Cape Air interview, Aug. 4, 2011

jrh said:
I've been based in the STL region, flying the line for several weeks now and am very happy I decided to come here. No operation is perfect, but this place has FAR more good than bad, IMO. You all are welcome to PM me with any questions regarding line operations if you want. I can't speak for hiring or training departments, but I can tell you what my day to day life is like.
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Hey how are your loads to Fort LostinWoods? I love flying into the middle of that STL operation. Makes me feel a little like I'm back in Boston in the 1900.
 
jynxyjoe said:
Hey how are your loads to Fort LostinWoods? I love flying into the middle of that STL operation. Makes me feel a little like I'm back in Boston in the 1900.
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I don't have any experience on the TBN lines, but all of our midwest bases, in general, have been very successful. I'm based in Marion, IL and literally only had a half dozen seats open all day yesterday. Probably averaged 8 passengers per flight, both ways.

Rumor has it we might be opening up two more EAS bases in the midwest. Would love it if that happens.

I'm not sure, but I think we might be the busiest operator in STL, as far as number of takeoffs/landings are concerned. Although Southwest and American are probably close as well.
 
Thanks, I've read some of dasleben's posts although IIRC I think he previously was at XJ and had some Embraer time. I have some single engine tprop from a few years ago, but no turbojet time. I'm just weighting my options, Cape seems like a great place to be I've talked to Krista a few times and she has always been a pleasure to talk with. The issue with me is that I'd like to get into some international cargo based somewhere in Asia or the Middle East so I'm looking for a good route to get me there. If it takes me four more years to do it thats fine, but I hate bouncing around, I'd rather get the time I need at one place, get some seniority, a schedule, and enjoy the ride. So if Cape were to hire me I wouldn't want to go there just to get some multi and then jump ship to another regional 6 months later at $25/hr. I'd want it to be my "regional." Either way thanks for the insight I learned a lot. :)

jrh said:
Talk to JC user "dasleben." I believe he went straight to the right seat of a 757 from flying 402s at 9K (Cape Air).

The thing you'll find at 9K is an odd mix in the pilot group. Since we operate as a Part 135 commuter, the age 65 rule does not apply and there are some retired airline pilots who came here because they can no longer do the heavy jet thing due to their age, but want to keep flying.

There are also a surprising number of career pilots here...the top 25% of our seniority list (44 of 230) have been with the company for ten years or more. Usually those guys have good pay, awesome schedules, are home every night, and see no reason to move on. They also have unbelievable job security. Depending on your personal life and future goals, it's hard to put a price on those characteristics.

The bottom half of the seniority list (about 120 or so) have been with the company for two years or less. So there is this big gap between pilots coming just to get their time and get out, versus those who intend to stick around long term. You'll rapidly advance through the ranks your first two years here, then hit a brick wall as far as seniority goes.

I've only been here for a few months, but from what I've seen, very, very few pilots have any interest in going to a regional jet job. They might not know what they want to do next, but it sure as heck doesn't involve sitting in the cockpit of an RJ ;-) That's certainly the spot I'm in.

It's just the type of personality 9K attracts. We don't generally chase after the stereotypical airline dream. I know several pilots who came here from flying the bush in Alaska, one guy with 6000 hours of time flying pipeline patrol/skydiving, etc.

I think a fair number of pilots leave here to fly for charter or corporate gigs--but that might be more a function of their personality than qualifications.

One thing is certain...flying at 9K will never *hurt* your career. It checks a lot of boxes like multi, PIC, 135, IFR, airline time, etc. You'll become friends with a lot of people who can probably help you in the future. You might be surprised where it will lead.

Good luck if you decide you want to come here!
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Yes, I was at XJT prior to Cape, so I had glass jet experience before getting into the 757/767. Still, my current company loved the fact that I had the hardball single-pilot experience. It shows that you're able to handle being PIC, and that you're a competent stick and rudder pilot.

