Great Lakes Airlines Hiring???
04-26-2009, 07:16 PM
#241
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: May 2006
Position: FO
Posts: 247
In all seriousness though, I would project Lakes to be the first regional hiring again. It may be a couple months, or it may be a year but my bet is they'll be the first. This furlough is probably due to poor planing on their part. They'll still need ya... the only question is when they'll need ya.
04-27-2009, 06:33 AM
#243
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Apr 2008
Posts: 117
04-27-2009, 07:02 AM
#244
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Oct 2006
Position: Various
Posts: 462
I'd stick with the mom and pop before Great Lakes ANY day! Great Lakes may be a first step towards a 121 career, but that's a hard way to get there for very low pay. Go into the military first.. The Air Force is really under manned at the moment.
04-27-2009, 03:18 PM
#245
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Mar 2008
Position: Beech 1900D
Posts: 280
Not knocking light-twin Part 135 cargo, but you have to be very selective with the operation you fly with if you value your own life. I have a buddy who recently left Lakes. Before Lakes, he was flying 135 light-cargo. He told me about numerous 135 experiences where he truly believed he was going to die. This involved major systems failures (including engines), tumbling attitude gyros and vacuum failures in hard IMC with a standby compass that was worthless because of severe turbulence, picking through a line of severe storms with a strike finder from the 80s, etc. I understand that there are a lot of operations that have great maintenance and airplanes that are well equipped, but there are just as many that are the opposite. At Lakes, you may not get paid alot, but at least you probably won't die from the experience.
04-27-2009, 08:40 PM
#246
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jul 2008
Position: E120 Driver
Posts: 160
At least he had one. Ours double as an ADF/RMI
04-28-2009, 11:14 AM
#247
Banned
Joined APC: Dec 2007
Position: PIC
Posts: 95
Not knocking light-twin Part 135 cargo, but you have to be very selective with the operation you fly with if you value your own life. I have a buddy who recently left Lakes. Before Lakes, he was flying 135 light-cargo. He told me about numerous 135 experiences where he truly believed he was going to die. This involved major systems failures (including engines), tumbling attitude gyros and vacuum failures in hard IMC with a standby compass that was worthless because of severe turbulence, picking through a line of severe storms with a strike finder from the 80s, etc. I understand that there are a lot of operations that have great maintenance and airplanes that are well equipped, but there are just as many that are the opposite. At Lakes, you may not get paid alot, but at least you probably won't die from the experience.
04-28-2009, 12:11 PM
#248
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Nov 2008
Posts: 1,498
Not knocking light-twin Part 135 cargo, but you have to be very selective with the operation you fly with if you value your own life. I have a buddy who recently left Lakes. Before Lakes, he was flying 135 light-cargo. He told me about numerous 135 experiences where he truly believed he was going to die. This involved major systems failures (including engines), tumbling attitude gyros and vacuum failures in hard IMC with a standby compass that was worthless because of severe turbulence, picking through a line of severe storms with a strike finder from the 80s, etc. I understand that there are a lot of operations that have great maintenance and airplanes that are well equipped, but there are just as many that are the opposite. At Lakes, you may not get paid alot, but at least you probably won't die from the experience.
05-03-2009, 04:02 PM
#249
Line Holder
Joined APC: Feb 2009
Posts: 50
Put into Hiring Pool, Offered 135 Gig
Hey all,
The situation... I received a congratulatory letter, like some of you did, from Great Lakes not too long ago. It was bittersweet, since I was put into a hiring pool with no real class date set. I now see theres word of furloughs, and perhaps farther pushback of a potential class date. (August is the earliest, I have heard).
I have in the mean time been offered a SIC 135 charter gig, in which I would be flying a light twin around the country. After this summer, I would upgrade to the left seat and probably meet the ATP mins. My dream has always been to fly for an airline... and I understand that if I was to go this route, it is a different route from which I have been shooting for... but maybe this is not the time to be a chooser. You should know, I am currently a CFI-II-MEI and am very much burnt out from the Flight Instructing.
Would you fellas wait it out? Maybe shoot for another airline to open their doors? I am very good to my word and when signed on with an employer, I have not\would not violate an agreement... especially in this small community. If you guys were me, what would you do?
The situation... I received a congratulatory letter, like some of you did, from Great Lakes not too long ago. It was bittersweet, since I was put into a hiring pool with no real class date set. I now see theres word of furloughs, and perhaps farther pushback of a potential class date. (August is the earliest, I have heard).
I have in the mean time been offered a SIC 135 charter gig, in which I would be flying a light twin around the country. After this summer, I would upgrade to the left seat and probably meet the ATP mins. My dream has always been to fly for an airline... and I understand that if I was to go this route, it is a different route from which I have been shooting for... but maybe this is not the time to be a chooser. You should know, I am currently a CFI-II-MEI and am very much burnt out from the Flight Instructing.
Would you fellas wait it out? Maybe shoot for another airline to open their doors? I am very good to my word and when signed on with an employer, I have not\would not violate an agreement... especially in this small community. If you guys were me, what would you do?
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