduling department so they always obey and follow through with Swift’s/iAero’s dirty and illegal practices.

I mentioned a crew scheduler that purposely interferes with crew member’s schedules. His name is Corey Waxley. Corey Waxley’s decision making is driven by his personal interests, resent, retaliation and revenge. Corey Waxley and some of his peers have a list of crew members that they will pick on by making unnecessary schedule changes just for the laugh of deteriorating people’s quality of life.

Corey Waxley will create schedules and assignments that are for the most part illegal, never notify you and will mark you notified without ever speaking to you, and then retaliate on you when you miss an assignment or dispute his actions. He is the most aggressive and manipulative scheduler and will demean you and yell at you over the phone if you try to bring up legality issues or dispute any improper schedule change or action. Corey Waxley straight up hangs up the phone on you if you try to discuss or explain any legality issues.

There is so much impunity in crew scheduling that it is unimaginable. Corey Waxley bribes crew members for favors. He will purposely remove or change your days off or assignments and will bribe you for money for any schedule changes. Some pilots, unfortunately, have paid him off. Yes, Corey Waxley has accepted money in exchange for schedule changes. Everyone knows it in the office, yet nothing is done. If you think this is sad… Corey Waxley has imposed his authority as a crew scheduler over female flight attendants to receive sexual favors in exchange for schedule changes. More than once he has deadheaded flight attendants to Greensboro on company money to “sit on reserve”. Everyone knows this, but Corey Waxley’s mommy and daddy have important roles at Swift/iAero. So this criminal is free to do anything he wants with no repercussion. HR is literally inexistent as they allow attitudes and practices like these to exist without doing anything about it. Sad.

Most flight attendants quit over problems with Corey Waxley. Pilot’s avoid picking up their phone or calling in to avoid speaking with Corey Waxley. Corey Waxley is one of the reasons why pilots are actively looking to leave, literally because this man goes out of his way to deteriorate your quality of life and schedule.

The illegalities that crew scheduling perform on a daily basis are countless, and it’s only fueled by corrupt people like Corey Waxley.

For months the chief pilot and other members of management have been telling the pilots a pay raise is coming, it’s been all lies. Everyone that is still here is here only because they are being promised things that never happen. People are finally starting to wise up that the members of management are criminals that lie straight to your face.

The latest blow to the pilots was the Europe contract. If this was a major selling point on the recent recruiting event… sorry to burst your bubble …. Swift/iAero had a summer contract in the Czech Republic to do subservice for the Czech airline. Historically, Swift/iAero sent their planes AND their pilots to operate the flights. Not this year, they are wet leasing their aircraft and hiring contract pilots to operate the flights. Worst part? They are paying the contract pilots more than twice of what a regular Swift/iAero pilot makes. That’s right, Swift/iAero chooses to hire third party contract pilots and pay them MORE than their regular employees. What can pilots do? Nothing, except QUIT.

Seriously, I can’t stress this enough. Swift Air, iAero Airways or iAero Group whatever it is, is a TERRIBLE place, save yourself. As long as the current management is who they are and as long as the culture of this place doesn’t change there is no hope. Really, no hope at all.

There has been NO communication on behalf of management on anything. Management wants to keep you in the dark about EVERYTHING, and in the meantime people keep leaving and leaving and getting tired of the bullsh*#@

Some people still don’t get the idea, so again… the original thread ended with the following paragraphs… Please. Read it and understand that Swift/iAero is NOT worth it.

“Sure, a lot of people say it’s growing pains, but the company hasn’t communicated any direction, plan, or outlook for Swift. There are constant rumors about pay raises, better work conditions, bidding, lines.. you name it.. that are never followed through.

Almost everyone here is unhappy, the morale is terrible, the bad practices and the complete lack for regulations makes this place a truly terrible airline to work for. In my opinion, it is a miracle our planes are still flying everyday.

To anyone who even looked at Swift/iAero as a possibility, I cannot stress enough how much of a mistake you are making if you choose this airline. If you’re at a regional, no matter how bad you think you have it, you’re better off there than here.

I don’t know if there’s hope for Swift/iAero. It’s terribly managed and the managers of certain departments are incredibly corrupt humans. That on top of terrible pay for a 737, low morale, terrible MX, lack of benefits, no quality of life and complete lack of standardization should be enough for anybody to stay away.”
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Old 02-14-2020, 03:59 AM
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Had a broken heating element in snow at night below freezing obviously MX on board couldn’t fix. Boris screamed and cussed at the Capt and I for refusing the plane. After he brilliantly asked us to fly it at 8,000ft. These guys are DANGEROUS and they will put one in
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Old 02-14-2020, 06:05 AM
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Pay raises are in tho, check your email
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Old 02-14-2020, 06:07 AM
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Well let’s see em!!
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Old 02-14-2020, 07:39 AM
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Originally Posted by mexipilot84 View Post
Pay raises are in tho, check your email
me and you get along but 90x60= $5400x12=$64,800

now under the current rate 1st year pilot
990$ CBT
66X60= $3960x12= $47520+15000+990= $63510
plus new hire bonus 15000$ first year

so $64800-63510= $1290! That’s our raise are you freaking kidding me that’s an insult, oh but you can work over time, yeah no different than working overtime at the current rate.

the only true pay raise came to the captains, and slightly higher second year pay for FO, First year FO sees no raises so someone coming in off the street today wouldn’t see anything more 1st year than normal, besides there monthly guarantee check being slightly higher because you get the money in the hourly rate.
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Old 02-14-2020, 08:01 AM
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Default I needed this

Thanks for posting this I definitely needed to read this as I was definitely considering it. Thanks for the lengthy but true insight into the company.
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Old 02-14-2020, 08:49 AM
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Default And if you think thats bad

Really guys it can, AND IS worse, hard to believe but it’s true, at the other Miami 737 operation.
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Old 02-14-2020, 09:05 AM
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Originally Posted by Braniff DC8 View Post
Really guys it can, AND IS worse, hard to believe but it’s true, at the other Miami 737 operation.
There is no doubt I wish I could say this is a disgruntled employee but it’s not, it’s true whether you like to over look it or not is on you the individual
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Old 02-14-2020, 11:11 AM
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Originally Posted by Braniff DC8 View Post
Really guys it can, AND IS worse, hard to believe but it’s true, at the other Miami 737 operation.
Yeah, kinda like if you have stage 4 terminal Cancer. It could be worse, you could be dead. Yeah..kinda like that
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Old 02-14-2020, 11:14 AM
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I think a far healthier view would be, there's A LOT better places to work. The need to compare to the worst company out there says it all
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