Welcome to Flightinfo.com
- Register now and join the discussion
- Friendliest aviation Ccmmunity on the web
- Modern site for PC's, Phones, Tablets - no 3rd party apps required
- Ask questions, help others, promote aviation
- Share the passion for aviation
- Invite everyone to Flightinfo.com and let's have fun
What can you tell me about Colgan???
- Thread starter AV84FOOD
- Start date
- Watchers 11
Welcome to Flightinfo.com
- Register now and join the discussion
- Modern secure site, no 3rd party apps required
- Invite your friends
- Share the passion of aviation
- Friendliest aviation community on the web
AV8-
without candy coating it:
It's a rough place! they are trying to change things but they're way behind. what I'm about to say is from my personal experience only.
Interview: 10 minutes, if that, no test, no sim. Just some instrument Q's and systems.
FO pay: $20/hr(BE-1900)($23 for the SF340)but I don't think they are hiring for the SF340. and you'll sign a bogus $12K year contract.
Training: they pay for your hotel and $250/wk
last about 2 months.
QOL: you might aswell through your monthly schedule (nightmare) away because it will change weekly, no kidding. sometimes you may get lucky and they will not bother you for 2-3 weeks. You will get called to come to work on your days off, because you can fly upto 120 hrs/month(legal) in the BE-1900.
Maintenance: planes fly with 2-4 MELs all the time, it was an issue with me but if you don't mind then you're ok.
It's a good place to build time, but that's about it. The people in the training department are very nice and down to earth, and they will tell you all of this before you hit IOE. I was thankful for the opportunity but it was hard to make a living and stay aflot.
Good luck and take for the meantime if they offer you the job.
without candy coating it:
It's a rough place! they are trying to change things but they're way behind. what I'm about to say is from my personal experience only.
Interview: 10 minutes, if that, no test, no sim. Just some instrument Q's and systems.
FO pay: $20/hr(BE-1900)($23 for the SF340)but I don't think they are hiring for the SF340. and you'll sign a bogus $12K year contract.
Training: they pay for your hotel and $250/wk
last about 2 months.
QOL: you might aswell through your monthly schedule (nightmare) away because it will change weekly, no kidding. sometimes you may get lucky and they will not bother you for 2-3 weeks. You will get called to come to work on your days off, because you can fly upto 120 hrs/month(legal) in the BE-1900.
Maintenance: planes fly with 2-4 MELs all the time, it was an issue with me but if you don't mind then you're ok.
It's a good place to build time, but that's about it. The people in the training department are very nice and down to earth, and they will tell you all of this before you hit IOE. I was thankful for the opportunity but it was hard to make a living and stay aflot.
Good luck and take for the meantime if they offer you the job.
chperplt
Registered User
- Joined
- Nov 25, 2001
- Posts
- 4,123
AV84FOOD
Yankee1 knows all about Colgan from a 10-minute interview.
Here's the real deal. I've been with Colgan almost 2 years and can tell you the truth about flying here. I can't tell you about the interview though. I would suggest you check our aviationinterviews.com for that.
Colgan is a small company growing pretty quickly. We do have some growing pains going on, and because we have more lines than pilots right now, we have a lot of open time. The schedule you get WILL be your schedule. You may get called and asked to pick up an extra day here and there, but you don't have to fly if you don't want to. Crew scheduling will not call you and tell you that you must fly. I think a lot of other carriers do that and call if junior manning.
Just because you can fly up to 120 hours a month in the Beech, does not mean the company wants you to do so, and no one does. I fly my as@ off and pick up as much time as I can, and I average about 85-90 hours a month. There are enough people who want to fly and pick up open time that they really don't need to call and beg you to fly. That was the case over a year ago, and hasn't been a problem since.
Most lines go out with between 12-17 days off. I think you'll find that 13-14 days off is average. Most lines are blocked between 70-90 hours. Schedules are generally 3 or 4 on, with 3 or 4 off and have been commuter friendly for quite a while.
Maintenance is nothing like the redneck, I mean Yankee said. Again, over a year ago we would regularly fly with MELs.. Not anymore. In the last two weeks I've flown 6 different airplanes with a total of 2 write-ups. One was for backlighting and the other was for the pressurization system. A new window was installed and needed time for the seal to cure. Our airplanes are old but aren't falling apart. I believe we had over a 98% completion factor last month. You don't get that with junk airplanes.
If you're looking for that cushy jet job this isn't the place to be. If you want to fly, have a great time, and work your skills, this is a great place to be. We don't just fly into upper Maine and West VA anymore. We aren't all about EAS anymore either. We're getting very nice routes and the C model 1900s are leaving and the Ds are coming. Colgan is as stable an airline as any other airline out there today.
