Superpilot92

I have head thats what was talked about. We shall see

gtippin

I am curious myself, If Compass is so understaffed why is it I cant buy an Interview there. I am sitting at 4000hr with almost 1200 turbine and 4 typeratings with most of that being glass panels. Not looking to be a CA right away I am willing to work in the system and pay my dues. Been turned down twice for an Interview. just wondering if someone had an idea.

CE750

At my interview, I was the light weight with 5000, 5 types (MD11, A320, CE750, CE500 and ATR) and 2000+ PIC..

There was a 23000 hour ATA Captain (L1011, 757, 737, etc..) an Air Force C17, GIV guy who also worked at Skybus and had an A320 type, another ATA CA with Airforce Retirement behind him, and a former Spirit A320 FO now flying corporate.. oh, and there was a gal who was a Dornier FO I think, but she was a gal..

Keep plugging, it sound like the best gig in the Regional world right now.. worth it.

LIOG41

When do they require you to sign the one-year contract?

Also, what kind of pay do you get during training?

I hear training is a one-week orientation, followed by 30-day home study, then to Montreal for 30-45 days of sims/systems. Is this still accurate?

Lighteningspeed

I have to disagree with you there. There's no such thing as the best gig in the regional, and Compass is not it. If you guage the "best" by regional growth, Compass isn't it. It is slated to get max 36 E175s. After that there is no growth unless NWA decides to award additional 18 aircraft to Compass, and that right now looks very unlikely.

Mesaba, on the other hand is expected to hire another 330 to 350 pilots in 2008, now that's growth. I just attended a joint NWA/DAL presentation and the NWA representative said the flowthrough agreement currently in place with Mesaba and Compass is up for negotiation, and that it may or may not stay after the merger with Delta. He also said they are looking for 100 seat mainline jet to replace DC9s. If you read between the lines, that means a lot of RJs will be phased out soon as the 100 seat jets becomes available at a reasonable price. Right now there isn't one according to the NWA rep.

Don't count on flowthrough as a basis for making your decision whether to come to Compass or not. Around 14 Mesaba pilots have flowed up to NWA so far, no one at Compass has flowed up yet because no one at Compass has been there for 30 months. By the time Compass pilot reaches the 30 months mark, there may not be any flowthrough agreement with the NWA.

CE750

at the interview they told us the flowthru was approved... I guess that's not true then?

Lighteningspeed

Flowthrough agreement is inplace as of NOW with Mesaba and Compass but according the the NWA representative at the FLTops Conference, the flowthrough agreement has not been negotiated yet whether it will remain after the merger with the Delta.

I know you have a lot of experience and I am going to give the same advice I gave to a retired AF Col who was looking for a flying gig after his retirement, and that is this: since no majors are hiring right now, you should get a flying gig either with corporate outfits such as NetJets, CitationShares or with a good solid regional and stay current. If your plan is to get on with a major, I think it is better to go with a good regional and get a lot of 121 flying.

Another thing you should know is that IF NWA starts to furlough pilots (I think that may not happen but it could happen), Compass has no protection from every NWA pilot displacing them. Only those pilots who have elected NOT to flowthru will get to keep their jobs. On the other hand, at Mesaba, only the same number of pilots who have flowed up(right now 14) can flowdown. Even then, they cannot displace Mesaba pilots because the seniority number of those pilots who have flowed up remain vacant so no one is displaced at Mesaba.

I can PM you more info if interested. All I am saying is do your research before making your decisions. Interview with Mesaba and Compass and then make your decisions.

Oberon

There are a few things they have been telling interviewees that are patently false, this is one of them. Every part of the NWA/DAL contract has to be negotiated including scope, so only the NWA and DAL negotiators know what they have in mind. I doubt flow though is a high priority. I'm not saying it will or will not be around, but as of right now nothing has been negotiated.

The other thing they are telling interviewees is 18 options have been exercised. This isn't true. If the options are exercised you will see a press release.

CE750

on it... thanks Lightening..

LIOG41

Personally I'm not thinking about Compass in terms of the flow-through, I'm more interested in the potential for a "quick" upgrade...I know that sounds crazy during these times, but it's the best I can do at the moment. Especially considering my current airlines' future is very muddy at the moment. I would imagine Captains at Compass will not be turning down interviews at any major (or frax/corporate) in the future and simply count on the flow-through, this is why I think the upgrade might continue to be quick...however that window of opportunity is shrinking.

Back to my original questions from above.

When do they make you sign a one year contract?

What is the pay during training?

Can a new-hire pretty much get to MSP if hired in the next couple months?