Cape Air interview, Aug. 4, 2011
- Thread starter jrh
- Start date
milleR
Well-Known Member
Gotcha by one
!
jrh
Well-Known Member
That's where I'm at now, doing aircraft sales. Everything is going well so far, but it's still hard to know what the long term prospects for this job are. I could see it going really well, or possibly going nowhere.
What I *don't* want to happen is have this job amount to nothing, but not realize it until after my LOA from 9K has expired. Then I'd be in the nasty spot of being out of currency AND needing to start all over at the bottom of a seniority list somewhere.
If my job in Nebraska fails, I want to know early enough that I can jump back to Cape and have a decent life while I figure out a plan for moving on. At least then I'd have a good schedule, good paycheck, and be IFR/multi/135 current.
Hopefully it doesn't come to that. Hopefully I can make a bunch of money, have a bunch of fun, and live happily ever after in my current position.
Hi Guys,
Need some advise on Cape Air. I am about to touch 1000 TT with 140 Multi by the end of this week & I am very seriously looking to get an FO spot on the 402. I have gone through this thread & a few older ones as well.and still have some questions.
1) How hard or easy it is to get on with Cape as an FO in today's environment with my flying time?
2) How many FO's do they need & do the FO's get a lot of flying?
3) If someone who joins as FO wants to fly the max, what would be a good base which a new hire FO could hold?
4) What does a typical schedule or week for an FO look like?
5) What is the training like for an FO??
6) Do Cape air pilots have any travel bennies?
7) How long does one hear from recruiting after applying & how long to start if succesfull at the interview?
8) Can anyone pls shed some light on the interview process or if anyone has a more recent interview gouge ?
Thanks for inputs...
Need some advise on Cape Air. I am about to touch 1000 TT with 140 Multi by the end of this week & I am very seriously looking to get an FO spot on the 402. I have gone through this thread & a few older ones as well.and still have some questions.
1) How hard or easy it is to get on with Cape as an FO in today's environment with my flying time?
2) How many FO's do they need & do the FO's get a lot of flying?
3) If someone who joins as FO wants to fly the max, what would be a good base which a new hire FO could hold?
4) What does a typical schedule or week for an FO look like?
5) What is the training like for an FO??
6) Do Cape air pilots have any travel bennies?
7) How long does one hear from recruiting after applying & how long to start if succesfull at the interview?
8) Can anyone pls shed some light on the interview process or if anyone has a more recent interview gouge ?
Thanks for inputs...
jrh
Well-Known Member
I don't know, as I left the company a few months ago.
I don't know how many are needed, but plan to fly a lot. The company wants you to upgrade quickly, as FOs aren't really *needed* whereas captains are. I've known a few FOs to fly 100+ hours/month.
I don't know. Probably STL or BOS.
Most do 4 on/3 off, with approximately 10 hour duty days.
Identical to that of captains, except the checkride is easier.
Yes. CASS jumpseat benefits (access to the cockpit jumpseat) with almost all US-based airlines, plus non-rev benefits for your family on United Airlines. Family includes parents, spouse or domestic partner, and kids. You can also designate one "travel buddy" per year (such as a best friend, significant other, etc.)
I don't know. It was about a week for each when I applied in 2011.
I've heard through friends as recently as a couple weeks ago that the old interview gouges still apply. Nothing significant has changed with the process for the past couple years.
sp238882
Hey-ooooo
I am in a similar boat as I am basically right under 1000 with 100 multi. I can tell you I submitted my app on a Thursday and got called at 4pm Friday. The recruiter was incredibly nice and said they want 1100 TT and to have the ATP written done. She said to resubmit an app with just those two items specified and not worry about a full application filled out on the resubmit. Can't stress how nice she was and I was completely surprised to get a response that quick, especially to simply say your a little below what we want.
@ JRH
Thanks a lot for the detailed response, it has helped to clear a lot of questions. From what I make of the company so far by reading all the threads, it is not at all a bad place to work for, besides the pay being on the lower side.
Is there any thing that you would like to add about your experience while you were there?? GOOD BAD UGLY, anything??
Thanks a lot for the detailed response, it has helped to clear a lot of questions. From what I make of the company so far by reading all the threads, it is not at all a bad place to work for, besides the pay being on the lower side.
