Skywest Questions

dcramer16

dcramer16

Well-Known Member
This probably doesn't belong in the Jobs Available section but I'm not sure where to put it. I really know nothing about how things work in the airlines so forgive me if some of these questions sound stupid. In fact, I didn't even know about commuting until this morning. I just figured people lived where they worked. So...

I have been thinking about working for Skywest and would like to know if it would even be possible for me. The hardest obstacle I will have to overcome as an airline pilot is the fact that I'm a single parent, I have a 6 year old daughter that lives with me. One of the reasons I am interested in Skywest. I currently work for a pipeline company which works great cause I am home most days in time to pick my daughter up from school, and I'm off weekends.

Because I am a single parent I would like to move back home and live in the same town as my family, Butte, MT. So it would work great if I could live in Butte, and commute to SLC. It's only about an hour flight.

So first question, do you guys have a commute clause in your contract? It's not uncommon for the weather to be bad in Butte and have flights canceled for a couple days, a couple times a year. What do I do if the flight out of Butte is canceled for a couple days cause of a winter storm?

Second question, what kind of schedules are offered, for example is it common to work 4 days on, 4 days off, or is it more like 6 days on and 2 days off? Obviously I don't want to be getting back and forth on my only days off!

I have about 1500TT/150ME, and 52 Actual IFR and 40 SIM IFR. 90% of my time is in a 172. Do I have much of a chance. My IFR time is a little low.

Another option is if I work for Big Sky, work out of Boston or Cincinatti, live in Butte, fly to SLC, and catch a flight to Boston or Cincinatti, until I can get a captain position in Billings, where the other half of my family lives.

Like I said, being a single dad, and an airline pilot doesn't really work all that well, but there is not much room for advancement here. For the most part, I can only make it work if I live in Butte MT, and commute, which is why Skywest seems like the best candidate since their base is in SLC. Short commute. So I'm just rolling ideas around to see if I can find a way to make it work. My parents actually have an empty house in Butte I could live in free, and as a FO this would really help, and my parents could take care of my little girl when I was gone.

Last question, how much longer is Skywest going to be hiring a lot of pilots. I have a year contract with my current employer that is up in May. They don't do anything if you break your contract, just give you a dirty look and that's about it. But I did give my word which is important to me, and they have been really good to me. I also wouldn't want to switch my daughter schools in the middle of the year and would like to wait till she finishes this year, then have here start back home in the fall. Is Skywest going to be doing a lot of hiring this spring and summer, or are they going to start to slow down? Do I need to get a resume in ASAP, or is it safe to wait till April or May?

Hope this thread doesn't sound to whiney. I really never had much intrest in the airline side of aviation, mainly because I didn't think I could make it work as a single parent too. But I'm starting to realize that I've just about reached the top in my current job, and I really can't get much further. The idea of moving back home and commuting just so I have my parents to watch my daughter when I'm not home really opens the door for me to be an airline pilot. Now if I can just find a way to make it happen....
 
I think those hours you have should be enough for Skywest.
About Bigsky, I spoke with a captain today from there and he said that they are looking to operate out of SLC within a number of months.
 
I hope its not just a rumor, because in a few months Ill have the street-captain mins and I would do it.
 
You'll need another 8 hrs of IFR time to meet SkyWest's published mins. As for how to swing the gig as a single parent, that's a much stickier question.
 
aloft said:
You'll need another 8 hrs of IFR time to meet SkyWest's published mins. As for how to swing the gig as a single parent, that's a much stickier question.
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I think the mins say you can only use 20 hours of sim towards it. So I am thinking they would count me at 72 hours. But are they pretty strict about it. 1000 hours with 100 of IFR is pretty difficult to achieve, unless you pad your logbook....Which I did not.
 
If you are interested in coming on at SkyW, then go get under the hood and get the 28 hours. I wouldn't wait to get on, seniority is everything. The higher up you are in seniority the more quickly you control your schedule. I was hired July 10 last year and am bidding 4 in Fresno (on the bro). We are planning on hiring a bunch more this year.

I haven't paid any attention to a commute policy, since I drive to work. You are almost there . . .
 
Make sure you're talking simULATOR time, not simULATED INSTRUMENT (hood) time. I'm pretty sure 40 hrs hood time is perfectly acceptable, there is no requirement regarding the quantity of flying under actual instrument conditions.
 
aloft said:
Make sure you're talking simULATOR time, not simULATED INSTRUMENT (hood) time. I'm pretty sure 40 hrs hood time is perfectly acceptable, there is no requirement regarding the quantity of flying under actual instrument conditions.
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excellent point . . . if it's under the hood vs. sim (FTD) time then you're already money.
 
