Become A Pilot For GoJet Airlines!
- Thread starter CFII2008
- Start date
Nick1301
New Member
Sorry guys to do this but Its the only way..
This is for FIREBIRD2XC
Thanks for replying! Well I am very ambitious. I work hard for anything I want.
To lay down the map for you this is my plan and where and how.
We are suppose to get back to the states around jan 09. I am stop lossed so my new ets is 13May09 so we back that up 90days and that give me late jan early feb. So I think May is when i will be starting flight training. I will be attending Clearwater Aviation Flight Academy in St. Petersburg, FL. On my mid tour I will be going to Florida to get my wife out of my aunts house because she is moving there in june when she gets out of the army. So In august I will be getting our apartment so when I get back she will have the place ready for me and her. She will be going to school for dental hygenist degree. She is backing me up 100% on the flying. She just wants me to be able to make enough and knows its crappy pay in the beginning. So I will of course have a side job. so I will be done with flight training in about 6 months from May 09. She will be in school for two years. I have not looked that much into Eagle as far as if I got hired would I be able to commute from tampa and what not. When Tricia my wife, gets out of school she wants to move to Iowa near her family and raise our future kids there. I am fine with Iowa but I told here I might be able to commute out of Des Moines. So long story short thats where i stand and thats my plan. I am also going to be using my gi bill for the flight training so if you did that any insight on how that worked out for you and stuff.
It would be soo nice if you could help me get on with Eagle as well! I know its alot of who you know and how good you network with this business. and being the crew dog while we were in the states thats what I did at every airport we went to. I talked to every corporate pilot I seen lol. Well Thanks again for anything/info you can provide.
Sgt Lambert
taji,Iraq
This is for FIREBIRD2XC
Thanks for replying! Well I am very ambitious. I work hard for anything I want.
To lay down the map for you this is my plan and where and how.
We are suppose to get back to the states around jan 09. I am stop lossed so my new ets is 13May09 so we back that up 90days and that give me late jan early feb. So I think May is when i will be starting flight training. I will be attending Clearwater Aviation Flight Academy in St. Petersburg, FL. On my mid tour I will be going to Florida to get my wife out of my aunts house because she is moving there in june when she gets out of the army. So In august I will be getting our apartment so when I get back she will have the place ready for me and her. She will be going to school for dental hygenist degree. She is backing me up 100% on the flying. She just wants me to be able to make enough and knows its crappy pay in the beginning. So I will of course have a side job. so I will be done with flight training in about 6 months from May 09. She will be in school for two years. I have not looked that much into Eagle as far as if I got hired would I be able to commute from tampa and what not. When Tricia my wife, gets out of school she wants to move to Iowa near her family and raise our future kids there. I am fine with Iowa but I told here I might be able to commute out of Des Moines. So long story short thats where i stand and thats my plan. I am also going to be using my gi bill for the flight training so if you did that any insight on how that worked out for you and stuff.
It would be soo nice if you could help me get on with Eagle as well! I know its alot of who you know and how good you network with this business. and being the crew dog while we were in the states thats what I did at every airport we went to. I talked to every corporate pilot I seen lol. Well Thanks again for anything/info you can provide.
Sgt Lambert
taji,Iraq
SpiraMirabilis
Possible Subversive
Nobody looks at Freedom pilots askance these days. They just see a Mesa pilot. That said I'd still avoid GoJet.
We had a guy trying to jumpseat who worked for SkyBus and the captain chuckled when he saw who he worked for, but still let him on. We talked about it and we both wouldn't deny someone a jumpseat unless they personally denied us one. The guy might be hated for lowering the standards of the industry, but he was very nice and polite and just wanted to go home to his wife. What goes around comes around, if more guys at airline X start denying seats to guys are airline Y they will do the same and the guys who commute will pay the price.
