Part 121 FAQs from a potential new guy
12-28-2017, 03:31 PM
#11
Banned
Joined APC: Aug 2015
Posts: 294
Sorry if there's a FAQ somewhere. I couldn't find it.
I have been a commercial pilot for about 15 years, and lately I've been greatly encouraged to check out the airlines. I have 5,000+ hours, 4,000+ multi turbine, and I have a pretty good job that I'm nervous to leave despite the numerous potential benefits that a good airline job would provide. My caveats (below) pretty severely restrict my options, and United is really my first choice of those.
My caveats:
- I don't want to move
- I can't afford a huge year 1 pay cut ($85/hr is doable, $40/hr is not)
My questions:
- How bad is life with a long distance commute? Are crash pads really that bad? A big commute essentially adds 2 unpaid days to your work hitch, right?
- What determines what base you get initially? What factors influence that? Do I get any say at all? (EWR and SFO would be long trips for me, and if I understand correctly, that's where most new hires go.)
- How long can I expect to be at one of those bases, assuming I don't get the one I want?
- What is the pay for new hires during training, and how long is it?
- How does flying on reserve work? How many days are you on call? How far away can you be?
- What determines what equipment you are assigned to? Excepting pay differences, is life in any one plane significantly better or worse than life in another?
- I know what a 401k is, but what is A/B/C? Some kind of matching?
- I saw another thread recommending Emerald Coast for interview prep. Is it assumed that everyone does this at this point, and are you at a major disadvantage if you don't?
I know this was a lot, thanks for making it this far.
I have been a commercial pilot for about 15 years, and lately I've been greatly encouraged to check out the airlines. I have 5,000+ hours, 4,000+ multi turbine, and I have a pretty good job that I'm nervous to leave despite the numerous potential benefits that a good airline job would provide. My caveats (below) pretty severely restrict my options, and United is really my first choice of those.
My caveats:
- I don't want to move
- I can't afford a huge year 1 pay cut ($85/hr is doable, $40/hr is not)
My questions:
- How bad is life with a long distance commute? Are crash pads really that bad? A big commute essentially adds 2 unpaid days to your work hitch, right?
- What determines what base you get initially? What factors influence that? Do I get any say at all? (EWR and SFO would be long trips for me, and if I understand correctly, that's where most new hires go.)
- How long can I expect to be at one of those bases, assuming I don't get the one I want?
- What is the pay for new hires during training, and how long is it?
- How does flying on reserve work? How many days are you on call? How far away can you be?
- What determines what equipment you are assigned to? Excepting pay differences, is life in any one plane significantly better or worse than life in another?
- I know what a 401k is, but what is A/B/C? Some kind of matching?
- I saw another thread recommending Emerald Coast for interview prep. Is it assumed that everyone does this at this point, and are you at a major disadvantage if you don't?
I know this was a lot, thanks for making it this far.
12-29-2017, 12:55 PM
#12
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Sep 2010
Position: EWR 777 Captain
Posts: 1,715
If so that would mean new hires going to ORD. In the '90's most new hires were to ORD.
12-30-2017, 11:43 AM
#13
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jan 2007
Posts: 235
Pretty sure there was a vacancy a while ago that went unfilled, but probably expired because we didn’t have new hire classes at the time.
12-30-2017, 12:28 PM
#14
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jul 2008
Posts: 864
Not in the 737 FO category. I put my bid in late spring and it took until 18-01V2 to get the award. There hadn't been any vacancies. I got a back fill.
12-30-2017, 04:30 PM
#16
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jul 2013
Posts: 4,785
IF the 600-ish hiring projection for 2018 is true, subtract the known percentage of CPP’s that will take many of those spots. THEN subtract your best guess of how many will be military.
That leaves a very small number for off the street.
Also keep in mind, there’s still about 100 left in the pool from this year’s interviews from the spring. Not sure how many more were added from the December interviews.
12-30-2017, 10:20 PM
#18
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jan 2011
Position: A Nobody
Posts: 1,559
My best advice is if you want to make the leap to United or any other major do it. If you get hired then pick a base and move as close to it as you can stand because commuting isn’t the most ideal way to live.
No matter where you end up working the front end of an airplane is far better than an office cubical.
12-30-2017, 10:35 PM
#19
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Mar 2012
Position: 777
Posts: 2,173
I would be willing to bet a large part of those in the pool are already gone to other airlines. Why wait around for UAL to figure out what they want?
12-30-2017, 11:33 PM
#20
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jul 2013
Posts: 4,785
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
