Texasspilot
New Member
If it is Cherry I'd suggest you do as much homework as possible.
At a decision point in the career
- Thread starter turbomax97
- Start date
Trip7
Well-Known Member
I'll go with cherry air for 10 points Bob.
Ameristar for the win.
Do you live in a "right to work" state?
Im going with Ryan, Ameristar for the win! People get to SWA QUICK from there.
CapnJim
Well-Known Member
Wow! People are balking at a 12 month training contract?
Point A: A flying job would have to be rapidly approaching dangerous/illegal/miserable beyond toleration for me to want to stay less than a year. I feel the need to point out the word 'approaching' for the inevitable nimrod who will write something along the lines of "Jim sed he'd fly fer ah year even if it's dangruss or eel-legul duuuurrrrrrrr!"
I would not want to have less than a year at any kind of airline without a reason that would sound justifiable beyond any reasonable doubt to my next interviewer.
Point B: If I owned an airline, and spent many thousands of dollars to train someone, I would want some guarantee that they aren't going to bail out at the first opportunity. One year? Hell's bells, I can stand on my head for one year.
HOWEVER:
If you have a wife and/or children, do not, I repeat do not fly on-demand cargo. You have a responsibility to them to stay alive, so go do something less dangerous... like artificially inseminating wild rhinocerous or opening up a Christian mission in Palestine.
But above all-- HAVE FUN!!
Point A: A flying job would have to be rapidly approaching dangerous/illegal/miserable beyond toleration for me to want to stay less than a year. I feel the need to point out the word 'approaching' for the inevitable nimrod who will write something along the lines of "Jim sed he'd fly fer ah year even if it's dangruss or eel-legul duuuurrrrrrrr!"
I would not want to have less than a year at any kind of airline without a reason that would sound justifiable beyond any reasonable doubt to my next interviewer.
Point B: If I owned an airline, and spent many thousands of dollars to train someone, I would want some guarantee that they aren't going to bail out at the first opportunity. One year? Hell's bells, I can stand on my head for one year.
HOWEVER:
If you have a wife and/or children, do not, I repeat do not fly on-demand cargo. You have a responsibility to them to stay alive, so go do something less dangerous... like artificially inseminating wild rhinocerous or opening up a Christian mission in Palestine.
But above all-- HAVE FUN!!
ppragman
FLIPY FLAPS!
There's something missing
On demand is no more dangerous than scheduled pax runs if you don't let it get that way. Tell your captain no once or twice. That will clear things up. THere are plenty of guys who are still alive with wives and children to attest to the safety of flying boxes. I'd be more afraid to jump into an airplane with a guy who'd gone from 300TT Regional Gearmonkey FO to captain than a guy who'd flown freight, battled the wx, and still managed to survive, he must have done something right.
Ian_J
Hubschrauber Flieger
CapnJim
Well-Known Member
Ha.
Hahahaha.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!
OHHHHHHHHH LAWD!
"Tell your captain no once or twice. That will clear things up."
BAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAA!!!!!
<at this point CapnJim fell out of his chair and lay doubled over on his side gasping for several minutes. Onlookers swear they heard a fart at some point.>
Yeah? Key words: "still alive". That means there a lot of dead ones, with widows and fatherless children. I've seen that aftermath. Have you?
So you think all regional FO's are 300hr "gearmonkeys" and that cargo pilots are brave and smart for flying into weather? Well, either you just blew all your credibility or there's a lot of guys out there not <snicker> "Telling their captain no once or twice" to "clear things up" :rotfl:
Please... please stop... you're killing me...
Number1atNumber2
Tries to keep it fun.
:yeahthat: I'd say go with option B. It's pretty common to see training contracts these days, they protect a company from guys just getting a type and then bolting for the door. But, like Boris said, a lot of the contracts aren't enforceable. If you know people who have worked for the company and can give you feedback, than that's a fantastic resource for you.
Being on an hour call out isn't bad. Its pretty much something you have to accept in the on-demand charter world. You could end up having A LOT of time off. Do you know how many hours per year you can expect to fly? I've worked for 3 on-demand operators in my career, and I'd say what makes or breaks a company is how the management treat their employees. Keep in mind, all places will have their negatives, you just have to figure out if the good outweights the bad for you personally. Getting some weekends off I would say is a HUGE plus, but that's just me.
CapnJim
Well-Known Member
Gasp! Jimbo, no!
Ian, don't worry! You're off the hook!
After all, you used to fly Chinhooks-- with people trying to kill you sneaking about.
And that's just the Army gound personnel! You also had to worry about the enemy!
