frieswiththat

I respectfully disagree.

If you think that focusing on telling new applicants not to apply at Colgan or any other regional airline that you deem undesirable is going to change the shape of the industry, then you are living in a fantasy world.

I would suggest that you share your own experiences from any airline that you have worked for personally, pros and cons, in order to allow those on this forum that are asking legitimate questions to make their own informed decision.

winglets

If new applicants stayed away from places like Colgan, then yes this industry will change. Colgan pilots will also finally get a good contract they deserve.

AxialFlow

Where can one find an emoticon of a stick figure beating a dead horse???

winglets

Your analogy doesn't work since the horse is not dead yet. Colgan still doesn't have a good contract and the best way to help them is to tell people why not to go there.

AxialFlow

And this argument has been going on since, when...the creation of outsourced flying? There's a really fresh opinion

This tired and stale argument takes place EVERY time a regional carrier starts hiring. Guess what? it's a DEAD HORSE

Swedish Blender

Still waiting to know the shangri-la you work at Winglets

OldManReverend

this is like telling children who are homeless sweatshop workers in china (CFI's) not to try to get a foster home in America (regionals)... in my opinion..

Colgan would be a step up from where I have been for the past 2.5 years for 7 days a week. I think we've all agreed that Colgan is not THE BEST regional, but there are worse places, and a lot of us are at those worse places, or at no place at all (furloughed).

I really want to have the option to make the regional I go to, a career. If **** hits the fan and I get "stuck" at my regional, I wanna know that this is still a decent place to work, and not stuck in a "temp" position like somebody else said. This is why I'm not sure Colgan is somewhere I want to go. Then again, it would be a step up for now. I'm just sick of having that "temp" attitude, then end up there for longer than I wanted to because of certain circumstances.

winglets

Trust me, Colgan is not better than instructing jobs. If your instructing job is that bad, you need to look for a better one. When I started instructing I thought it really sucked. When I finally said enough is enough and went to another, I realized how much I was getting abused. That's in the past, but for new instructors, I always say, don't go someplace that makes you work when your not with a student. I think that is actually illegal in a bunch of states. They are suppose to pay you minimum wage in some states when you are at the desk. I believe some instructors won a big lawsuit regarding this.

Instructors are making $30-$50/hour right now flying Cessna 152's. Don't tell me that's worse than Colgan. Know your worth and don't waiver on it.

No matter how much you hate your Colgan job, just listen to the honest Colgan pilots on this thread who are saying stay away. A common mistake pilots will make is they feel if they talk down on their company, they are talking down on themselves. That is why some Colgan pilots don't say the negative things about the place. The ones who do, are the ones you should really listen to.

OldManReverend

So besides less pay... what EXACTLY are the differences in work rules/ benefits versus other airlines?

Would you mind sharing a side by side comparison of a "preferred regional"? I hear ASA has good work rules?

I guess a better way to say it....

ASA vs. Colgan
per diem: $x.xx $x.xx
cancel: 50% %50


something like that??? probably a lot of work, but I am trying to to figure out how different it really is? THANKS for the info guys!

winglets

I wouldn't mind putting that together, but it would be very hard. You need to get each pilot to present their work rules side by side.

This is a limited list, but ASA(Skywest), Skywest, Expressjet, Horizon, Eagle, Republic, AWAC, plus more all pay a decent chunk more for doing the same work.

I understand you a new to this. But even though Colgan may pay $21/hr, that $21hr at ASA can easily turn into $5,000+ more a year. The soft time is the key. At Colgan you may have to fly 950 hours to get paid 1000, but at ASA you may only have to fly 800 hours to get 1000 hours or if you work 950 hours, you may make 1200 hours in pay.

On top of that you have to consider benefits. That is part of your total compensation. Medical coverage and issues at Colgan may run you a lot less in compensation and more out of pocket than ASA. 401K as well. ASA and others will give you 2-10% of your base pay. That is something I don't think you get at Colgan and that can add $1,000+/year. Horizon matches 10% if I'm not mistaken.

Pilots at the regionals I listed above will have compensation of $30,000-$50,000/year (year 2 pay) while a Colgan FO will be lucky to touch $30,000/year (year 2 pay)