Hello. Im new here.

AmericanJetBlue

New Member
Hello fellow Airline Pilots, Air Traffic Controllers, Fellow Student Pilots like myself and fellow Aviation enthusiasts! My name AmericanJetBlue is made up of my current two favorite commercial airlines. My real name is Paul Anthony Roach. LOL imagine boarding a M80 hearing this aircraft is commanded by "Captain Roach". I do aspire to work for either Airline. I have flown JetBlue airways alot lately, but recently i flew on American simply because I never flown on one of their Mcdonnell Douglas 80 series. I have always been in love with aviation since my first commercial airline experience on Trans-World Airlines when i was about 5 years old from JFK to MCO. I remember it being a "Mad Dog" because the airplane had a T tail, without the engine so it wasnt a 727. Anyways I flew American once or twice as a child, but recently I took American from LGA to MCO on a M80, returning to JFK via 2 A300F4's. We had to go from MCO-MIA, on 2141 continuing to 882 from MIA-JFK. I appreciated my flight experience with American and my short conversation with a American Eagle captain at LGA. The Captain of our LGA-MCO leg was nice enough to explain his assignment. He had a orlando commuter, going down on 1329 and returning after a 45 minute layover in MCO, returning to LGA and day is over! The only part of the experience i didnt appreciate was American not being able to transfer my bag from 2141 at D51 to D43 where 882 was waiting to JFK. I know it wasnt American's fault about the storm delaying us in Orlando, and my best friend is a Ramp Service agent for US Airways so i understand Ramp agents make mistakes. The baggage claim service agent in JFK Terminal 8/9 gave me the unpleasant experience when she had the nerve to tell me "You are NOT a pilot". I may only be a student Pilot with only 3-4 hours, but i didnt appreciate her comment. Anyways to make a long story short, my fellow aviation expert friends i met at Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology outside LGA airport where i will be attending, told me i shouldnt judge a great Airline like American based on one's lack of professionalism. Fellow Student pilots think she is jealous of my ambition. I just wish, as a student Pilot i could have acted better as a man, in front of my fiancee' as well. Me being an Aspiring Airline Transport Pilot, i was telling her about Pilotfamiles.com too. Anyways I do promise not to act foolish like i did that day in Terminal 9. Before i exit the ramp and contact Ground point 7, i have to ask you a couple of questions, and i would be eternally greatful for the responses.

1. I hear Vaughn College of Aeronautics has internships with American Airlines i could possibly do before graduating. Question is, as a Aircraft Operations Major, what in the world would American have me do?

2. Do you all forsee American ever hiring any pilots in the future? I really wont lie to you, i like them more than JetBlue, I am planning to go to LAX for spring break 08, and plan to give American a second shot

3. Is American Eagle a good place to start, to eventually reach American?

4. Does American Eagle still give choices of Domiciles? They dont help u relocate if necessary right? Does American make u relocate as well?

5. Where on the Eastern part of the United states would an American Eagle Pilot end up flying to?

6. Whats it like working for American as a Pilot?

7. They charge for the flight benefits i believe. But since American is the number one travelled One world alliance airline, isnt Non-rev nearly impossible?

I realize i have alot of questions. I have only been serious about this since febuary of this year when i took my first lesson in a Cessna172R. I Have 3 logged hours, and plan to fly this saturday making it four hours. I have a class II medical certificate and a student Pilot Certificate. I really am eternally greatful to you all, because even with my experience with American, the positive and the negative, i always want to hear what its like from LIVE employees and people who know better than average joes. I have had my own relatives tell me about American loosing bags and such, but i want to make my own experience with American, possibly getting a First Officer Job with them dispite what i heard.

Thanking you in advance again!
 
First off: Welcome aboard!!!!!!

Second off: I can't really answer any of your current questions. :) I am not an airline pilot, but there are many on here that will give you good advice.
 
First off, welcome to Jetcareers....Second, I know nothing about American, but I do know that you need to take it one step at a time. One airline that is great today could be a total dump tomorrow and vice versa. Keep your ears open about the topics going on because many of them will apply to you and me and others who are young in this business.
And last, the details that you can remember about that day and the flight
numbers, gates and what not is ridiculous....You must be a detailed oriented person, more power to ya..:nana2:
 
1. I hear Vaughn College of Aeronautics has internships with American Airlines i could possibly do before graduating. Question is, as a Aircraft Operations Major, what in the world would American have me do?

Talk to ILStud, he's an intern at a major. You could be doing a variety of different things.

2. Do you all forsee American ever hiring any pilots in the future? I really wont lie to you, i like them more than JetBlue, I am planning to go to LAX for spring break 08, and plan to give American a second shot

If American doesn't hire pilots, they're going to eventually run out of crews as they retire, no? :)

3. Is American Eagle a good place to start, to eventually reach American?

If American is hiring, I can't see why not.

4. Does American Eagle still give choices of Domiciles? They dont help u relocate if necessary right? Does American make u relocate as well?

Yes. I don't know. I'm sure they heavily suggest it, but it's your responsibility to be at your assigned base, on time, ready for duty.

5. Where on the Eastern part of the United states would an American Eagle Pilot end up flying to?

Boston's a good guess! :) Might want to look at a route map on AA.com.

6. Whats it like working for American as a Pilot?

Don't know.

7. They charge for the flight benefits i believe. But since American is the number one travelled One world alliance airline, isnt Non-rev nearly impossible?

Depends. If you want to travel somewhere on a popular weekend to a popular destination, it's pretty impossible industry-wide.

Thanking you in advance again!

:)
 
Welcome! I'm sure you'll get some good answers (and also some not so good ones:D) for your post.