Yankee1 knows all about Colgan from a 10-minute interview.
Here's the real deal. I've been with Colgan almost 2 years and can tell you the truth about flying here. I can't tell you about the interview though. I would suggest you check our aviationinterviews.com for that.
Colgan is a small company growing pretty quickly. We do have some growing pains going on, and because we have more lines than pilots right now, we have a lot of open time. The schedule you get WILL be your schedule. You may get called and asked to pick up an extra day here and there, but you don't have to fly if you don't want to. Crew scheduling will not call you and tell you that you must fly. I think a lot of other carriers do that and call if junior manning.
Just because you can fly up to 120 hours a month in the Beech, does not mean the company wants you to do so, and no one does. I fly my as@ off and pick up as much time as I can, and I average about 85-90 hours a month. There are enough people who want to fly and pick up open time that they really don't need to call and beg you to fly. That was the case over a year ago, and hasn't been a problem since.
Most lines go out with between 12-17 days off. I think you'll find that 13-14 days off is average. Most lines are blocked between 70-90 hours. Schedules are generally 3 or 4 on, with 3 or 4 off and have been commuter friendly for quite a while.
Maintenance is nothing like the redneck, I mean Yankee said. Again, over a year ago we would regularly fly with MELs.. Not anymore. In the last two weeks I've flown 6 different airplanes with a total of 2 write-ups. One was for backlighting and the other was for the pressurization system. A new window was installed and needed time for the seal to cure. Our airplanes are old but aren't falling apart. I believe we had over a 98% completion factor last month. You don't get that with junk airplanes.
If you're looking for that cushy jet job this isn't the place to be. If you want to fly, have a great time, and work your skills, this is a great place to be. We don't just fly into upper Maine and West VA anymore. We aren't all about EAS anymore either. We're getting very nice routes and the C model 1900s are leaving and the Ds are coming. Colgan is as stable an airline as any other airline out there today.
chperplt
Registered User
- Joined
- Nov 25, 2001
- Posts
- 4,123
English
Well-known member
- Joined
- Nov 26, 2001
- Posts
- 3,374
chperplt,
I must respectfully disagree with you. While I worked at Colgan for only a brief period, I have first-hand knowledge of what I write.
There are no published work rules at Colgan, unless they have been written down in the last year.
During my brief stint at Colgan, I personally observed several pilots get the ax during simulator training because the company felt they were going to have to give additional training to these pilots. Another guy in my class was let go a few months after being recalled from furlough for performance reasons. So, the comment that it is difficult to be fired at Colgan is not true. I never saw pilots let go at American Eagle for needing extra sim training...
edited for spelling...
I must respectfully disagree with you. While I worked at Colgan for only a brief period, I have first-hand knowledge of what I write.
There are no published work rules at Colgan, unless they have been written down in the last year.
During my brief stint at Colgan, I personally observed several pilots get the ax during simulator training because the company felt they were going to have to give additional training to these pilots. Another guy in my class was let go a few months after being recalled from furlough for performance reasons. So, the comment that it is difficult to be fired at Colgan is not true. I never saw pilots let go at American Eagle for needing extra sim training...
edited for spelling...
Last edited:
chperplt-
Well, sir...If you read the post carefully and have some sense you can see that I was speaking from my own experience, 5 months experience(not yours). Perhaps, if you agree, just a little more than 10 minutes.
All I said is the truth and nothing but the truth about Colgan. I got friends in Colgan that are currently flying and that are desperately praying for something better to come their way. So, don't make it sound all cute and rosie and say it how it is.....
I said that I was thankful for the job but I had to make a living. And this is why I bailed. Now, if you want to speak for my own experience then go ahead......
Aahh??!?? and about me been a redneck, well, I am far from it buddy. I couldn't live on redneck pay, that's why I bailed out in the first place.
Well, sir...If you read the post carefully and have some sense you can see that I was speaking from my own experience, 5 months experience(not yours). Perhaps, if you agree, just a little more than 10 minutes.
All I said is the truth and nothing but the truth about Colgan. I got friends in Colgan that are currently flying and that are desperately praying for something better to come their way. So, don't make it sound all cute and rosie and say it how it is.....
I said that I was thankful for the job but I had to make a living. And this is why I bailed. Now, if you want to speak for my own experience then go ahead......
Aahh??!?? and about me been a redneck, well, I am far from it buddy. I couldn't live on redneck pay, that's why I bailed out in the first place.