By the way, if I could comfortably make $100,000/year at Cape I'd quit my current job and be a 9K lifer. No question.
 
dasleben said:
Yes, I was at XJT prior to Cape, so I had glass jet experience before getting into the 757/767. Still, my current company loved the fact that I had the hardball single-pilot experience. It shows that you're able to handle being PIC, and that you're a competent stick and rudder pilot.

By the way, if I could comfortably make $100,000/year at Cape I'd quit my current job and be a 9K lifer. No question.
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Wait... so why the street captains after you? Obviously they had their PIC candidate in you. After hiring 5(?) street captains after you I would assume you would conclude (as I would) that was just a shine job to make you feel good. They hired one or two (I think it was two) of our reserve -900 FO's with nothing similar in experience to yours.
 
dasleben said:
What's with you always following me around?
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Oh we may not agree on very much anymore but you're posts are still worthy of attention. I am curious on your post above, if you don't want to answer that's fine. However, you've always (begrudgingly sometimes) given the information requested by me. While I do agree everyone should take a turn doing that single person PIC up in New England, or really ANY flying low level in New England, I don't understand your reasoning above given historical hiring practices of Omni.

Should be noted: The stick and rudder thing is also somewhat important at high level carriers, like Southwest has taken Beech 1900 pilots from Colgan saying in interviews they like a couple guys with stick and rudder skills, with that said they just (immediate term) hired one of our 12 or 14 year -900 Captains over here at Mesaba because they liked the type of flying he did (coast to coast domestic).
 
Omni has hired pilots from all walks of life; it's a melting pot of commuter/regional pilots (piston/turboprop/jet), freight dogs, and guys/gals with years of heavy international experience. I didn't intend to draw any sort of conclusion as to "what it takes" to get on here, but rather that they thought the SPIFR time was valuable. I will say that I'd never have been hired had I not had the jet (SIC) time.

I've currently got 15-20 767 CAs junior to me. I'd received the required recommendations to go to upgrade (as had many FOs), but they decided to continue hiring off the street. The reasons for that are well beyond the scope of this thread, and not something I intend to air out in public. Suffice to say, it is a source of tension and division among the pilot group.

Moving along...

Cape Air is a great place to work. Looking back, it's been the best flying job I've had.
 
I just put my application in. From what I've read so far, I think I'd stay at Cape for a while if selected.

4th and inches from ATP mins...
 
dasleben said:
Omni has hired pilots from all walks of life; it's a melting pot of commuter/regional pilots (piston/turboprop/jet), freight dogs, and guys/gals with years of heavy international experience. I didn't intend to draw any sort of conclusion as to "what it takes" to get on here, but rather that they thought the SPIFR time was valuable. I will say that I'd never have been hired had I not had the jet (SIC) time.

I've currently got 15-20 767 CAs junior to me. I'd received the required recommendations to go to upgrade (as had many FOs), but they decided to continue hiring off the street. The reasons for that are well beyond the scope of this thread, and not something I intend to air out in public. Suffice to say, it is a source of tension and division among the pilot group.

Moving along...

Cape Air is a great place to work. Looking back, it's been the best flying job I've had.
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Sorry if the street captain thing is a sore point, but your quote
dasleben said:
I had the hardball single-pilot experience. It shows that you're able to handle being PIC, and that you're a competent stick and rudder pilot.
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seems contradictory earlier posts about street captains being hired in front of you when you were qualified (and I assume had the recommendations from captains), which is the reason I brought it up. I've followed, with interest, the omni air thread on APC which seems very open about your company problems. We've all got them.
 
To kind of echo daslebens post, I'll say I also truly enjoyed my time at Cape Air. Really great people and fun flying. I've since joined the regional rat race and comparing the two is simply ludicrous. I never really appreciated how well run the company is and the quality of 9k's management until I stepped into the world of regional 121.

I look back on my three years at cape as the most fun and valuable flight experience I've had yet. If the money were better I'd spend a career there.
 
jrh said:
I've only been here for a few months, but from what I've seen, very, very few pilots have any interest in going to a regional jet job. They might not know what they want to do next, but it sure as heck doesn't involve sitting in the cockpit of an RJ ;-) That's certainly the spot I'm in.

