Is there light at end of the tunnel for us regional FO's?

Re: Is there light at end of the tunnel for us regional FO's

jtrain609 said:
I'm presently furloughed, and working as a ski instructor. I could be flight instructing if I wanted. I could have gotten a job at Amflight again I'm sure.

There are other options.
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What are you gonna do now that the snow is melting? :sarcasm:

Congrats on doing something that makes you happy though, more people should follow suit. Your job isn't the end of the world.
 
Re: Is there light at end of the tunnel for us regional FO's

L-16B said:
What are you gonna do now that the snow is melting? :sarcasm:

Congrats on doing something that makes you happy though, more people should follow suit. Your job isn't the end of the world.
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Good question! Probably work at the resort in the summer at the bike shop or something of that nature. Or I could go flight instruct, or do something other than those two options! The economy sucks, but I have faith I can find a job doing SOMETHING this summer.
 
Re: Is there light at end of the tunnel for us regional FO's

That's the spirit, train.

Everyone can find a job if they try hard enough.
 
Re: Is there light at end of the tunnel for us regional FO's

Please do well in law school so I get GOOD free legal advice for the rest of my life.

Thank you.
 
Re: Is there light at end of the tunnel for us regional FO's

v1valarob said:
We have firm orders for new Qs next year, as well as a place already to put them. Its isnt a rumor, its a fact. If it falls through for some reason then I have a feeling Ill have to worry about something other than movement in a company.
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Okay, not picking on ya, here, Rob, it's just your quote is a convenient segue into something I read earlier today:

Pinnacle Airlines chief executive Phil Trenary is not looking at the CSeries or the MRJ. "The end now is not speed but efficiency and so the key is engine technology. There just aren't that many places where you can use the speed of a jet. And so the real need is a 90- to 100-seat turboprop. Bombardier is looking at a 400X and we have urged them to consider this very seriously," says Trenary. Pinnacle's regional subsidiary, Colgan Airways, is in the process of transitioning to an all-Bombardier Q400 fleet and Trenary is pleased with the aircraft's performance so far.
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To me, it looks like there might be limited growth at Colgan if Pinnacle is planning on replacing Saabs with Q400s. Also looks like the growth train will probably reverse itself over here on the 9E side. All the more reason to get our scope issues ironed out. Worst case scenario would be for 9E to cease operations, and we would all be offered interviews on the Colgan side as they took delivery of Q400s to replace the -200s and -900s. Trans States guys know what I'm talkin' about.
 
Re: Is there light at end of the tunnel for us regional FO's

kellwolf said:
To me, it looks like there might be limited growth at Colgan if Pinnacle is planning on replacing Saabs with Q400s. Also looks like the growth train will probably reverse itself over here on the 9E side. All the more reason to get our scope issues ironed out. Worst case scenario would be for 9E to cease operations, and we would all be offered interviews on the Colgan side as they took delivery of Q400s to replace the -200s and -900s. Trans States guys know what I'm talkin' about.
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I would imagine that would be over Seggy's cold, dead body.
 
Re: Is there light at end of the tunnel for us regional FO's

jynxyjoe said:
I would imagine that would be over Seggy's cold, dead body.
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His, mine and our MEC chairman's. The company's loaded gun of handing CRJs over to a non-union Colgan if we went on strike is unloaded now, at least.
 
Re: Is there light at end of the tunnel for us regional FO's

kellwolf said:
His, mine and our MEC chairman's. The company's loaded gun of handing CRJs over to a non-union Colgan if we went on strike is unloaded now, at least.
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How close is the ammo kept to the gun, though?
 
Re: Is there light at end of the tunnel for us regional FO's

MikeD said:
How close is the ammo kept to the gun, though?
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Pretty close. Now that Colgan's ALPA, they can refuse to fly struck work and still keep their jobs. Before the ALPA vote, the company could have said "Fly this or hit the streets." At least now we know they can't force people at Colgan to fly our routes if we go on strike. Now, if the company decides to fold up the Pinnacle side of the house the day after we go on strike, well, it's no longer struck work anymore. That's my biggest fear, actually.
 
Re: Is there light at end of the tunnel for us regional FO's

kellwolf said:
Pretty close. Now that Colgan's ALPA, they can refuse to fly struck work and still keep their jobs. Before the ALPA vote, the company could have said "Fly this or hit the streets." At least now we know they can't force people at Colgan to fly our routes if we go on strike. Now, if the company decides to fold up the Pinnacle side of the house the day after we go on strike, well, it's no longer struck work anymore. That's my biggest fear, actually.
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Yeah, but the PCL operation is what bought CJC and all your stock back from NWA. PCL can't dump all its eggs into the CJC basket. (I'm gonna pull a Matrix quote out here) That would be like the Architech from the Matrix telling Neo that "there are levels of survival we are willing to accept." Dropping the A-bomb at this point is silly. Gas is low, the 50-seaters may eventually be too expensive but they aren't right now.

