Interviews

[yycflyguy]

No new hires for YVR. A revised training plan is being loaded into aeronet portal as we speak.

Well that's a relief because they obviously missed my bid for CA 777

[Clyde River]

The course postings for today shows 2 YVR 767 RP 8NOV, 2 YVR 767 RP 17NOV, 4 YYZ 767 RP 29NOV, 4 YYZ EMJ FO 2DEC. Some may not be new hires, but likely they all are.

[ACAV8R]

Revised Training plan as of Oct 6th shows all new hires YYZ. 67 RP and EMJ FO

[Sultan]

There are no new hires for YVR due to more internal base transfer requests than there are vacancies.

[machaltstar]

"There are no new hires for YVR due to more internal base transfer requests than there are vacancies."

Are you saying you've seen the unpublished bid results? If not thats pure speculation.

"Revised Training plan as of Oct 6th shows all new hires in YYZ."

Yes and No. It shows only the first 8 of 51 new hires in yyz. What about the other 43 new hires? Have you seen the unpublished bid results or is this speculation as well?

[bcflyer]

Come on guys. Until the official bid is released anything else is pure speculation. The training plans etc can be and often are changed on a moments notice. Wait till the bid comes out and then you can talk all you like about where people are going.

[South Of 60]

Bids is out. Looks like all new hire positions will be YYZ. Half Emj F/O's and the other half 767 R/P's.

CHEERS!

[paddy]

What are the pro's and con's to each position, i.e. Emb F/O vs 767 RP?

[Mustard]

Pro-767rp
Con-Emb fo

[yycflyguy]

What are the pro's and con's to each position, i.e. Emb F/O vs 767 RP?

EMB pro:
1. Lots of cycles
2. Junior crews

EMB Con:
1. Lots of cycles
2. Junior crews

767 RP pro:
1. Exotic (?) destinations
2. Senior/experienced crews

767 RP Con:
1. Red-eye/jet lagged
2. Senior/experienced crews

It is what you make out of it.

[Shinyshoes]

Would either position be better/worse/impossible for commuting?

[yycflyguy]

At first, on junior reserve, it can be very difficult (not impossible) to commute. Our reserve rules are "not-a-so-good" so you can be called anytime between 0500-2100 for a 2 hour call out. You will probably need either a YYZ crash pad or find a cheap hotel.

There are 60 Embraer's that have a wide variety of pairings flying throughout the day, there are fewer 767s so smart guys can figure out if all the 767s are away from YYZ they wont get a call... unless there are last minute up-gauge/down-gauges and SOC utilizes YOUR aircraft. IRROPS, last minute book-offs, crew duty, mechanical issues... anything can happen.

[SilvrSurfr]

A bit tough to say. You will likley be on rsv either way al least for a while. EMJ, you are more likely to fly on those rsv days so your commmute will not result in sitting around the crash pad or hotel staring at the walls as often. The 767 will probably result in less days worked, but will have you commuting in to sit and not fly on more occasions. Commuting while junior and on reserve is a crap shoot on a good day. I realise that we are not hiring 20 year olds with no family and just enough things to fit in your vehicle trunk. That said it would be wise to at least consider biting the bullet and making the move now. It wasn't my first choise, but I did it and it has made the last ten years a whole lot more relaxing and easier on my family. I am now after 10+ years going to be heading back home on a base change from the last bid. The move has worked well for me, but that doesn't mean it will be that way for everyone. Just food for thought.

Surfr

[Shinyshoes]

Thanks for the good points YYCflyguy. And yeah Silversurfer, good food for thought -- esp considering the kids are going to be starting school next year. It might just be better to get the move out of the way and be done with it...

[Lateralus]

Shinyshoes did you get an interview?

[ywger]

Have been both RP on the '67 and FO on the EMJ. The EMJ will get you a lot of jet take offs and landings, but the pairings are somewhat rigorous (3-4 legs/day are common). Most of the capts are great people to work with, but the layovers are usually short, so most of the socializing you'll do will be in the flight deck.
The 767 f/os and capts are generally really good to work with too. The layovers for RPs are all good (save for one or two), but the pairings can be tough, unless you don't mind missing 7-8 nights of sleep per month. One thing to consider as an RP, is that a lot of the pairings involve deadheading one way (half-credit), and are thus really unproductive. Expect 6 pairings per month as a jr RP (about 18 days on the road), unless you're willing to work reserve. That being said, you'll generally stay in beautiful hotels, eat good food, and drink booze you've never heard of. The expenses are much better too (I believe Zurich is at $240 this month?).
All in all, I enjoy the RP position more. Just try not to whistle while you're packing your flight bag in front of your significant other, they may get the wrong impression.

[BTD]

but the pairings are somewhat rigorous (3-4 legs/day are common). Most of the capts are great people to work with

I wish. Although I only fly 704, my avg day is 7-9 legs, occasionally up to 11. 3-4 sounds great.