Trip7
Well-Known Member
Statistically 135 on demand cargo is more risky than 121 passenger ops, but I wouldn't call it dangerous. Crashes like the latest AmeriJet crash don't happen often, but they happen more often that 121 passenger crashes. Still not risky enough to avoid altogether because it is an excellent way to build time fast. Shoot if 135 cargo is risky business I don't know what you would call driving a car, especially everyday!
wheelsup
Well-Known Member
I think it needs to be said that the mishaps under 135 happen more due to the nature of the operation. 121 flying is pretty darn mundane, and there are a lot of checks and balances. It has nothing to do with pilot skill.
On a side note, I'd go with USA Jet over Ameristar if you are going to do the on-demand 135 thing (person opinion).
On a side note, I'd go with USA Jet over Ameristar if you are going to do the on-demand 135 thing (person opinion).
tonyw
Well-Known Member
<shrugs>
I've had tens of thousands of dollars in training paid for by employers and not one of them asked me to sign a contract.
That's why I would never sign one.
I've never had to, so what would make one employer so different than the others that I had to?
If they're worried about me leaving, then how about doing this? How about making the working conditions such that I WANT TO STAY instead of counting the days down until I get to whatever milestone they set?
That's what one of the HR directors of one company said in an interview with a local newspaper. We give them these benefits because it makes them want to stay with us and that means we pay less in the long run.
I've had tens of thousands of dollars in training paid for by employers and not one of them asked me to sign a contract.
That's why I would never sign one.
I've never had to, so what would make one employer so different than the others that I had to?
If they're worried about me leaving, then how about doing this? How about making the working conditions such that I WANT TO STAY instead of counting the days down until I get to whatever milestone they set?
That's what one of the HR directors of one company said in an interview with a local newspaper. We give them these benefits because it makes them want to stay with us and that means we pay less in the long run.
Why is only a 1 year training contract being tied down? Sign it, uphold it, fly, and move on. My how things have changed over the years.
Boris Badenov
This is no laughing matter.
CapnJim said:
I know plenty of regional FOs who used to fly cargo. I don't know any who got out because they were terrified they were going to die at any moment.
I've somehow managed to survive thousands of hours flying freight. Now if you ask me it's because I'm God's Gift to Aviation, but if you ask people who have seen me fly, it might be because it's a job just as safe as any other as long as you don't do anything stupid. Like fly with another pilot. Cause *@#&, they could be a jetcareers member!
You make no bones about having seen "the aftermath" of flying freight, so I can only assume you've done it yourself. What made you quit?
turbomax97
What can brown do for you?
Well whoever guessed Cherry Air is correct. It sounds like as long as my really bad cocaine snorting habit doesn't fail my drug test then all is in order!
KLB
Well-Known Member
I'll go with cherry air for 10 points Bob.
Well whoever guessed Cherry Air is correct. It sounds like as long as my really bad cocaine snorting habit doesn't fail my drug test then all is in order!
Bingo Ding Ding Ding Ding Ding
"KLB's the winner. Let looks behind curtain number two to see what he's won!"
I have a buddy I used to flight instruct with that works there. He should be a captain by now. His name is Jeff. SWA really has had a hard on for those guys in the past.
turbomax97
What can brown do for you?
You're right! Skywest said the same thing.
Cherry does have a good rep for doing so... Either way my goal isn't Southwest airlines. I'd like to fly for Qatar Airlines, and I need 500 hours of jet time so.... after my one year contract, that's that.
Cherry does have a good rep for doing so... Either way my goal isn't Southwest airlines. I'd like to fly for Qatar Airlines, and I need 500 hours of jet time so.... after my one year contract, that's that.
KLB
Well-Known Member
I can't say that about my company as of late.
A lot of their guys do go on to SWA for Cherry Air to be such a small company though.
ppragman
FLIPY FLAPS!
Where do I start.....hmmm...ok the top.
On Demand is just like everything else in Aviation. Its a dangerous as you let it be. You can either fly on the ragged edge of the envelope, or you can fly conservatively and safely. Airline ops typically don't have the flexibility to fly outside of the profiles as much as on demand guys do.
Tell your captain no. That is why you are there as an FO. To make sure your captain has a good extra dose of judgement in the airplane. The captain says "ehhh, we can make it in, no problem." You are there to say "no." If you're the Captain, then perfect refer to above bolded item.
As for the last one, no I don't think all Regional FOs are 300TT gear monkeys. I do however have more respect for the guys who fly in more challenging conditions. There is danger involved. And freight guys put themselves into inherently more dangerous weather conditions than do the average CRJ conditions, however, perhaps "still alive" is not the term I was looking for, maybe it would be a good idea to put an emphasis on the acquisition of skills before becoming a captain. A freight guy has had to hand fly a hell of a lot more depending on the airplane (caravan guys...well, go back to the paper). A freight guy has had to make more decisions effecting safety of flight than driving a CRJ at 250.
I could go on, but seriously? Did you ever tell your captain "no?"
