Mature Gojet discussion
08-07-2012, 11:57 AM
#41
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Nov 2006
Posts: 492
Had a few FO's from Trans States jumpship in the past couple of years, because they didn't want to wait in line to upgrade anymore, and are now captain's at GoJet. Many of the FO's there didn't want to jump ship because some, understandably don't want that employer on their resume.
There's two scenario's that can occur. 95% chance, Chief Pilot and hiring board see GoJet, and see the time frame you worked there, and not give two hoots. 5% chance, someone on the hiring board dislikes GoJet, and that will affect their view. I've been very lucky in my career so far, but I'd like to not push my luck, and I'll try to avoid that 5% chance, and try to stay at a regional that has at least a good reputation.
I've jumpseated on many airlines, and nobody knows about the GoJet fiasco, but I can promise you, they find out from word of mouth. The response is usually"Wow, sounds like the Mesa/Freedom fiasco, but at least they merged those lists...." or "So it's an alter-ego airline? Wow"
There's two scenario's that can occur. 95% chance, Chief Pilot and hiring board see GoJet, and see the time frame you worked there, and not give two hoots. 5% chance, someone on the hiring board dislikes GoJet, and that will affect their view. I've been very lucky in my career so far, but I'd like to not push my luck, and I'll try to avoid that 5% chance, and try to stay at a regional that has at least a good reputation.
I've jumpseated on many airlines, and nobody knows about the GoJet fiasco, but I can promise you, they find out from word of mouth. The response is usually"Wow, sounds like the Mesa/Freedom fiasco, but at least they merged those lists...." or "So it's an alter-ego airline? Wow"
08-07-2012, 11:58 AM
#42
New Hire
Joined APC: May 2012
Position: Flap Operator
Posts: 6
Senior Skipper, seriously, thank you for creating this thread. Tip of the hat to you sir.
I've been wanting to create a thread like this for some time but didn't think it would ever bear fruit let alone have any factual information on it so I never did. With that, thank you mods for keeping this professional and appropriate.
I have a class date with G7 and was wondering a lot of the same that you posted. I will be commuting and am not worried about that at all. I commuted with my current regional for several years (mostly on mainline NWA/DL and occasionally on DCI) and never once had a problem. I've always heard about regional guys getting kicked off mainline jumpseats , denied boarding etc and not once have I ever had a bad experience. I have had nothing but huge professional courtesy from every mainline crew I have ever flown with so don't let the commute aspect bug you.
I am well aware of how G7 was started but I too am looking for the facts about the current status of the company and not the past. Bernoulli, thank you for insight and information. I was curious about the most junior CA being a November 2011 hire when during the interview it was mentioned that guys were still upgrading out of new hire class. Is that still the case? I'm guessing most guys don't want RDU because many would probably have to 2-leg it to get there? Are guys just not qualified (4500 tt) that are currently there?
With all that said, I don't believe that working at GoJets/Mesaba/Pinnacle/Colgan/Skywest/Expressjet/ASA/ etc will hurt your future chances of leaving the regional doldrums. At the end of the day I believe its your resume, record, personality and kind of flying that you currently do that will speak for itself and will allow you to escape and not your callsign.
I've been wanting to create a thread like this for some time but didn't think it would ever bear fruit let alone have any factual information on it so I never did. With that, thank you mods for keeping this professional and appropriate.
I have a class date with G7 and was wondering a lot of the same that you posted. I will be commuting and am not worried about that at all. I commuted with my current regional for several years (mostly on mainline NWA/DL and occasionally on DCI) and never once had a problem. I've always heard about regional guys getting kicked off mainline jumpseats , denied boarding etc and not once have I ever had a bad experience. I have had nothing but huge professional courtesy from every mainline crew I have ever flown with so don't let the commute aspect bug you.
I am well aware of how G7 was started but I too am looking for the facts about the current status of the company and not the past. Bernoulli, thank you for insight and information. I was curious about the most junior CA being a November 2011 hire when during the interview it was mentioned that guys were still upgrading out of new hire class. Is that still the case? I'm guessing most guys don't want RDU because many would probably have to 2-leg it to get there? Are guys just not qualified (4500 tt) that are currently there?