On the topic of GoJets. Regional guys know whats going on and how bad they suck, but whenever I talk about regional news with a mainline guy, the vast majority look at me with a blank stare and have NO idea about any regional gossip. While a GoJet guy might have a hard time while working there and jumpseating on TSA, PNCL, ect, will this really hurt them when applying to a Major? My guess is probably not in most cases cause the recruiters just dont know. Case in point. my best friend was let go from AirWisky for missing a day of reserve, he's a solid guy, just made one mistake. After interviewing at I believe 7 different airlines, GoJet is the only one who gave him a second chance. He commutes from FL and has never been denied a jumpseat on mainline. He wasn't one of those who went from TSA to GoJets so I dont know if that makes a difference. Everyones situation is different but I dont think its fair to call him or the people who went there after its start up, scabs, they are just like everyone else trying to make a living and put food on the table. What do you guys think?
On the topic of GoJets. Regional guys know whats going on and how bad they suck, but whenever I talk about regional news with a mainline guy, the vast majority look at me with a blank stare and have NO idea about any regional gossip. While a GoJet guy might have a hard time while working there and jumpseating on TSA, PNCL, ect, will this really hurt them when applying to a Major? My guess is probably not in most cases cause the recruiters just dont know. Case in point. my best friend was let go from AirWisky for missing a day of reserve, he's a solid guy, just made one mistake. After interviewing at I believe 7 different airlines, GoJet is the only one who gave him a second chance. He commutes from FL and has never been denied a jumpseat on mainline. He wasn't one of those who went from TSA to GoJets so I dont know if that makes a difference. Everyones situation is different but I dont think its fair to call him or the people who went there after its start up, scabs, they are just like everyone else trying to make a living and put food on the table. What do you guys think?
Foxcow
Well-Known Member
That is not a valid argument because if places like g0jet are allowed into existence, the bar will steadily and rapidly be lowered until we literally are nothing more than airline pilots working for cashier wages. No one will be able to put food on the table then.
I would like to add that the people that think the regionals are a stepping stones (get time, get out) have the wrong attitude. There are a lot of people that have chosen to make a career out of the regionals for one reason or another. Regardless of the timespan spent at one level or another in this industry, I'm of the opinion that one should work to improve the conditions.
Velocipede
New Member
What you meant to say is the Captain didn't have the balls to deny him the jumpseat and stand up for the piloting profession.
And, if Skyscab pilots want to see their wives, they'd better move them to CMH.
surreal1221
Well-Known Member
Ah, the good old sob story.
It'll start with needing to get a ride home to see the lady. . .next thing you know. . .
You're out walking the line, and this guy is walking through the line to fly the work you struck on.
The line in the sand MUST be drawn at some point. Enough is enough.
I understand your points, but i see a scab as someone who crosses a picket line. SkyBus was a start up that decided to pay their pilots crap and they are all idiots for accepting the job, but I dont see them as scabs. I agree that it does hurt the industry when pilot groups agree to sub-par wages. All pilots need to come together AS ONE voice if things are to change and the only thing that denying a jumpseat does is cause animosity among different pilot groups. I'd rather have them ride up front and talk about issues plaguing our industry instead of kicking them off my plane leaving them with a sour taste in their mouth for MY pilot group.
SIUav8er
Narcosis
eesy thiar tyger!
blee256
Well-Known Member
I dont think Pinnacle has a reciprocal jumpseat agreement with GoJets. So that might be what the captain was checking on.
When I upgrade, i think about how hard it would be to deny a jumpseater because he worked for gojets. But then all i have to do is remember my friend who used to work at TSA, and left because GoJets came in to undermine their contract, so he had to make the dreaded lateral move to another regional. That jumpseater obviously didnt care for my friend. So why should I feel bad, right?
Keep in mind, when Gojets started up, almost every other regional was hiring. Pinnacle, expressjet, skywest, PSA, AWAC, Chatauqua/Republic/SA, Colgan, etc. Pretty much everyone else except maybe Mesaba. So their excuse to take that job to feed his family doesnt fly.
DE727UPS
Well-Known Member
"When I upgrade, i think about how hard it would be to deny a jumpseater because he worked for gojets. But then all i have to do is remember my....."
