contrails

V,J,&G -

I've heard the gouge on aviationinterviews.com is still accurate.

Red Forman

Not getting furloughed, but my life vest is not big enough to keep me from drowning in the CMR sinking ship. Hope you have a life raft.

CRJDriver

I'm trying to get out as well, but I said to myself that I will not take another paycut, which pretty much rules out all regionals. I'm coming up on 3rd year pay now, and I don't think I can do 1st year pay all over again.

If you get the job, you'll probably be on reserve for a while, but it won't be as bad as CMR and you'll be moving up eventually, while I am moving backwards again on the seniority list, aircraft, QOL, etc. Also, seems to me that NWA has invested a lot into CZ, so I think they will be around well after the merger is complete. Good Luck on your interview. I wish you the best!

JungleBus

One word of advice for those coming to Compass--

Try not to judge the company by how they run their HR department. It's an abortion of an operation run by an incompetent shrew. Between your interview, medical, and newhire class they are almost guaranteed to screw something up. I think they're still unaware that I never had a medical (hired over a year ago). Similarly, the training department leaves a lot to be desired. You'll be sitting in Montreal shaking your head in utter disbelief, wondering "What the he11 have I got myself into?" This especially goes for those without 121 experience, because Compass' approach to training is basically to say "OK we do things just like your last company except a, b, and c...and the E175 is just like the CRJ except x, y, and z." Fortunately your experience will change when you get out on the line, we have a very good group of check airmen that do a great job getting everyone squared away in short order...and things on the line generally work much, much better than they do in the interviewing, hiring, and training process.

whoareyou310

Can you elaborate a little more on the "training experience"? Is training utterly difficult that those with out 121 time would struggle? Also what type of training do they utilize up in YUL? Is it the building block method? Where you learn steep turns for example and then get signed off for it right away if you and your instructor feel comfortable with it, or is it just one big checkride at the end of the sims? thanks for the info

UnlimitedAkro

What junglebus was talking about it the structure of the training and the hiring department. Once you get hired you will probably find the organization of the HR department is worse than your previous airline.

The training experience is easy. The majority of the people have no problems what-so-ever. If you have been though a 121 training program, you'll know what to do. The best way I can put it is: they don't lead you by the hand during training.

Once you get to Montreal, you will find yourself wondering what you are supposed to be doing, studying, etc. Then the scheduling is unorganized. Its not Compass's fault, it's CAE's fault. They have instructor issues which cause short notice changes on training schedules. You'll get frusterated with it. But thats not Compass.

Once you get to IOE things get better. Then once you start flying the line things get much better. This is a great place to work with great people.
Hopefully by now they are doing a better job with organization than they were a year ago in the HR and training departments.

DashGirl

Dangit! I won't hit the mins until late next week...sounds like I'm just gonna miss the boat here, but thanks for the info gents! I may still submit to get into a pool...

whoareyou310

Also what does the home study consist of?

JungleBus

Yeah all that, plus the ground instructors don't know any more about the plane than the (admittedly limited) CBT CD-ROM can tell you, and there's a few sim instructors that aren't all that knowledgeable. Ok, the main problem is really one character rather central to the training department that doesn't know the E175 from a mole on his @ss. Unfortunately he was scheduled for a lot of my events; fortunately I figured out pretty quickly that he was full of $hit and got my information from other sources. Why he hasn't been weeded out yet, I don't know.

JungleBus

But again...lest I sound too negative... the check airmen are all great, OE was a very pleasant and streamlined experience, and life in the line is a lot better than our f'd up HR & training would lead you to believe.