With all that said, I don't believe that working at GoJets/Mesaba/Pinnacle/Colgan/Skywest/Expressjet/ASA/ etc will hurt your future chances of leaving the regional doldrums. At the end of the day I believe its your resume, record, personality and kind of flying that you currently do that will speak for itself and will allow you to escape and not your callsign.
08-07-2012, 12:14 PM
#43
Banned
Joined APC: May 2012
Posts: 1,071
With all that said, I don't believe that working at GoJets/Mesaba/Pinnacle/Colgan/Skywest/Expressjet/ASA/ etc will hurt your future chances of leaving the regional doldrums. At the end of the day I believe its your resume, record, personality and kind of flying that you currently do that will speak for itself and will allow you to escape and not your callsign.
08-07-2012, 12:25 PM
#44
New Hire
Joined APC: May 2012
Position: Flap Operator
Posts: 6
I'm taking this for what it is, a stepping stone. I'm willing to go cargo, LCC, mainline etc. once I've checked off the boxes I feel I need to check off for some career stability and to be marketable. Beggers can't be choosers and as far as I'm concerned, if you're at a regional, any regional, you're constantly begging.
08-07-2012, 12:39 PM
#45
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Apr 2010
Posts: 453
Because there is no such thing as QOL at a regional airline. Unless you do your own flying, you're constantly at the whim of someone else and always doing at-risk flying. I'm here to do my time, be mentored, learn and get out. "QOL" at a regional is why one regional just sank and another soon will. Too senior, too much longevity, too many guys who decided to stick it out due to "QOL" will soon not have any "QOL." Most all of those guys could have left but chose not to. I feel bad for those guys. I really do. They have families to feed & clothe but that's the risk of staying at a regional.
I'm taking this for what it is, a stepping stone. I'm willing to go cargo, LCC, mainline etc. once I've checked off the boxes I feel I need to check off for some career stability. Beggers can't be choosers and as far as I'm concerned, if you're at a regional, any regional, you're constantly begging.
I'm taking this for what it is, a stepping stone. I'm willing to go cargo, LCC, mainline etc. once I've checked off the boxes I feel I need to check off for some career stability. Beggers can't be choosers and as far as I'm concerned, if you're at a regional, any regional, you're constantly begging.
Also, I do bump GJ people off of my jump seat. I've done it a handful of times and I will continue to do it. I always tell them its not for W&B and offer up my JS coordinators email address if he has any questions or problems with it. I realize I am a small majority who actually does this, but I fully believe I can not operate a safe flight with pilots who work for an alter ego carrier. Any regional, mainline or cargo guy/girl is welcome, alter ego pilots are not.
08-07-2012, 12:45 PM
#46
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Oct 2009
Posts: 596
It's this kind of "Regionals have no QOL so suck it up" attitude that allowed GoJets to be created. This is the main problem in why we can't raise the bar for the aviation industry - we are our own worst enemy. I do believe mainline should do their own flying, and if I lost my job because of it then so be it - but PLEASE do not lump me in with all of the other regional airlines. We have work rules (not spectacular ones, but decent ones none the less) that we fight for with every contract. Why people enslave themselves for a horrible company, to "get my time and get out" is beyond me. Chances are you will not get hired on for MANY years - not just because you work for GJ but because not that many are hiring now.
Also, I do bump GJ people off of my jump seat. I've done it a handful of times and I will continue to do it. I always tell them its not for W&B and offer up my JS coordinators email address if he has any questions or problems with it. I realize I am a small majority who actually does this, but I fully believe I can not operate a safe flight with pilots who work for an alter ego carrier. Any regional, mainline or cargo guy/girl is welcome, alter ego pilots are not.
Also, I do bump GJ people off of my jump seat. I've done it a handful of times and I will continue to do it. I always tell them its not for W&B and offer up my JS coordinators email address if he has any questions or problems with it. I realize I am a small majority who actually does this, but I fully believe I can not operate a safe flight with pilots who work for an alter ego carrier. Any regional, mainline or cargo guy/girl is welcome, alter ego pilots are not.
08-07-2012, 01:00 PM
#47
Banned
Joined APC: May 2012
Posts: 1,071
Because there is no such thing as QOL at a regional airline. Unless you do your own flying, you're constantly at the whim of someone else and always doing at-risk flying. I'm here to do my time, be mentored, learn and get out. "QOL" at a regional is why one regional just sank and another soon will. Too senior, too much longevity, too many guys who decided to stick it out due to "QOL" will soon not have any "QOL." Most all of those guys could have left but chose not to. I feel bad for those guys. I really do. They have families to feed & clothe but that's the risk of staying at a regional.
