Colgan Folks..

Yeah, we got it last week.

I think I've got some nice pics of the pilot group holding picket signs in front of it. :)
 
kellwolf said:
Yeah, we got it last week.

I think I've got some nice pics of the pilot group holding picket signs in front of it. :)
Click to expand...

I understand many pilots picketed the arrival of the 900. How is the plane being staffed? Just depends on the day if you're flying the 200 or 900? Or, are you on one airframe and not the other?

I'm asking because I'd be willing to bet you've got guys chomping at the bit to fly that thing for substandard wages. That, despite the efforts of some who picketed.
 
Cruise said:
I'm asking because I'd be willing to bet you've got guys chomping at the bit to fly that thing for substandard wages.
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Why is that? (Seriously.)

Forgive my ignorance, but isn't an RJ and RJ, no matter the size? Why would someone want to fly it if they weren't getting more money for it?

I know it sounds like I'm being sarcastic or something, but I'm really baffled as to what the allure would be.

As an example, my company has Lear 35s. If we suddenly got Lear 60s for the same pay-rate, why would I want to fly them? Because the 60s are "cooler?"
 
I don't get it either, but yet I'm sure there are many many people dying to fly it. "Ooooh. Bigger shinier, me want fly!"

If you ever happen to figure it out let me know, I've spent two years trying and haven't yet.
 
Is this the same thing with the Colgan Q400s? Are they supposed to be at a higher pay-rate or something? Why does everyone have a stiffy for them?
 
I've got a stiffy for the Q400 because it's a freaking awesome airplane! I mean think about it, a 70+ seat turboprop that can do Cat II. approaches? How cool is that!? Seriously, flying turboprops has been the most fun flying I've done so far, and I figure flying something that well equiped up in the crap at 250 to the marker and still having a completely stabalized approach is just awesome.

Now the pay rate? I don't have a stiffy about that. In fact I don't want to fly anything bigger than what I'm flying around right now unless it has an industry standard, or better pay rate. Too bad Colgan fell well short of that mark...
 
These days I tend to have stiffies for airplanes that are comfortable. Give me a nice seat, and a little bit of room to spread out, and I'm a happy camper. ;)
 
Ian J said:
Why is that? (Seriously.)

Forgive my ignorance, but isn't an RJ and RJ, no matter the size? Why would someone want to fly it if they weren't getting more money for it?

I know it sounds like I'm being sarcastic or something, but I'm really baffled as to what the allure would be.

As an example, my company has Lear 35s. If we suddenly got Lear 60s for the same pay-rate, why would I want to fly them? Because the 60s are "cooler?"
Click to expand...

You just answered your own question. That's exactly right.....people, for some reason, feel the need to fly the biggest bird in the fleet...regardless of pay-rate. It's SJS to the nth.

Ian J said:
Is this the same thing with the Colgan Q400s? Are they supposed to be at a higher pay-rate or something? Why does everyone have a stiffy for them?
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Actually, the Q's are at a higher rate. Not for the FO's...but the Captain rates are higher. Unfortunately, the rates across the board are completely insulting. Ok sure, it's a pay raise for both Saab & Beech Capts. but it doesn't justify flying around 74 people.
The company will be making bank on these birds. TP's are much much more efficient than a jet. Top it off with paying the crews substandard 50 seat rates and BOOM....you're making money.
 
We get payed the same for 50 or 70 seat lift. The rate is based off a complex blend between the number of total airframes we have and the number of 70 seat airframes we have. Either way the rate sucks, but that's not the point.

We have guys that only bid the 700. Also, we've got guys that have switched bases, just so they could have the bigger airplane flying. Now, there are some appreciable differences between the two (FADEC, more power, better packs, more automation), but in the end, it's pretty much the same airplane, just with 20 people stuck in the back. The funny thing is (out of my domicile anyways) the schedules for the 700 are MUCH worse then the 200. All the trips start at 4:45am and end at either 5pm or 11pm.They are all one or two day trips with 3 trips backed up against each other. They all have multiple 3+ hour sits per day. Any yet some guys fight tooth and nail for them. AND... one of the first things a lot of new hires want to know is how long until they can do differences and go fly the big plane?

I don't get it.
 
Could it be that the -900 would be flying longer routes, meaning more logged time and less legs per day? Would flying it lead to a better QOL?Pay should be more, but that it a problem at ALL carriers presently.
 
the ONLY base as of now is ewr and we will see what happens in the future. as for the original post it is false as you have said

I am headed off to training today
 
USMC-SGT said:
I am headed off to training today
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Goodluck man! I was talking to a Captain that just finished the Q training, he said its a pretty awesome airplane and the FMS is really the only tough hurdle but once you understand the system its not that bad. Best of luck.
 
thanks airdale I have heard the same..they sent us the online fms trainer but it is not very useful

good luck in your future ventures as well
 
Cruise said:
I understand many pilots picketed the arrival of the 900. How is the plane being staffed? Just depends on the day if you're flying the 200 or 900? Or, are you on one airframe and not the other?

I'm asking because I'd be willing to bet you've got guys chomping at the bit to fly that thing for substandard wages. That, despite the efforts of some who picketed.
Click to expand...

It's being treated as a separate airframe, complete with locks. So, if a CA bids over to the -900, he's locked on it for a year (unless the new contract removes the locks). If an FO bids the -900, he's on it for 2 years. According to the contract gurus I've talked to, if an FO bids the -900, he CANNOT bid back to the -200 for upgrade unless his airframe lock is up. Considering that it's been going INSANELY senior (we're talking #1 guy in MEM along with several that were in the top 20), I don't see FOs over there upgrading soon. Bad news is they'll be waiting a while for upgrade. Good news is that's gonna put the company in a crunch for -200 CAs, which means more pressure to get a new contract signed and release the locks. For me, that means for every MEM CA that goes to ATL to fly the -900 means less and less of a chance I'll have to commute to DTW or MSP when I upgrade.

As for the pay....who knows. I haven't heard the arbitration decision on that yet. The company wanted a SLIGHT bump in CA pay and zero bump in FO pay. Pretty much the same deal that Colgan got on the Q400.

A lot of guys are bidding the -900 for commuting reasons. Some are bidding it hoping that the arbitrator will give us a good pay rate, but if he doesn't, they're more or less screwed until the contract gets done. We don't even know what the schedules look like, but from looking at Delta's website (they're selling tickets on the thing after all), it looks like things like ATL-IAH, ATL-SRQ, etc. I don't see a whole lot of long haul stuff on there. Probably just uping the number of seats in markets already served by a -200. Pretty much the same thing NWA has been doing with Mesaba.
 
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