usmc-sgt

Granted I am not a new hire but I plan on going home nearly every weekend during training. I figure for the few hour flight I can sit there and read the FOM/CFM both ways on the trip. Just as productive as I would be in a hotel.

I would leave Friday night and come back early Sunday. Again, new hire training is a bit of a different animal.

featheredprop

My .02 cents ... your priority in training includes assisting your sim /study partner in getting through the event . going home can be detrimental to a successful event . as was stated previously distractions such as the wife and girl friend who will NOT understand what you are going through can be very destructive to your success. Personally cold turkey is the best way to go just do things with other classmates on days off . it will also show good CRM and ....just sayin.... Oh and good luck .... were all counting on you !

usmc-sgt

Very valid points and should apply to most especially new hires.

I am a M-F kind of guy and then Sunday afternoon to evening when it comes to "work". My sim partner and I can hash it all out and take on the world and fly that paper tiger till the wheels fall off M-F and then Sunday after noon time. Whether I go home or not Fri PM through Sun AM that is "my" time.

I would certainly view it as a per case basis. As a non 19 year old out of high school I am highly capable of prioritizing my time and setting a schedule to ensure success. Not all have this ability and they should keep their butts in the hotel with their noses in the books.

With that being said...if my sim partner were dead weight...it would be like bootcamp and we would study so hard 7 days per week we would need a rockyesque montage to properly convey the work we put in.

Work is where I earn my paycheck...my family comes first.


I suppose the moral of the story is that no one can generalize what everyone should do. Each person should know where they stand in training to ensure the success of their partner and themselves. If they find that they can handle all those responsibilities while going home to the family for a day here and there then so be it. I suppose most of this does not matter since the original question was from a new hire who would not be in CASS and wouldnt even have the option.

mooney

Gonna disagree (to a degree)
Depends on the class and who your sim partner is and their study habits. I would have never made it through training had I attended the sausage fest study sessions because some people were more worried about how many rivets are in the outboard left wing leading edge and if we have Michelins or Goodyears. Settling that took up 1/2 the sessions. My time was better spent elsewhere studying the things I was weak on and needed to learn, not what THEY needed to learn.

featheredprop

Whatever the case good luck and have a blast !!!

usmc-sgt

Agreed. In a sadistic way, training is fun... in a jeopardy item potential career ruining kind of way.

grahamlax

Here's facts from MGMT (I got at my interview early July) for those wanting hiring updates at Colgan:

-Aug.10th class is saab, most likely based IAD
-Lower time new hires get the Saab, Higher time new hires get the Q
-15 Q's starting delivery, they expect to use their options for more. No plans for the Q in HOU yet, all 15 new Q's going to EWR
-HOU is a senior base, don't expect it
-Plan is to run a class every 2 weeks
-Aug.20th class is for the Q, expected to be mesaba pilots. Aug 10th last class for new hires until they get responses from mesaba pilots. I'm sure they will continue to interview because they have to fill the classes so if not enough mesaba guys fill the class, they put in new hires.

Can anyone who works there comment on ground training and sim training?

timeoff

I have an interview Aug 12th, and they didn't really give any guidance as to possible class dates. Then again, I didn't ask.

What is considered high time? I've got my ATP 2200/550 with a mix of CFI, 135 freight, and corporate. Not that the pay matters one bit on either airframe as an FO.

Also, how commutable are Colgan's lines? What about commuting on reserve? (I've heard it sucks big time)

grahamlax

I believe there will be an Aug20th class date. Unless things have changed in the last month, they will keep having 2 classes a month (is what Chuck told us). Sounds like you would get the Q, I think any previous 121 would get the Q also. I believe they would put the 1,000-1,500 hour people in the saab.

5 on 2 off schedule for reserve probably won't allow you to commute, possibly when you get a 4 on 3 off line schedule? I don't know much about commuting, but it seems that IAD and EWR would be relatively decent to commute to/from compared to an outstation or smaller airport.

Good luck on the interview!

essayons

I am in the 8/31 Q class.