SkyLease Cargo
 

Hello to all.
After having done extensive search, both here, and at other forums,
there is very little information about SkyLease Cargo.
Has anyone gone through the hiring process recently?
What to expect on the interview?
Are schedules still 20 days on per month, with a 2 hr call-out on reserve?
Are there hard lines? Overnights or mostly turnarounds?
Average hrs/month, flying and duty.
What do you like or dislike about working there?
Thanks in advance

see flightinfo.com, they are real deal crap hole. Places like this only exist in a few places Miami and hell.

Thanks amansworld.
I do not have access to that forum, neither do I want to support a forum that asks for a pay pal account.
If you would not mind giving us the low down on why it's such a hell hole?
Schedules, maintenance, no union, 20 days on, 2 hr reserve.
Please expand.
Do they fly round trips from MIA to S. America and back?
Much appreciated.:ok:

Schedules are very inconsistent. You should live in Miami for any quality of life. Only 7 hard days off a month/ always on reserve/ expect 18-30 hour days , they are normal, speak spanish, low pay, some experienced good pilots, some not so good (alot). Mx is shoddy at best. They will roundtrip you or better 3 stop you in a single duty session, say MIA-CCS-UIO-MIA, that is a 24-30 day due to upload and offload of cargo. The place is a joke and needs shutdown. Do I need to continue...

That sounds like a pretty normal schedule for anything flying LatAm, be it LAN or anybody else...

I wonder how you make it 30 hours with 10 block hrs scheduled. Even a 3 hrs stop will bring it to a max of 16 hrs duty...

And Spanish is extremely helpful in that part of the world. I think the locals actually speak it better than english, even on ATC...

Well if you have flown into SA then you should know it takes 3 hours for them to get off siesta before they show up and off load. The northern part of S.A. is worse than the rest of S.A. Bottomline is that some airlines qualify as bottom feeders, then there is scum from below the bottom feeders. Well Skylease is that douche bag operation!

So I heard they only hire people that live in MIA? Why does it matter as long as you show up to work?? Their even CASS approved.

I didn't want to write anything here but I am tired of people writing lies about the company.

Beechslave and jetsitter... The company is looking for MD11 first officers, if you go to the website you'll be able to see the requirements. I've been working for the company since the beginning of the operation of the MD. Amansworld probably was rejected or fired or works for the competition since he is lying on almost everything that he had posted. Here it goes:
Pay is low but we are working on it. FO 53 $ an hour Cap 82 $ an hour. This is first year pay with 60 hours guaranteed.
10 or 11 days OFF a month depending on the month ( 30 or 31 days )
If you fly on your days OFF it is 1 1/2 over guarantee.
Deadhead pay is 25% It happens every once in a while.
Spanish is a plus but not a requirement.
Duty time is: Schedule max 18 hours ( crew of 3 ) it can be extended to 20 hours for weather, maintenance, etc. WITH the approval of the crew.
If you live in Miami you will definetly have a better quality of life but it is NOT a requirement, we have people from all over the place. You will have to be available at 00:01 of you first work day though.
Management is excellent and I am not sucking up here.
We have 6 MD's now and waiting on the seventh in a month or two.
Maintenance is good our airplanes are well kept and we are improving all the time.
Most of the flying ( 99% ) is to South America with a few layovers but most of the flying are round trips.
I hope this helps. We are looking for good people. Good luck

Skylease 1 conists of bits and pieces from the defunct Tradewinds Airlines.

Long hours, low pay and cutting corners seems to be old hat.:sad:

Is Skylease still operating the A300 classic? saw a posting not so long ago looking for a300 capts and fos in sfl.

Any current activity at Skylease?

No qol. reserve for the whole company. 1.5 hours call out.

The lowest pay on the md-11 in the industry.. and no way to "work on it" since they are non union.

