Moving on

[Maximilian_Jenius]

Pretty much the only thing I miss about that place is some of the people I used to fly with. I fly with a lot of good people now, but I remember some of the laughs I had over there and get a little nostalgic every now and then.

This was ironically when I was leaving for OO, but before that I had a part 91 job that was really awesome, good benefits for what it was, and management always looked out for us and backed us up on everything. One of the hardest phone calls I had to make was calling my chief pilot, a retired Vietnam War Cobra pilot who I thought would be a gruff old hardass, and telling him I was putting in my two weeks notice to go to the airlines. I'll never forget how immediately happy he and the other chiefs were for me and how he said they were always happy to help guys get to the next step in their careers. This industry needs more managers like that.

Ummm, ummm... you gotta number? An email address, something?

 

[Screaming_Emu]

Hah, I remember that. It made its way into the OO facebook pages and he got roasted there too.

A few months later I was at a bar in Asia frequented by pilots. It was me and one other dude. Introduce myself, hear his name, “hey, that sounds familiar…oh…you’re THAT guy!”

 

[zmiller4]

I made as much last month as I did my first year at a regional. That's not a flex, it's just a reference point for how much you can make as a narrow body FO.

You won't even kind of miss Skywest.

Man I made more as a first year *graduate student* in stipends (so not counting tuition reimbursement) than I did for either of the two years I spent on first year pay as a regional FO.

Skywest was an awesome place to work. Great coworkers, never had a problem with my direct management, etc. But when your ceo suddenly emails the whole company saying we’re all going to a high deductible health program with a crappy match, TFAYD, it makes you realize that you’re not in the most stable position.

The 401k matches at the majors—and I think the ULCC’s as well?—are bonkers. My company has great benefits and we’re at like half the match of the majors.

 

[Cherokee_Cruiser]

When I was in SLC I heard variations of this told to me in my face.

"Skywest is a family".

"Skywest is a successful Mormon business, that as a Mormon I'm part of/will be part of."

"I could be at Delta, United etc. making a lot more than I am with a better retirement. But I chose to stay here at Skywest, we're a family. I'd only be a number at a legacy." - SLC 175 captain.

You can watch the whole thing if you want, but in particular go to 8:15

 

[woodreau]

The 401k matches at the majors—and I think the ULCC’s as well?—are bonkers. My company has great benefits and we’re at like half the match of the majors.

It’s actually better than match

match means you have to pony up money to get the employer to pony up their 7 or 8%

the 401k at the majors and my ULCC is direct contribution. It is not 401k match. None of your own money is required to get it.

you are still free to contribute of your own money but with what you get paid at the ULCC and major level you’ll max out the annual 415c contribution limit of $61,000 if you contribute your 402g limit of $20,500 and your employer also contributes their 15%

you just have to earn money and the airline pays your 401k an additional 15% of your pay.

so it’s better than a 401k match

 

[Maximilian_Jenius]

You can watch the whole thing if you want, but in particular go to 8:15

Where's your video testimonial?

 

[Cherokee_Cruiser]

Where's your video testimonial?

I didn’t do Gulfstream. They “only” offered a Beech 19000. But seriously, the management at Gulfstream had a falling out. That’s why 2 of them formed jet U, made the CRJ program, and the motto, “props are for boats!”

 

[Kingairer]

You can watch the whole thing if you want, but in particular go to 8:15

Good lord that makes me so sad. What a snake oil salesman.

 

[Maximilian_Jenius]

Good lord that makes me so sad. What a snake oil salesman.

The only thing more depressing then that video, is repeatedly hearing Vin Diesel say "we're a family" in Fast and The Furious 21

 

[Cherokee_Cruiser]

Good lord that makes me so sad. What a snake oil salesman.

I flew with most of them in that video (they were CAs by 2007-2008). Nice group of folks that are now at Delta, Emirates then later FedEx, and Spirit.

 

[zmiller4]

Good lord that makes me so sad. What a snake oil salesman.

That was truly depressing.

Quiz time—that guy at 3:00 and 8:15 was a) not on the CAL scab list or b) on the CAL scab list.

