I just accepted a B747 FO position with Connie and class starts on the April 26th. They have 52 crews and want to go to 75. Business is good and they are turning away business because of lack of crews and planes. Ned Wallace, founder of Polar Air, is now working for Connie and heads the Sales and Marketing Department, probably the reason business is so good. The class on the 26th will have 12 FO's and 6 FE's.

The interview is in Ypsilanti, Willow Run Airport, headquarters of Kalitta on April 7th. Friendly people and no BS. Everything was straight forward. All they wanted to see was your passport, medical and licenses. The simulator ride was in Denver, UAL's facitlity. The simride was on the 14th in the B747-200. Typical simride, takeoff out of LAX, climb out to 4000 feet at 180 kts, flaps 10. Level off at 4000 and accelerate to 200 kts. Then a decending turn to 3000 feet at 200 kts and 500 fpm. Vectored to a hold at Seal Beach, after entering the hold and doing one turn in the pattern I was vectored to an ILS to runway 24 right. Anything below 300 feet doesn't matter.

The schedule is 17 days on and 11 off on a 28 day month. Pay is 40 dollars per hour first year on a 56 hour guaranty. Second year goes to 60 dollars per hour. Well, what the hell, money isn't everything! With a little luck upgrading to Captain in a couple of years or less. Everyone is based in Ypsilanti, but nothing flies out of there, so you are commercialed out of your home airport.

A lot of the guys I interviewed with were furloughed Atlas pilots.

Prior B747, DC8 or B727 time would probably be helpful.