Its a dump, but if recently got out of jail for murder. I might give it a look ;)

To all the guys out there interested in Sky Lease....
We are NOT Fedex, UPS, World, etc... Not even close and we will probably never be.
As someone said, We are the worst paid MD11 operators in the world ( most probably ) that is true. I thought we could change that, but that did not happen and I honestly do not see it happening any time soon. This is not my first job, I've been doing this for 35 years now and I've worked for very good, excellent and one bad company ( not Sky Lease ) and I can tell you that if you can handle the LOW pay this is not a bad place to work at.
To those that say: Run as far away from here and that this is a dump I DARE them first, to post their real names and second to tell us where they work so we can all go and apply there.
Long days in this type of operation are normal everywhere and schedule changes happen all the time, it is the nature of the beast.

Have heard nothing good about this company.
Pay is really low almost poverty level.
Think there are better jobs to be had.

Don't care one way or another how a man throws his dignity away. I know the MIA freight business like the back of my hand, though. I have spent many hours with the owner, albeit somewhat in an altered state. I don't pretend to be his or any of the owners of these operations' friend. In fact, Mr. D. B. from another operator wishes very ill will upon me. What I will say about the AR collection of airlines is that this man likes to play shell games with his contracts. Transfer Centurion's work to MTA, to Cielos, to the now aforementioned Skylease. He is quite a businessman, you must give him credit where it is due. But he can't run away from the fact that he needs to base himself in the USA to make things work. You want to work for these people, go ahead. He needs to hire low paid "pilots' to make sure he has enough for ex-wives, ex-houses, etc. Don't expect to leave with your dignity. Isn't there enough work out in Asia to not have to put up with this nonsense, anyway? BTW, I have flown all over Latin America, spanish is not a pre-requisite, since half the time I still can't understand what they are saying, and I know the language. And lastly, these schedules absolutely crush a man, unless there is a union contract in place (like Centurion), they really sap the life out of you. You have been warned.

JJD

And why exactly do you whore yourself out for low pay? Isn't this what your work is all about, thousands of hours of experience, medicals, PC checks, orals, etc. etc. etc. Why do your van drivers, import people, mechanics, and assorted no-nothings feel they are worth the money you are paid for your work? Please, someone in the MIA freight business, explain this to me. You deserve the high wages, not the ex-wife of your philandering boss, not the van driver, not the mx guy who never picks up a wrench. You are the heavy lifter. Why is it the in all the world, only Miami produces self-deprecating pilots who feel that their contribution is less than industry standard. I am trying to feel sorry for you. And BTW, I will post my name if asked. I got nothing to hide.

Skylease is a Great Airline
 

I've heard good things about Skylease. So many good things that I just applied for the F/O position less than 35min ago. It would be a privilege to fly that massive jet and with today's economy I would not DARE complain about anything. Being out of work sucks. You really find that out once you dont have a job. 35 and eating peanut butter and jelly now for 3 weeks. Tired of hearing people complain about stuff in this industry. Just go to work, go home and love your family.:ok:

I rest my case.

Skylease Cargo
 

..........

The previous post is very accurate. That is actually a good experience!
However, one of the above posters is an IOE instructor for SkyLease.
SkyLease in very few words was the worst flying experience of my flying career.
If I took the time to mention what is rotten with that operation, I would need a separate thread :p
There are good pilots there, and good people too, I wish them all the best.
I do not know anyone who wants to stay there, even the ones who live minutes from MIA.
If you are a high time MD11 captain and can live near MIA, this may be a place for a few months until you regain currency or hired by World, or Fed Ex.
To any 1000 hr pilots with dreams of flying the MD11, I say good luck, this may be where you can get that. The 3000 hrs hiring minimums do not apply.
If you are hungry, unemployed and out of currency, like a poster above, I understand, and God bless you.
Honestly though, I could not imagine anyone wanting to put themselves through this experience, unless they are desperate.
That is the moral of this story. SkyLease preys on the desperate, myself included.
If you still choose to apply...
Good luck to you.

Worldwideorbit.... Many of the things that you mention are true. I am only going to comment on two things and two things only.