 

[mwflyer]

You can watch the whole thing if you want, but in particular go to 8:15

Great video! I always love seeing those old videos from when I first started flight training.

but who in the hell has a monthly first officer luncheon? LOL!

 

[Kingairer]

I flew with most of them in that video (they were CAs by 2007-2008). Nice group of folks that are now at Delta, Emirates then later FedEx, and Spirit.

I’m sure they are fine people, but it was a PFT operation that they paid for to get that foot in the door. But I’m not really talking about that, I’m talking about that Swanson fella, and that 3:00 mark is just stomach turning. He’s got his Ill dressed kids (in Russian hats) selling this PFT scheme and following the scab daddy lead. Anyways, that’s already more energy spent on this than this guys worth; glad that operation is no more.

 

[Cherokee_Cruiser]

I’m sure they are fine people, but it was a PFT operation that they paid for to get that foot in the door. But I’m not really talking about that, I’m talking about that Swanson fella, and that 3:00 mark is just stomach turning. He’s got his Ill dressed kids (in Russian hats) selling this PFT scheme and following the scab daddy lead. Anyways, that’s already more energy spent on this than this guys worth; glad that operation is no more.

Don’t know about their dad or if he scabbed.
As for the kids, I flew with 2 of his 3 sons. 2 of the best, nicest, and finest pilots I’ve ever flown with. One went to FedEx and one to Delta. Not sure if the third, I’m sure he’s at a legacy too.

 

[mwflyer]

I’m sure they are fine people, but it was a PFT operation that they paid for to get that foot in the door. But I’m not really talking about that, I’m talking about that Swanson fella, and that 3:00 mark is just stomach turning. He’s got his Ill dressed kids (in Russian hats) selling this PFT scheme and following the scab daddy lead. Anyways, that’s already more energy spent on this than this guys worth; glad that operation is no more.

The video says “fly as a paid first officer.”

so how did it work, you show up with 250 hrs and a cmel, then pay 30k for Indoc systems and sims? Then after passing the check ride, you are a paid FO at gulfstream?

that doesn’t sound any different than ASA that used to charge 10k for training, but you needed 2500-5000 total time. Seems like the increase in hours gave you a 20k discount at ASA.

 

[Cherokee_Cruiser]

The video says “fly as a paid first officer.”

so how did it work, you show up with 250 hrs and a cmel, then pay 30k for Indoc systems and sims? Then after passing the check ride, you are a paid FO at gulfstream?

that doesn’t sound any different than ASA that used to charge 10k for training, but you needed 2500-5000 total time. Seems like the increase in hours gave you a 20k discount at ASA.

Yeah. You paid that amount and got to fly 250 hrs for Gulfstream Airlines in a Beech 1900D flying regular flights, paying passengers, getting $8/hr in exchange. The counter argument of course that Gulfstream wouldn’t have to hire regular FOs off the street and start them on the normal first year pay (I don’t recall, maybe $18/hr). So in that sense it was a true PFT.

The ASA scheme was for everyone right? As a newhire? It wasn’t some shortcut method / back door method where only a certain sect would pay 10 grand and get in with lower hours and earn half the pay of normal FOs.

 

[Baronman]

I had a roommate, (this was just after 9/11) who did Gulftream......I chose to CFI (for 3 years). He never flew again. I turned it into a very average career.

 

[Maximilian_Jenius]

Yeah. You paid that amount and got to fly 250 hrs for Gulfstream Airlines in a Beech 1900D flying regular flights, paying passengers, getting $8/hr in exchange. The counter argument of course that Gulfstream wouldn’t have to hire regular FOs off the street and start them on the normal first year pay (I don’t recall, maybe $18/hr). So in that sense it was a true PFT.

The ASA scheme was for everyone right? As a newhire? It wasn’t some shortcut method / back door method where only a certain sect would pay 10 grand and get in with lower hours and earn half the pay of normal FOs.

$8???

 

[guywhoflies]

Great video! I always love seeing those old videos from when I first started flight training.

but who in the hell has a monthly first officer luncheon? LOL!

I'm sure some of the money those FO's forked out for their "jobs" paid for the luncheons.

 

[guywhoflies]

$8???

Yep, after you dropped $25k or $30k for the privilege of securing the highly coveted job of BE1900 FO.