Will be applying soon - some Q's

[LinksInAChain]

Hi folks!

I'm getting some F/O time on a neat little bizjet this past 18 mos, but by the looks of things with the company I'm not holding my breath for a quick upgrade.

So, I'm planning on applying for WJ early in the new year! Looking forward to the process in all honesty, but I do have some questions...

I'm a first-generation pilot... No one really gave me the "birds and the bees" of the industry, so I have been relying on the heresay and conjecture of hangar-talk to get me by thus far. But I won't lie - it's burned me before!

Ugh, I dread to think of the sarcastic responses these questions will earn me, but I'd rather open my mouth and be thought a fool than to keep it closed and remove all doubt.

By the time my application goes through and (hopefully) gets me online, I'll be in YHZ... Hopefull brewing up Potential Pilot #1 with the wife - HA!

1. Can I anticipate being based near HZ?
2. What are typical pairing lengths for newbies?
3. Is there a standard delay for upgrades (wrt the lineup in front of you), or does professional experience play a role in the process?

That's all I can think of right now. If you have any other tidbits to share, I'd be grateful. I realize I can search for most of these things, but the threads all contain so many conflicting posts that I find myself frustrated and not paying attention anymore

Many thanks,
Links

[WJ700]

1. Can I anticipate being based near HZ?

You can live anywhere you want but Calgary is everyone's base. You can pick up pairings that are generated for YHZ domiciled pilots; but training and other pairings are generated as if you live in Calgary. I live in YVR, I bid to check in late, checkout early, YVR overnights, 4 days or more in between work periods, and I'll take any type of YVR flying available. It works well for me.

2. What are typical pairing lengths for newbies?

My flying the origninates in Calgary is all 4 or 5 day pairings, to all destinations except ETOPS. You can expect the same from day 1 that you start. The YVR Port has a lot of single day, 2 day and three day pairings.

3. Is there a standard delay for upgrades (wrt the lineup in front of you), or does professional experience play a role in the process?

No Delay. It's just a 400 pilot line up for the upgrade when you start. The upgrade is based completely on seniority. The only thing that will stop or delay some is their training history being weak. We have a few of pilots who just haven't been upgraded but their training file still gets a full fair review every six months. The upgrade time is a debate in this forum now. .. I was one of the more pessimistic for length of time.

Its a great company with its share of minor problems but everything has slowly improved since I've worked here. The pilots have a great working relationship with management and that helps.
Air Canada is a great option too ... they have huge retirements for the ongoing future and will have a faster upgrade available in my opinion if that remains your concern.

[Four1oh]

to expand on question #2, there is no senority, so your schedule is as good as your knowledge of the bidding system. We all get domestic, we all get charters, and we all, from time to time, get red eyes.

Hope that helps.

[LinksInAChain]

That helps a lot guys, thank you very much... Of course, I can't promise I won't come back with more q's!

Links

[Four1oh]

and I can't promise I won't lead you down the garden path with my answers!

[go-around]

WJ700,

You mentioned that you live in YVR. Between the port system and requesting as much YVR flying and YVR overnights as possible - How many nights a month do you actually spend away from home?

[WJ700]

This month I have 15 days of work and 3 YVR overnights of 14 hour-16 hour layovers. I also have more single days, 2 day and 3 day trips using the port.

One Captain recently dropped the YVR port in favor of more YVR overnights.

I do have a far better lifestyle in YVR than I did living 4 years in Calgary doing all 4 day trips and no paid overnights in my own bed.

[pullup]

Does WJ do over-nights in every city that it serves? How long is the typical over-night?

[Red1]

A layover can be anywhere from 31 hrs to min crew rest of 11/12 hrs and anywhere in between (some Hawaii's used to be 48 hrs as well). I have found over the last year the parings have become more efficient and therefor the overnights shorter. However I am saying this while on a twenty hour layover in YYZ

We do overnights in most Canadian cities that we operate to and some international places (Hawaii, Nassau, Orlando)