Last edited:
chperplt
Registered User
- Joined
- Nov 25, 2001
- Posts
- 4,123
<<There are no published work rules at Colgan, unless they have been written down in the last year. >>
Yes there are!! They are printed in the company flight operations manual. Don't tell me you didn't get one during indoc... you took a test on it your first week.
<<During my brief stint at Colgan, I personally observed several pilots get the ax during simulator training because the company felt they were going to have to give additional training to these pilots. Another guy in my class was let go a few months after being recalled from furlough for performance reasons. So, the comment that it is difficult to be fired at Colgan is not true. I never saw pilots let go at American Eagle for needing extra sim training>>
The only reason someone would NOT get extra sim training, or let go soon after, would be for, as you put it, performance, or lack there of. It's very simple.. If you can't fly your way out of a wet paper bag, you shouldn't be flying passengers around. No one will get let go during sim training, or even during IOE if the sim instructor, or IOE captain feels there is hope for a successful outcome. My comment about being difficult to get fired here was not based on someone not being able to fly or contribute to the crew.
Yankee1
My apologies for upsetting you. I did misread that part of your post, but I will take my 20 months and counting with Colgan and write my experience, and continued experience.
I'm glad you "got" friends here that are desperately praying for something better. Frankly, the grass is not always greener on the other side.
I've never said things here are perfect. They are far from it. What I can say is that Colgan Air is a good place to work. The flying is plentiful and the flying is fun. Are we flying brand new CRJs.. No.. But if that's what you want to fly, DON'T COME HERE. We're not an ACA or ASA, or a Comair. We don't pretend to operate the same way they do. We mainly fly aircraft with no autopilot into some of the worst weather in the United States. Not everyone can handle that. Some people need the autopilot to fly them down to minimums in a snowstorm. If you want to fly a few hours and then sit at the hotel bar, this isn't the company for you.
You and your friends knew what the pay and benefits were when you came here. Tell me another Beech 1900 operator that pays $20 an hour to start. Go to ACA and pay for your own hotel for two months. Go somewhere else that has a 12-18 month upgrade and coming down. So you have to sign a 12 month prorated training contract. Big frikin deal!
Again, I'm sorry for calling you a redneck. We all know about opinions, and we just have different ones on this subject.
Yes there are!! They are printed in the company flight operations manual. Don't tell me you didn't get one during indoc... you took a test on it your first week.
<<During my brief stint at Colgan, I personally observed several pilots get the ax during simulator training because the company felt they were going to have to give additional training to these pilots. Another guy in my class was let go a few months after being recalled from furlough for performance reasons. So, the comment that it is difficult to be fired at Colgan is not true. I never saw pilots let go at American Eagle for needing extra sim training>>
The only reason someone would NOT get extra sim training, or let go soon after, would be for, as you put it, performance, or lack there of. It's very simple.. If you can't fly your way out of a wet paper bag, you shouldn't be flying passengers around. No one will get let go during sim training, or even during IOE if the sim instructor, or IOE captain feels there is hope for a successful outcome. My comment about being difficult to get fired here was not based on someone not being able to fly or contribute to the crew.
Yankee1
My apologies for upsetting you. I did misread that part of your post, but I will take my 20 months and counting with Colgan and write my experience, and continued experience.
I'm glad you "got" friends here that are desperately praying for something better. Frankly, the grass is not always greener on the other side.
I've never said things here are perfect. They are far from it. What I can say is that Colgan Air is a good place to work. The flying is plentiful and the flying is fun. Are we flying brand new CRJs.. No.. But if that's what you want to fly, DON'T COME HERE. We're not an ACA or ASA, or a Comair. We don't pretend to operate the same way they do. We mainly fly aircraft with no autopilot into some of the worst weather in the United States. Not everyone can handle that. Some people need the autopilot to fly them down to minimums in a snowstorm. If you want to fly a few hours and then sit at the hotel bar, this isn't the company for you.
You and your friends knew what the pay and benefits were when you came here. Tell me another Beech 1900 operator that pays $20 an hour to start. Go to ACA and pay for your own hotel for two months. Go somewhere else that has a 12-18 month upgrade and coming down. So you have to sign a 12 month prorated training contract. Big frikin deal!
Again, I'm sorry for calling you a redneck. We all know about opinions, and we just have different ones on this subject.
Last edited:
Share this page
Latest resources
-
-
-
-
-
AC 90-89C - Amateur-Built Aircraft and Ultralight Flight Testing HandbookAmateur-Built Aircraft and Ultralight Flight Testing Handbook
- Neal
- Updated:
