FlyingKat

Don't know what you're talking about. Everything I was told to expect in the interview was correct.

ArcherDvr

Well some key things I was told were incorrect, namely about sitting reserve and upgrade times. When an interviewer tells you there is so much flying I doubt you'll have to sit reserve, and then your entire class is placed on reserve, at best he just sucks at forecasting, at worst he's lying to get you through the door. As far as the 6 month, and the 14 month upgrade they were talking about to me and some others I know, yeah not happening. So glad it worked out for you, but if they hire 150 people for some new airplanes, and they tell interviewee number 150 the same thing as interviewee number 1, it's flat out lying. Interviewee number 150 is not going to see that quick up grade, but they sure will sell it to him.

FlyingKat

LOL. You seriously expected to never sit reserve as a new hire? Sounds like you heard what you wanted to hear. I was told that new hires were not sitting reserve long, but there were no guarantees. Also I was told there was the potential to upgrade fast, but once again, no guarantees. Staffing requirements in this business change with the winds and no recruiter can predict this reliably. If you were that unrealistic it's your fault, not the recruiters. People have been upgrading fast and still are. The October class of upgrades has two guys that are upgrading from Jan 2013. Guys junior to that have upgraded so I don't see where they lied to you.

You forgot the first rule of the airline business: never believe anything when it comes to upgrades, reserve, holding a line, or new airplanes till you see your name on the list or the aircraft on the ramp.

80ktsClamp

A friend recently hired was told he would likely never sit reserve in the interview.

ArcherDvr

LOL. And because they have kool aid drinkers and cheerleaders like you they get away with it. When I interview with a company I'm not looking for guarantees, but an realistic assessment of the situation. Barring a drastic announcement (losing planes, a huge price increase in oil, the company can go bankrupt), a recruiter should be able to predict almost no reserve, vs the entire class sitting reserve, a 6-14 month upgrade, verses a 22 month upgrade. Just because a handful junior to that upgraded, doesn't make it a 1 year upgrade.
These places flat out lie to get recruits through the door, and maybe some experienced guys know this, but many first time FI's don't. They lie, because they know once you are in the door, they have you by the balls, and you're going to suck up what ever they dish out to protect your record.

The fact that people are leaving proves the point. They aren't leaving because they were told at the interview "hey, sign on, as things are right now we are going to have you sit reserve for the next 6 months." No they are leaving because they were probably told the opposite. Because pilots like you don't hold the company responsible for this deception, they keep doing it.

ArcherDvr

There's potential for me to screw your wife, doesn't mean at this point in time it's a realistic assessment of the situation.

minimwage4

Don't listen to the recruiters they'll tell you whatever you need to hear. You have to do your own homework, amount of aircraft, pilots already there, pay, contracts etc. If you've been here less than a year you're a bit late to the party.

harvick4

I believed nothing the recruiter told me. Yes, upgrade was a year when I interviewed but that was for guys hired a year prior. I wasn't expecting a quick upgrade, but never thought I'd only have 144 hrs 6 months after my checkride and I haven't flown since Aug 29.

My only gripes are no limit for the amount of times you can be assigned airport reserve.
To volunteer to fly you have to sit 10 hr airport reserve. Scheduling then won't use you unless its a repo or last min fill-in. Sick calls go to short call reserve.
You have to call the CP to get an early release on day 6 with 15 other pilots on reserve after every plane has left. (maybe this is normal everywhere else, just seems strange.)

CBreezy

I'd say you just missed the cutoff. I have friends who've been there less than a year and have already flown 600 hours. Sometimes you get bad breaks I guess.

RgrMurdock

I think recruiters will tell pilots anything they want to hear to get them through the door. And I don't think it's much different at any other regional. So I'm not sure if they are flat out lying or not. People pm me and ask about the status of hiring. I can tell them for certainty what the doh of guys upgrading are. But I say it's my best guess what happens down the road. There's so many variables that you can't be sure of like guys who don't have their standing bid in because they don't have the hours but then put them in at a later date. Or expected attrition vs actual. These things are difficult to predict no matter who you are. Regardless the onus is on the pilot to do the due diligence on the company.