Bzzt

Most trips used to be, until the company used the 117 rules as an excuse to make awful trips. 4 hour commutes are necessary when they close your base.

SkylineAviation

I understand why you're so miserable now. It's that you're always on a plane, whether it's commuting or flying. Not to mention, while you're off you probably dread the thought of returning on that red eye, it makes you miserable at home too.

I know you know this, but living in base can not be beat and if at all possible anyone should. Commuting can make life absolute misery especially junior or on reserve.

Any new hires take heed. With the way lines are being constructed, LIVE IN BASE! (if you can anyway)

Bzzt

I do know how nice living in base is, problem with that is Eagle is likely to close your base. On top of that moving a family across the country is not cheap. Not to mention Eagle has some of the most awful bases in the country.

ORD: Horrible weather, high taxes, high crime, high cost of living.

NY: Horrible weather, high taxes, high cost of living

DFW: Feels like a giant suburb, middle of nowhere

MIA: Humid, English is not the primary language

Like I said though, if you live in an Eagle base and don't care about being a FO for 8 years, it's not a bad place to work.

Cyborgmudhen

Useful, indeed, Bzzt.
Thx !

swaayze

Except.....if you have a good attitude, bother to try, and show at least some progress in the sim you definitely will get additional time and help. It will not be unlimited however.

snippercr

Cant be anything worse than living in LA...

astec

You do know eagle will pay for your move right?

Bzzt

For a year after displacement that's correct. There are a lot of other factors in a move though. A lot of people have spouses who are employed, kids in school, houses that they can't sell, etc.

RyanP

we are slowly shrinking but not nearly as fast as attrition, we are losing approx 50 a month as of November with the flows included. We aren't parking planes that fast. We are Hanging on to the rest for now, just like was announced. People like to exaggerate about the shrinkage here. We staff planes at 9.6 crews per plane, we would have to park like 5 aircraft a month, every month to not move up in seniority, and that just isn't happening. Most of the ones we were losing are gone now anyway so a new hire won't see a huge change, for at least another year or so anyway. Only a few 135's left, ATR's are all gone now. All the remaining 140's, 145's will be here, at least for a while, as announced.

Do I like what's happening with the outsourcing to bottom feeders and losing our bases. Hell no, it sucks.. But the shrinkage was not that bad with the really high attrition.. at least not yet anyway. Who knows what will happen. We will be a smaller airline than we were a few years ago.. how small? nobody on here knows anything.. Just pure speculation and guesses.
Agree, our training isn't a gimme like some of the places out there.. But people make it sound like you can't pass. I have been through 5 long term trainings, 3 aircraft types and a lot of PC's and never busted one yet, most people I know can say the same. If you take it seriously and try hard you will more than likely be fine.. Just like everyone else. True, some check airmen here are worse than others, some are great. The training here may be harder but it's better than the other places. Sure anyone can have a bad day and screw up but if you put the effort in to succeed I wouldn't even sweat it. I have never not gotten extra help or clarification on stuff if I asked for it. I've made mistakes in the sim just like everyone else and made it through just fine.. It does seem like we are held to a higher standard here but that just makes us better for it. Our check rides aren't about perfection and not ever making an error, ever.. Every check airman here I know says the sAme thing, its about recognizing you made a mistake, correcting it and getting back within standards quickly and most of all good judgement. Sure, sometimes I feel lazy and wish we had easy training and freebie gimme type rides but I'd probably be a lot worse at my job if we did. I have seen a couple people not make it through even with multiple opportunities, lots of help and hand holding.. Everyone in class knew it, those guys are not cut out for this and they were weeded out as they should be. It was clear the first week they had "issues". Normal people that study and try are fine. Instructors are more than willing to help, if you ask, in my experience.
Not really true. I have commuted to 3 different bases 3 hr flights and have very rarely had a schedule where I couldn't fly in the day of and leave the last day. Even on reserve. With trip trading and good proffering its pretty avoidable. Not always but usually. Now if your commuting flights are always full and you can't get on them, that's different but that really isn't eagles fault either. Now, I have a bunch of 16-22 hour days on day 1,4 and it sucks bad commuting, but still, not losing days off commuting. I have had it happen probably 20-30 times or so over the years, stuff happens but it's not a normal every week type of thing. Bottom line though commuting is miserable. Try to avoid it at all costs if you can.. I actually like the job living local, commuting I pretty much want to quit every week.. It's that much of a difference.
I got Captain here in about 6.5 yrs and that's what it currently is still. 2007 hires are in the left seat. Last vacancy was in May, I bet another will be out within a few months.. Not as fast as I would like but it's moving. Our upgrade has dropped to about the same as every other large regional. When I first started here it was about 10 yrs.

I understand the complaining, I do it too. Not been very happy with this career decision and the stagnation. FO pay sucks, losing bases sucks, getting displaced sucks.. Schedules are getting worse, reserve is getting worse.. But I have still managed to move up in seniority and get the upgrade even with all this negative crap going on. We've lost the entire Saab and ATR fleet since I've been here and I still moved up relatively quickly. I think it will be even faster for the junior people with the huge attrition #s. hopefully the flows stay steady!

I don't like this company at all, management is horrendous and the way they run things is terrible.. But everywhere else is pretty much exactly the same from everyone I know and talk with weekly at other places. Regionals just suck all together.

Bzzt

My commuting problems are since the 117 schedule changes. Commuting "was" extremely easy until November.