I can't speak for them, but I know we have some pilots that commute in out of various places in Montana. You probably already know this but just in case. You will need to anticipate the possibility of not being in SLC for some time after training. So you might end up with a two, or occasionaly, three leg commute. You could get SLC right out of class, or you might wait 9 months or something in between. Once that happens expect the possibility of reserve schedules for a while. Meaning you will have to be within 1 1/2 of the airport on those days. You COULD get SLC and a solid line right out of class. It does happen, but I would not bank on it. All that doom and gloom aside with a little patience and senority it would work out for you. You just have to get through the new guy stuff.

I would try and get here sooner rather than later. In your situation you do not want to be one of the last guys at the end of a hiring spree. Though I don't believe we have any plans to stop hiring in the near future.

For the instrument you can count your hood time, actual time, and like 20 hours of approved SIM time.
 
dcramer16 said:
So first question, do you guys have a commute clause in your contract?
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Hahah... Oh boy. I needed a laugh tonight. Thanks.

(Skywest doesn't have a contract. They have some "rules" that the company has agreed to abide by, but there is absolutely nothing other then good faith keeping the company from changing their mind. In other words, you may not make it to work one day and invoke the commuter clause and they say... "eh, it's Wednesday, we aren't going to use a commuter clause today. You're fired.")
 
BobDDuck said:
Hahah... Oh boy. I needed a laugh tonight. Thanks.

(Skywest doesn't have a contract. They have some "rules" that the company has agreed to abide by, but there is absolutely nothing other then good faith keeping the company from changing their mind. In other words, you may not make it to work one day and invoke the commuter clause and they say... "eh, it's Wednesday, we aren't going to use a commuter clause today. You're fired.")
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You know I guess it's possible, but it doesn't happen. I would say the difference between having a union and not having a union in this situation is that in a union house, you would have to grieve it after they pulled something like that. In our case we would have to hire an attorney on our own to get the job back.

Let's not turn this into a union vs. non-union thread, because there are many examples of companies with unions who have it far worse than we do.
 
bumblebee said:
Let's not turn this into a union vs. non-union thread, because there are many examples of companies with unions who have it far worse than we do.
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:yeahthat:

I agree completely. Living out in CA...and near Bumblebee, we know a lot of the same SKW pilots and they are all extremely happy working at Skywest. Skywest is a solid company and not going anywhere anytime soon.

If you want to work for Skywest, send in your ap. Your actually fine with your hours now, though the minimums "should" be going lower come January (the word from the group interview here today in Sacramento).
 
MusketeerMan said:
:yeahthat:

I agree completely. Living out in CA...and near Bumblebee, we know a lot of the same SKW pilots and they are all extremely happy working at Skywest. Skywest is a solid company and not going anywhere anytime soon.

If you want to work for Skywest, send in your ap. Your actually fine with your hours now, though the minimums "should" be going lower come January (the word from the group interview here today in Sacramento).
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OK so what's your story after the open interview?
 
If the minimums do come down, any indication if they will be for total time, multi or both? I was going to go to the group interview but was told I should not show up if I did not have all the minimums met. I am at 1150/50. Did you go to the group interview today Musketeer?
 
racemey said:
If the minimums do come down, any indication if they will be for total time, multi or both? I was going to go to the group interview but was told I should not show up if I did not have all the minimums met. I am at 1150/50. Did you go to the group interview today Musketeer?
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Multi ?
 
In the last 4 years, I've called in a hand full of times for not being able to make it in. Once the DH to work was cancelled. I got charged usertime. I grieved it with SAPA. It got resolved 4 months later. Another time my tire went flat on the way to LAX at 4am. Most of the time, if you can't get on, they positive space you, although they don't like to do that.

Overall, I'd say they've been very fair with me in regards to commuting.
 
Yes, I was wondering if the thought was that SKW would be lowering minimums on the total time, which I already have or the multi time, of which I only have 50 hrs. By the way, congrats on your impending upgrade, Bumblebee.
 
Ok, so as far as the ifr mins I should be good then right. It says max 20 hours SIMULATOR. I have 52 Actual, 40 Hood, 44 Simulator. I was talking with my instrument instructor last night and he is working for Skywest right now. He said to get in an app as soon as I can. It will be awhile though. I have had a Day VFR job for 10 months, and other than an IPC have had nothing doing in the IFR department. If I don't use it, I loose it. So I've got a lot of studying and refreshing to do. I'm more of a hands on guy, and learn slower out of a book. If I could get in a cockpit and put it all to use it would come back pretty quick, but not much chance of that. So it will take me at least a month to get ready, then I'll put in an app.

Thanks for all the info so far. He (instructor) was telling me it wouldn't be a problem at all to commute from Butte. If the flight got canceled I could always drive to Idaho Falls and commute from there. I do have a contract here I would really like to fullful, but if I get an app out in the middle of January, get an interview begining of February, and if all goes well maybe I can get a class like the end of March or begining of April, then I will only be short a month on my contract. That won't be too bad.
 
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