TFAYD

would you write an $80K check to leave for a resume washing operation though? That’s what they want to prevent.

there will be no call from UA or DL before you served your time.

Cactus310

It's $80k plus Citibank prime interest rate plus another 6%. Around 14% interest total, and it compounds.
I wish people would stop mentioning $80k only, because that's only for those who fail during initial training, or get fired early on. By 2nd to 3rd year it's over $100k

PorkyMcFuzz

Hold up, SkyWest is going to make people who wash out of training pay 80k? That can’t be right surely. No way anyone would sign a contract like that…would they?

rickair7777

I don't blame them for that, not one bit. Their economic model accounts for people leaving for the majors. But not if everybody leaves after 10 months, that was never a thing in the past.

Honestly would I write the check, if a resume -washer called? Yes. Some risk without TPIC, but yes assuming legacies were still hiring LCC pilots at that moment. Defintely if I had completed upgrade IOE.

Right now it's harder to get on with LCC/second-tier than legacies.



In which case you don't have to write a check.

I'm not commenting on the right, wrong, morality from the company perspective of this thing. Just looking at it from a career-progression perspective.

rickair7777

Like I said, I'd pay $80k for six months of legacy seniority, if they offered me that. Not everybody might, it would depend on your seniority demographic but right now with a lot of legacy hiring (by historical standards), a few months goes a long way as a new-hire.

After you've been at a legacy for a while, $80-100K isn't that big of a nut in the grand scheme. Just trying to put that into perspective.

velosnow

That's the kind of mindset that hurts us all in the end. PFJ 3.0 and it's a bad idea.

rickair7777

Gross conceptual error, obviously that's not my "mindset", buying seniority after the fact has never been and will never be a thing, at least not in the US.

I was providing some context as to what career progression might be worth, that could also apply to a career changer who has to decide whether to take the slow road, keep working and pay-as-you-go, vs. loans or sacrifice to get on with it faster.

This OO thing is not the old-school PFT, you're not buying a job. They just have a business model where they can't afford to train folks and have most of them leave within a year. If there are better options in the industry (ACMI, regionals who don't mind losing all their FO's) then it won't work out for them and they'll have to try something else.

Personally it would make more sense to me to do a pro-rated thing, but I guess their issue is CA's so they want you to upgrade and then stay for a while. Also they have a LCA shortage... even if you're on reserve, do that and you'll fly your arse off (and be more marketable to the bigs).

trip

Yes it's "paying for your training" if you leave before the contracts up, no question, very distasteful, will leave a stain.

JoJocou

any contract is a bad idea. dont buy into that forced participation. i went to an airline years ago where there was a contract and you will regret the decision. the pilot shortage is still present and pilots are not in the same boat as in the early 2000s. the slow down is temporary based off of delivery of aircraft for the most part. we stand together on not accepting this type of action by a company.

ExperiencedNUB

This is the problem. Pilots tend to be their own worst enemy. The reality of it is, the airline is counting on the history of pilot mentality, a fair amount of pilots unfortunately will step on their wallets and dignity to get the leg up on a competitive fellow contender. I for one have refused this contract and will wait my turn, if there is one in the end. I am ok with knowing my future isn't locked in by wether or not i can pay for my training to exit this contract when and if i decide to move on.

I am not saying that skywest is in any financial troubles or in any worries (today) of furloughs, but...... i remember companies with training bond loans (call a spade a spade) that closed the doors leaving the pilot without a job, a loan in their name and without the payment for the loan, in my opinion playing with fire.

also what do you think if everyone stood together and EVERYONE refused this? Short answer there wouldnt be one.

But there are too many in a rush to sign and get that class date. I understand some really feel they need that job now and that 6 months will be the end of their career and seniority. $80K is 1 year salary for a first year FO put that in perspective, if you leave you essentially worked for 1 year free.

all the best and may the odds be ever in your favour