It's just the type of personality 9K attracts. We don't generally chase after the stereotypical airline dream. I know several pilots who came here from flying the bush in Alaska, one guy with 6000 hours of time flying pipeline patrol/skydiving, etc.!
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THIS.

I have a few friends in the regionals who can't wait for me to get their minimums so they can get me hired and think I'm nuts for wanting to go for Cape Air, but what you list are the very reasons for it!

I'm sure flying a jet is pretty cool, but there's something about the small prop jobs that really speak to me. maybe that's the less than 500TT talking :p
 
sounddoc said:
THIS.

I have a few friends in the regionals who can't wait for me to get their minimums so they can get me hired and think I'm nuts for wanting to go for Cape Air, but what you list are the very reasons for it!

I'm sure flying a jet is pretty cool, but there's something about the small prop jobs that really speak to me. maybe that's the less than 500TT talking :p
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As a guy currently on IOE flying a twin piston airplane I definitely know where you're coming from, but depending on your future goals you need to have a long view of your career. All the SPIFR ME piston time in the world will not get you to a large 121 carrier in this current hiring environment. At some point you've got to make a jump to something that gets your MTPIC time, preferably in a crew environment.

Now, if you want to be a 9K lifer and be home every night, knock yourself out, but don't box yourself into that scenario if that's not where you want to be. It the same thing I now tell people about AK, know what if offers, know what you want to get out of it, and know when to pull on that big D ring between your legs.
 
TallFlyer said:
As a guy currently on IOE flying a twin piston airplane I definitely know where you're coming from, but depending on your future goals you need to have a long view of your career. All the SPIFR ME piston time in the world will not get you to a large 121 carrier in this current hiring environment. At some point you've got to make a jump to something that gets your MTPIC time, preferably in a crew environment.

Now, if you want to be a 9K lifer and be home every night, knock yourself out, but don't box yourself into that scenario if that's not where you want to be. It the same thing I now tell people about AK, know what if offers, know what you want to get out of it, and know when to pull on that big D ring between your legs.
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Agree 100%. Cape Air is a great job, but it's a career dead end if you stay there too long and have ambitions for bigger and better (nothing wrong with being a 9K lifer though).
 
If you have to ask someone why they would want to work for cape air, then you just don't get it and have no business even THINKING about working there
 
For anyone going to Cape Air: It's very important that anyone going through the course (specifically, to be a captain) be fully proficient in flying raw data with round dials to ATP standards before you show up. Get some FTD time beforehand if you feel that your instrument skills need a touch up. ILSs down to 1800 RVR is a daily occurrence up there in Boston/Cape/Islands, so make sure you can operate to that level before attempting the course. Hardest training that I've personally ever been through, but it's not insurmountable as long as you're proficient and can step into the PIC role.
 
dasleben said:
Agree 100%. Cape Air is a great job, but it's a career dead end if you stay there too long and have ambitions for bigger and better (nothing wrong with being a 9K lifer though).
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A friend in the 121 world talked me into getting some turbine time at a regional first. That way I will have some under my belt should I want to have a career if I leave cape air. He warned against going there first because 4000 hours of prop time at a regional means starting from the beginning. hell, i'm still a 680 total time CFI so the worlds my oyster right? Lol!
 
sounddoc said:
A friend in the 121 world talked me into getting some turbine time at a regional first. That way I will have some under my belt should I want to have a career if I leave cape air. He warned against going there first because 4000 hours of prop time at a regional means starting from the beginning. hell, i'm still a 680 total time CFI so the worlds my oyster right? Lol!
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FWIW, I don't think the order of things matters much, if at all. There's nothing stopping Cape Air pilots from going to fly RJs, or RJ drivers coming over to fly at Cape. Also, don't forget 9K has the ATRs out in Guam if you really want turbine time without leaving the company.

My advice: Fly airplanes and have fun. Everybody worries about their first five years in the industry and forget they have another 35 years of flying to go. It's pretty hard to screw up your career too bad at this point. Just get in the air and figure it out over time.

Then again, I'm one of those guys with 4000 hours of prop time, so I probably don't know what I'm talking about.
 
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