Whatever floats your boat. Just remember, though, you've made an enemy, and every PCL guy who ever tries to ride on Gojet with him in the future might have a little problem. Is it worth that? Is it worth the possible damage to your pilot groups commuting ability to laugh in a Gojet guys face for 10 seconds?
Personally, I'd never pull that trigger....
Whatever floats your boat. Just remember, though, you've made an enemy, and every PCL guy who ever tries to ride on Gojet with him in the future might have a little problem. Is it worth that? Is it worth the possible damage to your pilot groups commuting ability to laugh in a Gojet guys face for 10 seconds?
Personally, I'd never pull that trigger....
WacoFan
Bigly
United 737 Captain pay in 1978 was around $120,000 (not adjusted for inflation)
SWA Pay for Captain in 1978 was $35,000
I have not personally verified these numbers so it is heresay.
That said, if Skybus is Paying Captains $65,000 you would need to find an A319 operator paying Captains around $190,000 to have Skybus "lower the bar" as much as SWA did in the 70's.
I would be willing to bet that Skybus pays a higher percentage of a legacy on similiar equipment today than SWA did in the 70's. To be truly accurate you need to go to 1973 and compare first year SWA Captains with the rest of the industry and then do the comparison with Skybus.
Not a Skybus "pro" or "con" guy - just seems that to deny someone the ability to get home based upon "lowering the bar" is incredibly tool-ish if not backed up by numbers and data. Emotion is a good thing sometimes - but not often when arguing a point of view.
Begin rant
How does it not fly? Yes they were hiring, but how many people out there know the drama that goes on with regionals? All of us on here at JC listen to it everyday, but think about all the CFI's who are clueless to what goes on out there in regional world. Some CFI out there in St.Louis that has limited knowledge of who's good and who's bad, can you blame him for looking into GoJets and be based at home? I don't know about anyone else on here, but when I went to Colgan I wanted a base close to home, descent upgrade time, and didn't want to be a button pusher. Of course I researched the airlines that I applied too by looking at their respective websites and visiting APC but I had no idea what a mess it would be by not having a union. Like most when we are new we just don't know.
Back to the SkyBus guy. You all hate them for lowering the industry standard (he should know better) and would deny him a jumpseat sob story or not. How about all the Colgan guys on here. Many of which you some of you have met. They accepted sub-par Q400 rates, are non-union and voted down ALPA after all this. This brings down the industry standard which affects all of us. How are they any different? Would you deny the CJC pilots jumpseats?
You can't win on this site. Everyone fights about everything relating to regionals cause we are all "experts".
All you hear; Shame on you for flying a jet, you take away mainline jobs. Shame on you for being at a non-union airline, you bring everyone else down. Shame on you for voting in a sub-par contract.
Why can't you get a job flying a Saab, B1900, DH8, EMB120, or ATR (wait that has too many seats) with a union. Lets see that leaves Mesaba, but wait they have -900's which is a replacement jet so can't count them. How bout Eagle? Eight years at FO pay, but atleast you soul is clean! Air Midwest is an option and I hear the QOL working for JO is great! Great Lakes has Teamsters and a $14,000 pay check first year (before taxes of course). Commutair? Wait no union. Gulfstream? the one airline everyone knows not to go too. I can go on, but really, is there ANY regional people won't give you ##### for? They all suck, they all undercut one another, but they are all necessary for us to get where we want to be in our careers. Get a national union, a national seniority list, and actually UNITY among pilots, not just paying dues, wearing laynards, and putting little stickers on your flight bag. Only then will most of our grievances with one another and our airlines will go away.
end rant
Can't agree more. I don't believe in companies like SkyBus, GoJets, or the alike, but I won't penalize a guy trying to get home cause of it.
Also agree, I won't do anything to damage the reputation of my pilot group and I hope they do the same. Commuting sucks as it is, the last thing we need is unjustified denial of a jumpseat which comes back to haunt both pilot groups.