I'm taking this for what it is, a stepping stone. I'm willing to go cargo, LCC, mainline etc. once I've checked off the boxes I feel I need to check off for some career stability and to be marketable. Beggers can't be choosers and as far as I'm concerned, if you're at a regional, any regional, you're constantly begging.
I'm taking this for what it is, a stepping stone. I'm willing to go cargo, LCC, mainline etc. once I've checked off the boxes I feel I need to check off for some career stability and to be marketable. Beggers can't be choosers and as far as I'm concerned, if you're at a regional, any regional, you're constantly begging.
08-07-2012, 01:16 PM
#48
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jul 2009
Position: ERJ145 Captain
Posts: 473
The sad truth!
I love it when guys say that regionals are stepping stones, heck I even agree with the statement. The truth is that it no longer just takes 2-4 years then over to a major or whatever fantasy. Somehow we have guys that think that once you hit 1000 PIC that the majors and everyone else for that matter will start banging on your door! A very naive mentality when you consider the fact that any airline right now is in a position to cherry pick. With the upcoming reduction in flying at the regionals there will be plenty of skipers with thousands of PIC time and better resumes. So the likelihood of working at a regional 5-7 years before moving on is starting to become more of a reality.
In this kind of environment you need a good contract, and good work rules. Companies such as Air Wisconsin and Legacy ExpressJet have pay rates higher than gojets on much smaller equipment. This is an embarrassment to the industry. The fact is gojets exist today because of it's subpar contract, and the type of people that work there. They wanted an airline that would pay the least with the worst contract, and the pilots that would accept the conditions knowing that they were and still are circumventing a collective bargaining agreement. The fact that we are still talking about it 7 years later should be an indication of where the moral compass is pointing.
Always amazes me how people try to justify working at an alter-ego!
In this kind of environment you need a good contract, and good work rules. Companies such as Air Wisconsin and Legacy ExpressJet have pay rates higher than gojets on much smaller equipment. This is an embarrassment to the industry. The fact is gojets exist today because of it's subpar contract, and the type of people that work there. They wanted an airline that would pay the least with the worst contract, and the pilots that would accept the conditions knowing that they were and still are circumventing a collective bargaining agreement. The fact that we are still talking about it 7 years later should be an indication of where the moral compass is pointing.
Always amazes me how people try to justify working at an alter-ego!
Last edited by goaround2000; 08-07-2012 at 01:46 PM.
08-07-2012, 01:49 PM
#49
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jul 2011
Position: 777
Posts: 495
Originally Posted by goaround2000
i love it when guys say that regionals are stepping stones, heck i even agree with the statement. The truth is that it no longer just takes 2-4 years then over to a major or whatever fantasy. Somehow we have guys that think that once you hit 1000 pic that the majors and everyone else for that matter will start banging on your door! A very naive mentality when you consider the fact that any airline right now is in a position to cherry pick. With the upcoming reduction in flying at the regionals there will be plenty of skipers with thousands of pic time and better resumes. So the likelihood of working at a regional 5-7 years before moving on is starting to become more of a reality.
In this kind of environment you need a good contract, and good work rules. Companies such as air wisconsin and legacy expressjet have pay rates higher than gojets on much smaller equipment. This is an embarrassment to the industry. The fact is gojets exist today because of it's subpar contract, and the type of people that work there. They wanted an airline that would pay the least with the worst contract, and the pilots that would accept the conditions knowing that they were and still are circumventing a collective bargaining agreement. The fact that we are still talking about it 7 years later should be an indication of where the moral compass is pointing.
Always amazes me how people try to justify working at an alter-ego!
In this kind of environment you need a good contract, and good work rules. Companies such as air wisconsin and legacy expressjet have pay rates higher than gojets on much smaller equipment. This is an embarrassment to the industry. The fact is gojets exist today because of it's subpar contract, and the type of people that work there. They wanted an airline that would pay the least with the worst contract, and the pilots that would accept the conditions knowing that they were and still are circumventing a collective bargaining agreement. The fact that we are still talking about it 7 years later should be an indication of where the moral compass is pointing.
Always amazes me how people try to justify working at an alter-ego!
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