The Caribbean and Latin AmericaAviation has been around South America and the Caribbean since the early days. A forum for aviators from that part of the world.
I can help you with the contacts inside the company. I have emails and numbers for recruitment of captains. Unfortunately for me they are not hiring FO's
If you are an NG Captain, they wont take you, you'll waiste your time, they just take RJ Captains because they know they wont leave until they get 500 hrs NG PIC.
I dont know what is the logic on that, may be it is a way for them to be able to pay what they pay.
Because it is so bad out there, COPA is enjoying a good resume pile of experienced guys.
I just received email from copa that they will be starting application process for FO's and they want me to send them my updated documents. I applied a year ago and had totally forgotten about it. Anyone else received this email?
I applied a year ago. I sent the resume directly to the HR recruiter. I also did go online and fill out the application. You have to be patient. Also, the package they sent me shows that we need to pay $2500 for some sort of conversion. Is that correct?
Peter---you were pretty upbeat on COPA a few months ago....
Here is what you posted :
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Now that is really a dumb comment,
I fly the line here as B 737 Capt, I enjoy the people, F/A's are great,a very smoothly run airline, no MELs everything is fixed at once, clean airplanes. As soon as you pull into the gate you have a cleaning team meeting you, it is great. dispatch is good, if I want more fuel they give me more, however I dont have to ask, they tend to put on to much.
The training is not the best but once you are done, life is great, Pay is what it is, I am not happy with it, but I dont want to go to India or Dubai either. so it is what it is, if ther is a not a substantial pay increase people will be looking elsewere. Emloyees in general seems to be happy with good attitude. Management seems to make this work, loads are good.
The check is in the mail........
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I am glad I bailed when I did---got a FREE type rating and lived in PTY and had some fun. I recommend that anyone interested and with no other place to go---get your 500-1000 hours and bail!
Is there any way to get inside help to get in as an F/O, like many people I guess its got to the point where I just want a job flying anything anywhere.I am 57 years old and for that china is out, middle east wont take you unless you have 500 hours recent on EFIS.
I have 2,500 hours on 737-200 & 300 and have just completed a renewal 6 months ago with NG differences.
personally I rather like the idea of living in Panama, and having lived in Spain for 35 years I am rather fluent.
Snowcat: thanks for the advice but i have been called to interviews sereral times in the last 2 years even i am ng rated and a current captain. I recieved an email a couple of months asking me about my current situation for a new intervieu.
I just need to know if the new salary is in place and how much money is in hand after tax with this new arrangement.
Hey Sonny, Some of it I still stand by. However when they started to fabricate dispatch releases this change, you can only comment on what you experience to that point of time, what happens later is a another story. I got my 550 hrs in the B737, and a free type. Habano's is the only thing worth while in Panama.
Just pointed out the Koolaid in your earlier posts....I worked at COPA and saw the BS, so I bolted for many of the same reasons you list, one of the biggest for me was the lack of a real schedule, no jumpseat unless you jump through some pretty big hoops. Pay sucked, and that is if you got paid correctly and who can forget "Sandra" the chick was a liar and incompetent at her job, but it is Panama....that is the way they roll.
I enjoyed living in Panama but was offered a much better position $$$$$ so I bolted. I was NOT impressed with some of the other expats--we had some real losers that COPA hired--several of them lied on applications--most of them did crappy in training, did not have the flight time they said they did, I could go on and on.....everybody cheated in the tests! Pilots or Pirates???? LOL!
1. COPA will hire anyone (they hired a Connie Kalitta guy that was completely incompetent and that was DIRECT from the Kalitta trng dept.) I am sure COPA knows this and welcomes this guy because he is desperate and do anything for the company (kinda like a SCAB)
2. I know of another guy who was fired from Pinnacle and he was a compete loser--claimed he had 1000 in the 737 flying for Higher Power ferrying 737's. Yeah right whatever. This guy had a temper tantrum in the sim and was almost fired but he was a good azz kisser so they kept him.
For me it was a summer job, I enjoyed the latin girls and screwed off mostly....then it was time for a reality check and back to the real world.
Everyone needs to make their own decision....if you want to live in Panama and get a free (well almost free it will still cost you some money) 737 type go for it.....just understand as a gringo you are bottom on the list and expect nothing.