All I can say is take it one day at a time. Enjoy the flying, and everything else will fall into place. You can read a ton of posts here where people talk about different training options, and different approaches. To each their own - but as long as you love flying you'll find a way to make it all come together.

Welcome to JC! I wish you all the best!
 
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You will find that this website has a lot of information for aspiring pilots
 
Until jetBlue gets a Union, I wouldn't even bother applying to them. You'll find yourself a pariah in the industry. Unionized airline pilots won't speak to you and treat you like something they stepped in at the dog park.

Is that what you really want for a career choice?

Avoid jetBlue, Virgin, Skybus and Gojet like the plague. You've been warned.

P.S. I'd change that screen name, if I were you. Its sort of like calling yourself AmericanCancer.
 
Until jetBlue gets a Union, I wouldn't even bother applying to them. You'll find yourself a pariah in the industry. Unionized airline pilots won't speak to you and treat you like something they stepped in at the dog park.

Is that what you really want for a career choice.

Avoid jetBlue, Virgin, Skybus and Gojet like the plague. You've been warned.

P.S. I'd change that screen name, if I were you. Its sort of like calling yourself AmericanCancer.

I was waiting for you to chime in as soon as I saw his sn :):sarcasm:.
 
Welcome aboard!

Regardless of what Velocipede says about jetBlue I believe they are a quality carrier. While their payscale may be a bit low, one can't expect a new start up to be paying premiums right out of the gate. I would expect the payscales to mature with the employees and the health of the company.

Also, I like to go by the mantra "focus on the journey, not on the destination." If you enjoy everyday and take it one day at a time you'll be much happier than if you were totally consumed about making to AA. You will miss a lot of events that you can never repeat.
 
You prefer AmericanHerpes? Because that's what carriers like jetBlue, Virgin and Skybus are...open sores on the piloting profession.

Regardless of what Velocipede says about jetBlue I believe they are a quality carrier. While their payscale may be a bit low, one can't expect a new start up to be paying premiums right out of the gate. I would expect the payscales to mature with the employees and the health of the company.

Then, you're none too keen an observer of the airline industry. What happened to payscales at UAL, USAir and NWA when jetBlue showed up on the scene paying pilots 30% less and had inital success and profitability? Those legacy carriers went into Bankruptcy Court, reneged on their Union contracts and imposed jetBlue wages. If you refuse to see what carriers like jetBlue, Virgin and Skybus are doing to YOUR future wages/benefits, then you will be sucked under by those guys. Don't cry to me when your Company wants to take your pension, pay you $65 an hour to fly an Airbus and institutes "merit promotion". You have to fight these guys NOW because tomorrow will be too late.

That means discouraging people from working there and refusing to allow them the benefit of your jumpseat to get to work where they continue to undermine YOUR paycheck and Quality of Life.

Get yourself a copy of "Flying the Line." Read it for comprehension. Airline management is still pulling the same crap today that they did in the '30s. Cutting labor costs will always be the goal of airline managers. And saps who go to work for rogue outfits like jetBlue, Virgin and Skybus who undercut everyone else are OUR WORST ENEMY! They deserve to be treated with the same "respect" as those who would cross our picket lines. Because, surely, they have demonstrated, by accepting positions at jetBlue, Virgin or Skybus, the "me first" morality that SCABS have.
 
Velocipede... honest question here. How much contact do you have with other pilots who fly for majors (or even regionals) outside of your own cockpit?

While, I in theory agree with you about what non unionized, low pay scale carriers are doing to the industry, you make it sound like the day you sign the back of our ALPA or APA card you also sign an "I HATE B6" card. From the way you talk, every unionized pilot out there is spitting on every Jetblue/Skybus/Virgin guy they see. As far as I've seen, it ain't like that. Sure, there certainly are a few I've seen/heard about, but the vast majority say they wish those places would bring up their pay scales, but there isn't this rabid hate that you seem to profess.
 
All I can tell you is there is a grass roots movement to amend the ALPA jumpseat policy to exclude non-Union pilots. And 'hate' is a pretty strong word. However, SCABS have earned their lot in life and the kind of person who would work at jetBlue, Virgin or Skybus are right on track to join them.

So you tell me...what's is the benefit to treating people stabbing you in the back as professional equals?
 
Go easy on him....Let him get "edu-muh-cated" first.....

AjB, there are some valid points on here, though some are stronger (maybe a WHOLE lot stronger) than others, but nonetheless valid. Everyone sees things from a different light and some are more passionate about it.....Take note, ask questions and get edu-muh-cated about anything you can in the business..
 
All I can tell you is there is a grass roots movement to amend the ALPA jumpseat policy to exclude non-Union pilots. And 'hate' is a pretty strong word. However, SCABS have earned their lot in life and the kind of person who would work at jetBlue, Virgin or Skybus are right on track to join them.

So you tell me...what's is the benefit to treating people stabbing you in the back as professional equals?

I dunno... Just in the past month I have flown with 2 different guys that walked the line at Eastern. Both of them had some pretty strong feelings against calling B6, Skybus and GoJet guys SCABS. To them a SCAB was somebody who tried to take away their lively hood, not somebody who decreased it. That said, I've seen no grass roots movement to amend the ALPA policy (and I'm involved in the jumpseat committee over here). I'm not saying it's not a valid idea, but so far I've seen no push for it.
 
Well, I'm told the resolution is on its way from one of our LECs. It just hasn't gotten to the National level yet. As a jumpseat committee memeber, you should be fully aware that there are enough loopholes in Section 115 that Captains can pretty much exclude ANYONE from the jumpseat for any reason.

BTW, you're EAL buddies have been there. They can recognize a SCAB...not only a full fledged one, but one in the making as well. You would do well to listen to them.
 
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