PCL will just have to find more efficient ways of running things on their end.
 
Re: Is there light at end of the tunnel for us regional FO's

USMC-SSGT said:
Thats is why you never go to an airline based on something that is not concrete.

At colgan the upgrades are not concrete, the payscale is for at least last year and the next few.

When I came here I was looking at a 10-12 month upgrade because that is where it was for those that had the time but I also knew the pay scale. A few months after I came upgrades stopped. It happens. Ive got apps out there for other non 121 flying gigs but im sitting tight unless something comes up. The upgrades will be back in a year or so at Colgan.
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Nothing is concrete in the airline industry.
Nothing in life is concrete either.
Breathe in, breathe out, move on...
 
Re: Is there light at end of the tunnel for us regional FO's

kellwolf said:
Okay, not picking on ya, here, Rob, it's just your quote is a convenient segue into something I read earlier today:



To me, it looks like there might be limited growth at Colgan if Pinnacle is planning on replacing Saabs with Q400s. Also looks like the growth train will probably reverse itself over here on the 9E side. All the more reason to get our scope issues ironed out. Worst case scenario would be for 9E to cease operations, and we would all be offered interviews on the Colgan side as they took delivery of Q400s to replace the -200s and -900s. Trans States guys know what I'm talkin' about.
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I think an equally scary part of the quote is this (and major guys, c'mon, you need these!!!)

Pinnacle Airlines chief executive Phil Trenary is not looking at the CSeries or the MRJ. "The end now is not speed but efficiency and so the key is engine technology. There just aren't that many places where you can use the speed of a jet. And so the real need is a 90- to 100-seat turboprop. Bombardier is looking at a 400X and we have urged them to consider this very seriously," says Trenary. Pinnacle's regional subsidiary, Colgan Airways, is in the process of transitioning to an all-Bombardier Q400 fleet and Trenary is pleased with the aircraft's performance so far.
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Re: Is there light at end of the tunnel for us regional FO's

It's only scary if Pinnacle has the $$$ to secure the financing on them. :) I'm amazed they were able to get financing for more Q400s. After all, we're in trouble financially and have to cut millions out of the budget this year. And the sky is falling.
 
Re: Is there light at end of the tunnel for us regional FO's

Nothing changes till kids stop thinking planes are cool or they raise the 121 SIC requirements to at least 135 PIC. Neither seems super-likely to me. Add in the economic tsunami that is just getting started, and I'll be over here in the beat up freighter keeping my head down and drinking. If you think pining about the good ole days of 1960 is bad, just wait till you're pining about the good ole days of 2005. dbrault has it right, if you're young enough, eject. You can keep the uniform and wear it in the supermarket to pick up chicks, but get a real job. Real job = imagine a skill that is necessary for people to contract, whatever their financial circumstances, and learn it. Repo Man will be a growth industry, for one.
 
Re: Is there light at end of the tunnel for us regional FO's

Boris Badenov said:
Nothing changes till kids stop thinking planes are cool or they raise the 121 SIC requirements to at least 135 PIC. Neither seems super-likely to me. Add in the economic tsunami that is just getting started, and I'll be over here in the beat up freighter keeping my head down and drinking. If you think pining about the good ole days of 1960 is bad, just wait till you're pining about the good ole days of 2005. dbrault has it right, if you're young enough, eject. You can keep the uniform and wear it in the supermarket to pick up chicks, but get a real job. Real job = imagine a skill that is necessary for people to contract, whatever their financial circumstances, and learn it. Repo Man will be a growth industry, for one.
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The good news is that in the 1960's they threw 500 hour pilots in 727s. Now it's highly automated jets that are designed for lowtime FOs.

To those that are offended, chill. I was one too, and the above was directly out of the mouths of the Embraer engineers.
 
Re: Is there light at end of the tunnel for us regional FO's

Polar742 said:
The good news is that in the 1960's they threw 500 hour pilots in 727s. Now it's highly automated jets that are designed for lowtime FOs.

To those that are offended, chill. I was one too, and the above was directly out of the mouths of the Embraer engineers.
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Not to be offensive one way or the other but to expand a little: The market EMB was driving for was developing countries (as well as the US) who had very low time pilots or would be training a overwhelming number of 0 hour guys and felt simplicity and automation were job 1.
 
Re: Is there light at end of the tunnel for us regional FO's

I think this thread should be closed. It is down to pure speculation, and quite frankly, depressing.

There is really only one way to look at this QOL situation at the "regional" airlines. For those of you that are employed, things CAN'T get any worse. But the economy will pick up (eventually) and hiring will continue, and old guys will retire, and life goes on. This is a career with a steep incline to success. I happen to feel that the juice is worth the squeeze.
 
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