Spoke with a good friend of mine whos with Xjet. He lives in ALB and commutes to EWR which is now a CJC run. While trying to jumpseat he was told an Xjet guy denied that FO a ride, supposedly cause they took some of their flying away. They still let him on, but they gave him an extremely hard time and told him to tell the rest of his pilots if it happens again they wont be opening up CJC jumpseats to Xjet guys anymore. Hmm let me get the memo out to our 3000 pilots and let'em know. He actually did call his jumpseat committee guy and let him know one of their own did that so maybe the word actually will get out to the 1% of guys who make it a problem for the other 99%.
Velocipede
New Member
No its not, its B.S.
Past is past. What's your point. Skybus is currently paying 1/2 of the lowest legacy airline flying the same equipment. Thats aggregious.
Then, here are the numbers that matter: SX - $65, Lowest legacy - $120. So, we should extend a Union negotiated privilege to a non-Union pilot who is undercutting our contracts simply because he has a pilot's license?
Are you kidding me?
Hate? It isn't hate to deny them a privilege they haven't earned. That's discretion...CAPTAIN'S discretion.
This is a question Regional Captains will have to wrestle with.
Then you support them. If you don't make their commute so intolerable, then you are enabling their bad behavior. Its like parenting.
Except the denial of a jumpseat to a non-Union pilot is not unjustified. In fact Section 115 of the ALPA admin manual SPECIFICALLY states individual Captain's may require a Union Card as additional identification prior to authorizing jumpseat privileges.
I choose to take a more macro view of the piloting profession than you do. You're all about touchy-feely "I don't want to hurt someone's feelings." I'm all about jacking the house for EVERYONE - current Major Airline pilots as well as the young guys here who will advance to our cockpits in the future.
Skybus, Allegiant, Virgin and jetBlue pilots can pound sand.
How about all the Colgan guys on here. Many of which you some of you have met. They accepted sub-par Q400 rates, are non-union and voted down ALPA after all this. This brings down the industry standard which affects all of us. How are they any different? Would you deny the CJC pilots jumpseats?
This is not just for regional captains. When regional pilots lower the bar its not going to affect just other regionals, but majors as well. Also, maybe if regionals weren't so cheap, the majors would take back some of their flying that they gave up in the first place. So I ask you again, would you deny a CJC pilot a JS? They are no different than JB,Virgin,and yes even SkyBus.
This is not just for regional captains. When regional pilots lower the bar its not going to affect just other regionals, but majors as well. Also, maybe if regionals weren't so cheap, the majors would take back some of their flying that they gave up in the first place. So I ask you again, would you deny a CJC pilot a JS? They are no different than JB,Virgin,and yes even SkyBus.
Velocipede
New Member
Regional pilots do not directly undercut my contract.
Stone Cold
Well-Known Member
Hahaha...you know, for knowing so much, I'm amazed at the head in the sand outlook from you on this one...maybe not directly at Alaska, until a regional gets some farmed out work for your company, but it is affecting your pay indirectly, just like Skybus, Jetblue, and the others you hate. Maybe then you'll change your mind. It IS undercutting all the legacies, though. Even the regional guys/gals will tell you this.
Velocipede
New Member
Not really, Cold,
You've got to draw the line somewhere. I draw it at people who are flying similar sized equipment for subcontract wages/benefits.
You've got to draw the line somewhere. I draw it at people who are flying similar sized equipment for subcontract wages/benefits.
WacoFan
Bigly
I said it was hearsay, but to do a correct apples to apples is to look at a 1st year Captain for SWA in 1973 compared to the legacy carriers at the time vs. 1st year Skybus Captains and the comparable group. You say that Skybus is paying half for the same equipment - well, if the numbers I put out are correct then SWA was only paying roughly a third. I also imagine SWAPA was not alive during SWA's first year. Also, of the Legacy carriers, what do street Captians make on the Airbus? You do realize that for a start-up, you can't pay twelve year Captain pay and climbing don't you?
Not trying to argue, just trying to frame the argument correctly so that someone doesn't do something egregious like deny a jumpseat because they are under the illusion that Skybus is "lowering the bar" any more than any other start-up.
Perhaps we can simply stop having start-ups - free enterprise and capitalism suck.