Colgan Air

Windchill

Well-Known Member
Anyone have any information on Colgan Air? They're a regional based near here, actually from where my fiance's family is, and I thought it might be cool to fly for them . . . but I've heard they're involved with Regional Airline Academy and/or other academies doing PFT operations.

Wondering if anyone knows anymore about this, if they've worked for Colgan and have views on it? I actually know through her family the Colgan's and am really curious as to what might really be behind that operation.
 
There's a thread on FlightInfo right now, for whatever that's worth.
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I know that the pay is crap. I knew of someone who went to work there several years ago and they go $14k to start.
 
I have several friends who fly for Colgan out of BHB. I am probably going to try and work for them myself when they get rid of the PFT program (if they have not already). The PFT deal was through TAB Express I believe and obviously you want to stay far away from that, but I would imagine that would have to end soon. Not the biggest or best company out there, but they are close to home and some good people work for them up this way. I am not sure how the pay compares across the entire board, but I have a friend at CommutAir who seems to be making about the same income as a new FO as a buddy of mine at Colgan (both flying the B1900).
 
Colgan is a good place to build some time quickly and then move on. Right now they are 100% PFT. You can use TAB or RAA in Florida and it runs about 18K. First year FO pay is $20/hr on the Beech and $22/hr on the Saab. I have heard that they are no longer hiring into the Beech though.

Word on the street is the 1900s are going away and they want to be an all Saab fleet inside of a year. They just leased 10 Saabs from Eagle, and will get 1 a month until November, when they should have them all. 1 1900 a month is supposed to be going away as the Saabs come on line.

I don't think the PFT for FOs will go away for years to come. As long as they have plenty of people who are willing to pay the $$, they will keep doing it. I think they'll hire some off the street captains without PFT as the need arises, but that's about it.

There are plenty of companies out there that will hire lower time guys and not make them pay the big bucks.
 
chperplt

I was figuring that as other airlines increase hiring that people would no longer be willing to PFT in the numbers they require to run a class. Am I being a overly optimistic? Also we keep hearing that the Saabs are coming. Will they remove seats so they can fly them into airports like BHB & PQI or do you think the 1900 be around for a while at the smaller bases?
 
As long as there are low time guys that will pay the $$, Colgan will be PFT.

Removing seats won't do a thing. FAR 139 says aircraft certified with more than 19 seats. The SAAB will always be certified with more than 19 seats regardless of how many seats are physically in the airplane.

PQI has crash rescue at the airport and has been a Saab base for some time.
 
I just met a female pilot last month who works for them. "Excuse me are you a Flight Attendent"
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She was 20 years old when she got hired, late 2001 she said she went from ATA( Ran-away after there First stage program) to TAB.
after getting some Multy time she applied, and got the job.
Lucky Girl i told her.

I'm 21 she's 22
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my Navy and her Airline just can't work !!
 
Let me get this straight

To work at Colgan, you have to PFT through the TAB program and then you have to pay ANOTHER 18K to get a job at Colgan?
 
Wonder what will happen with BHB. There seems to be little chance of the county upgrading the emergency services at the airport. I thought the 1900 still flew from PWM to PQI. Is there a SAAB run direct to Boston?
 
The Saab flies from PQI to BOS. The PWM-PQI run was a city of Presque Isle funded thing and is over..

Colgan may keep a couple 1900s to do the BHB and Augusta runs.

IF US Air goes out of business or sells the express division, Colgan may rethink it's plans and be forced to stick with the 1900s soley.
 
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The Saab flies from PQI to BOS. The PWM-PQI run was a city of Presque Isle funded thing and is over..


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They must have ended that run recently. A buddy of mine here in BHB had to go do the PWM-PQI run a few times on his on call days. That was back in November & December though.
 
The Pwm-PqI bird was the spare, so if something broke it went to cover for it. The route ended last week I think. How many people did they actually think wanted to go pwm-pqi or back?? I think most flights went out empty.
 
That’s what I always heard. I think he had a max of two people on board! I am also surprised that PQI has crash trucks. I have been there, but never really thought about it. They do a fraction of the traffic that BHB does (during the warmer months in particular), but I think its 100-1 odds that the county commissioners here would ever spring for that bill. I wonder where the funding comes from for PQI. It would be darn nice if they could bring the Saab into BHB and they could certainly use the seats in the busy months.
 
PQI can be used as an emergency field for airplanes coming from Europe and his used my the military as well. I think that's why crash rescue is still there..
 
I knew her at ATA....I flew with her once on a night flight...She took a while to get her Pvt. She was in an article in one of the flying magazines
 
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