Is there any thing that you would like to add about your experience while you were there?? GOOD BAD UGLY, anything??
How recent was this?? Did you apply at 1100 or did you go someplace else??
I was at the job fair on Nov 30th in MCO & the recruiter was really emphasising on applying as soon as I reached 900.
But I know job fairs are sales events, where recruiters are pretty much selling the company.
Oh, so that was very recent. I guess they are getting a lot of applicants in that TT range.
Just like you, I am slightly below 1000 but I will also apply when I reach 1000 next week & I guess I will get the same response.
Hopefully, it doesnot become chasing a moving target, that when you reach 1100, now they want 1200TT.
jrh
Well-Known Member
Cape Air is an outstanding company and I'm glad I went there for a year. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend others check it out...as a matter of fact, one of my good friends from college is interviewing there tomorrow as a result of me telling her what a good opportunity it is. The company treats pilots with respect, it's good experience, looks good on a resume, and on and on.
Bad things about my time there? When I reflect back, the one word that comes to mind is "boredom." I don't know if this applies to the whole operation, or just the STL region where I was based. It was really, really, really repetitive flying, mixed with hours of sitting in a pilot lounge, with some trips to the maintenance hangar thrown in. It gives me a feeling of....meh....
I got tired of flying the same plane to the same cities, working with the same people, over and over again. I like more variety. Contrary to what freight dawgs might tell you, doing the single pilot IFR thing isn't hard when you have good training, good equipment, and have done it for a while. After two months on the job, I felt like a shuttle bus driver.
I've heard people talk about how awesome the pilot group is, and while I didn't think it was a *bad* pilot group, I wasn't super impressed, either. It was, as I said above...meh. Lots of young pilots trying to get ahead. Lots of old guys stuck in a rut. A few cool cats, and some huge tools, too. In other words, I'd still say hi to a lot of them if we cross paths in the future, but it's not like I became life long friends with anyone. I think I had more fun hanging out with the rampers than the pilots. Maybe that's more my problem than theirs.
The thing I'm thankful for is how it opened my eyes to what airline flying is REALLY all about. A person can read about it and talk about it until they're blue in the face, but until they straight up *live* it for a year or two, they won't get it. Not just the flying, but the whole lifestyle. The bases, the training, the schedules, the compensation, the living conditions...everything.
I obviously got to see how Cape Air operates, but I also got to see how other regionals and majors work as a result of my jumpseat benefits. I literally traveled every weekend for a year straight. I got to sit up front on every common airliner flying (CRJ, ERJ, EMB120, MD80, 737, 757, Airbus...) and chat with the crews about anything and everything.
The big conclusion I came to is that airline flying is simply not for me. This industry is so effed up it makes my head spin. It's not what I want for the rest of my life, although I completely understand why so many other people love it. It's not a bad career for the right people, but I'm not one of them. I'm glad I learned these lessons at the young age of 28, when I can still set off in a completely different direction with my career, rather than always wonder "what if" I'd become an airline pilot. And for that, I have Cape Air to thank...something worth far more than any flight time or pay check they gave me.
bushleague
Well-Known Member
Shanti?
Yes I did apply about 10 days ago but did not hear a word as of yet.
sounddoc
Well-Known Member
Do you have ATP mins now? I've heard not to bother unless you do as of a few weeks ago. I'm at 1080, and there's no way I'm going to get the 240 more hours XC I need to make ATP mins by August. I'm looking at continuing instructing (which requires me to hold two jobs) or going to Alpha at 1200, if they'll take me!
jrh
I have a question regarding the 1yr training contract, which Cape Air makes you sign.
If you join Cape Air as an FO & leave before you reach 1500 TT or right around 1500 TT, do they mark you as "NOT ELIGIBLE FOR RE-HIRE" ??
I know I read about this somewhere, I can't find it whether it was your post. Can you pls confirm this & shed some more light on it again??
Also, What are the potential impacts of this for an individual in the future job seach??
I have a question regarding the 1yr training contract, which Cape Air makes you sign.
If you join Cape Air as an FO & leave before you reach 1500 TT or right around 1500 TT, do they mark you as "NOT ELIGIBLE FOR RE-HIRE" ??
I know I read about this somewhere, I can't find it whether it was your post. Can you pls confirm this & shed some more light on it again??
Also, What are the potential impacts of this for an individual in the future job seach??