[HavaJava]

I wish. Although I only fly 704, my avg day is 7-9 legs, occasionally up to 11. 3-4 sounds great.

I came from 704 flying average 12 legs a day and up to 18 max...and believe me, I feel just as tired after a 4 leg (sometime 5 leg) 12+ hour duty day on the EMJ!

I have done both 767 RP and EMJ FO. The RP job I loved from the moment I started. Great flying, great crews, awesome layovers...but as a previous poster said, lots of days worked for junior RP's (6 Zurichs or Munichs a month!) and tons of fatigue. A lot of the fatigue was self-induced (having a little too much fun on layovers) but after 4 months of RPing I could only sleep for 4 hours at a time whether I was overseas, at home, or even on vacation.

The EMJ is much less fun as far as layovers and crews go, but the Capts all tend to be good guys (and gals). Even after I finish a 4-day pairing (and there are ALOT of those on the EMJ) I still feel fairly normal the next day whereas on the 767 I felt like a Zombie.

Do I regret screwing up my equipment bid and not getting reinstated on the 767?...sometimes...but I am slowly warming up to EMJ way of life.

[TopperHarley]

Im not at AC, but everyone seems to forget the biggest PROs to bidding the EMJ: DCA, BOS, EWR, ORD, and LGA. Fun places to fly into. I sincerely hope my retirement flight is to BOS or EWR

[groundtoflightdeck]

Correct me, but isn't your first aircraft and based assigned to you? Therefore; there is no bid for new hires.

[ywger]

HavaJava - spot on assessment! Sorry to hear about your bid, I'll have a caparina for you next time I'm in Sao Paulo

Groundtoflightdeck - new hires can bid within their new hire class, based on the number they drew out of the hat. So some will possibly have the option to choose between EMJ and RP

BTD - I did 703 milk runs around the north (with an ops spec allowing us to have 15 hour duty days - we were usually planned for 14:55), and for some reason it was less tiring than bombing around n. america in an EMJ. Those were good days for a lot of us, hope you're enjoying yours!

TopperHarley - And if you're extra lucky, your first flight back from retirement could also be a DCA, LGA, EWR, BOS


(edited for sarcasm)

[HavaJava]

Correct me, but isn't your first aircraft and based assigned to you? Therefore; there is no bid for new hires.

There will be a selection of positions available for a new hire class depending on the upcoming aircraft courses that are planned (ie. 5 EMJ, 8 767 RP). The class will pick their seniority out of a hat and then get a chance to "bid" amongst themselves for the available courses. Some new hire classes don't get a choice of equipment but usually they get to bid for aircraft course start dates.

Im not at AC, but everyone seems to forget the biggest PROs to bidding the EMJ: DCA, BOS, EWR, ORD, and LGA. Fun places to fly into. I sincerely hope my retirement flight is to BOS or EWR

I hope you're being sarcastic...otherwise you need to get out more often. And by out, I mean overseas.

[HavaJava]

HavaJava - spot on assessment! Sorry to hear about your bid, I'll have a caparina for you next time I'm in Sao Paulo

And an amazing bottle of malbec in Santiago, and a liter of beer in Munich, and a "beer on the boat" in Zurich, and pizza and wine in Rome...

Argh...Regina here I come

[BTD]

BTD - I did 703 milk runs around the north (with an ops spec allowing us to have 15 hour duty days - we were usually planned for 14:55), and for some reason it was less tiring than bombing around n. america in an EMJ. Those were good days for a lot of us, hope you're enjoying yours!

came from 704 flying average 12 legs a day and up to 18 max...and believe me, I feel just as tired after a 4 leg (sometime 5 leg) 12+ hour duty day on the EMJ!

I hope that the the tone of what I said earlier wasn't avcanada'ed. I didn't mean to say the EMB wasn't just as fatiguing. Simply that I look forward to a day that isn't 11 legs long. We have no a/p, or f/d, in and out of the aircraft at every stop, no washroom on board, (can be a pain during the longer legs), we do flight planning, and performance/w&B for each leg without dispatch. Often only on the ground for 10-15 mins wheels down to wheels up. Its the number of legs that can get to you.

I probably sound like a pansy. But the job is good, and I figure the company I work for is probably one of the best 704's in Canada as far as lifestyle goes. When we get 3-4 legs it is a much more relaxing day. That is all I meant by it. Been doing 704 for 2.5 years and 703 before that. I look forward to moving on, but it isn't in the cards just yet.

BTD

[ywger]

BTD - Oh no sweat man, the tone was all good! Was only suggesting that exhausting is often the norm in aviation. Granted, it's a very different type of exhausting on the emj, and another type all together on the 767. It may sound strange, but I think sitting still for too long is one of the most tiring factors. It was the huffing bags that kept me sane while doing 703. That shot of energy you get from intense activity was a good counterbalance to those long days.

But I digress... back to the topic at hand.