PilotLife4me

Could any CQFOs that were hired end of last year or the start of this year tells us how their experience has been? How much you are actually used as a captain?

SpeedTaped

After IOE which is all SIC. I have a 48% SIC 52% PIC split. February Hire.

etflies

Up until I got Denver it was almost exactly a 50/50 split. So far all right seat out of DEN. December hire.

walt heisenberg

Jan 5th class here. You want the truth? It's a game of luck. I am a Jan 5th CQFO and I flown 30% as CA and 70% as FO. So if a Feb hire tells you 50% as PIC it is not spread equally for everyone. I am not telling you do not come here. It is just an honest experience. PM if you have more questions? Do not listen to CBreeez or whoever, they have no idea about cqfos issues.
PS: it sucks at any regional.

bonesbrigade

I totally agree with you bro... the moderators at this place are fuggin MORONS. They constatnly allow people like SHYGUY to just flamebait all the livelong fukkin day, yet when someone who isn't a total moe says something snide, you start getting PMs telling you of an infraction. These MODS need to lay off the pipe and do their jobs!

A couple of points, FEDEX had electronic LIDOs on most planes. Changed because Jepp is obviously better.

I've used paper LIDOs and they are very distracting... no central location on the IAP for ANYTHING, its everywhere. To fly one arrival you have to use 3 different sheets of paper. Info is much more difficult to quickly locate. All in all they are a trainwreck.

CBreezy

I guarantee I know more about CQFO issues than most CQFOs.

In other news, if you are considering coming here as one, I would advise highly against it. At this point, the most junior captain has been hired and unless we get more flying, I don't forsee positive things for you hired at the bottom.

Coneydog

I don't know why management thinks hiring CQFO's is the answer to their hiring problems. A lot of current FO's are hitting the mins and will be upgrading consistently. So, the company basically wants CQFO's to fly primarily as FO's and pay them the blended rate of 43 an hour? That doesn't make sense. Why not just make significant contract improvements to make the position attractive?

FlyingKat

Could be they want to make sure these planes are staffed so they get the next group of aircraft and have plenty of Captain qualified people ready to go.

Coneydog

We're gonna be good on Captains shortly, which means these next round of CQFO's will be flying as FO's for 43 an hour to start. That doesn't seem like a great idea from the companies perspective. Isn't there another way to attract FO's?...especially ones that don't have prior 121. If the company made significant contract improvements, then this place could be a desirable place for an FO...especially if they live in one of our 4 bases. Quick upgrades here are not gonna be around much longer. I don't know...just thinking out loud here. I don't know how we're gonna staff this flying.

Bellanca

When oxley came to talk to our new hire class about 6 months ago, he claimed there were options for some ~30 more American planes. And United didn't have as solid of an offer on the table, but basically if we can keep staffing, they will keep sending them.

There is potential for the quick upgrade to be around for a long time. The problem is that at some point this is a huge Ponzi scheme. Without new investors (FOs) we won't have people getting the payout (upgrades). Nobody knows how long the scheme will last before or all collapses. If the company makes a solid effort to attract new pilots (something more than just a signing bonus or the cqfo carrot) it can prolong or possibly prevent the collapse of the whole thing. The question is what will the company do. We're seeing some companies putting out good incentives to attract pilots, when on the other hand you look at rah, and it appears the company is ready to let the whole thing collapse rather than give incentives to retain and attract pilots.