First, I am a proud ex VIASA pilot, never heard about the mafia, I don't get the best trips and not even my wife listens to me.

Second, the chief pilot is not Venezuelan, she is Colombian.

SKYLEASE a PLACE FOR DESPERATE PEOPLE
 

I have 2 friends flying for Skylease at the moment, they are both gringos and do not belong to the mafia. From what I hear, there are two separate "gangs" in this airline, the gringos and the Latinos, pretty much dominated by Venzuelan pilots from that VIACSA airline.

From what I have been told, maintenance is a BIG issue in that place. Pilots are flying with many DMI's and most of the maintenance is penciled in as previously said.

This is just a place to go in, fly some hours on the MD-11, build the time you need and move on. Pilots are leaving left and right and management doesn't even care. I was told that they own the flight simulator for the MD-11 at Boeing in Miami, for this reason, they can train and train all they want. They do have THE WORST contract in the industry. FOs make 55 dollars and hour and pretty much don't have any other benefit. They have a 2 year contract for training for somewhere in the $15K-$20K figure, but anyone who has left the company has not paid out a dime back to the company.

I have not heard anything good from this airline and time will only tell to see what happens with the pilot group, but management has to do something about it or else they will have to park their MD-11 (which by the way, the currently have 4 or 5). Like it has been previously said, only consider this place if you are very low time, need experience, or are not current and want to get back into flying.

MotoMoto

All this in Miami??
 

"From what I hear, there are two separate "gangs" in this airline, the gringos and the Latinos,......."

In Miami??? Nah, never happen................... :rolleyes:

The mafia? who are the Sopranos?
 

When you needed to have the “G” stamped in your but to work here, I did not hear so many complains.:= No one else was admitted here.:ugh: At the end the owner realized who was the mafia. Do not complain anymore, quit, give the position to someone else that wants to have a job, get a life and good luck in JetBlue….. and if you are not accepted there go to Southern, Atlas or Kalitta.

By the way, I just heard (my Latino good friend) that on September 1st we are going to have a meeting with the CEO, DO and CP to discuss and reach a final decision about getting a salary raise and improving our working conditions.:ooh: If you do not have “balls” to demand better working conditions do not go, keep badmouthing here or in the Hialeah chitchat room, if that makes you happy…. :cool:

Skylease Corrections
 

Thanks for the corrections to my thread. I should have specified that the VIASA check-airmen are the ones given the better trips.

Get a life......
 

You do not have a clue.:confused: There is only one C.A from Viasa, the rest are extradewinds and one from Gemini. The new one is coming from Eva Air.:eek: If you are going to speak B.S,:mad: please get informed…what brewing company are you using in your session of heavy drinking in the Hialeah chitchat room? I can’t believe it’s “the colada”:yuk:

Plantation, FL 33324
 

Ex-plantation pilot,:suspect: using TEXT ` EM that sent an astonishing message to 20 pilots, we know who you are……….get a life…be carful Chucky:8…do not go to the Keys…;)

PS: forward from CIA/FBI.:oh:

skylease badmouthers
 

Everyone knew what the pay and conditions were before you got here.
For those guys that have no heavy time this is a great gig.
For the rest of us this is a new Airline and as with all new start airlines growing pains are the norm.Its not the best place to be at, but neither is it the worst.

The Pay could be better and some type of reserve or scheduled system as the crews are getting bigger and the current sit and wait until we call you system will no longer be adequate.I,m looking forward to the future of the company and although there are other heavys hiring I like most of what I see here except of course the Badmouthers on line.

you will have the opportunity to say what you want on the first of September at the beoing center when the brass meets with the pilots.If you don,t say anything there and then Please don,t get on this site and run your mouth as it really sounds Pathetic and you will only sound like a whinger and whiner.

Until then Happy Complaining

No worries folks, will all be settled soon.
Midex management ADO coming to show pilots the proper way things should be done.
Ex Tradewinds,,greet him with open arms,,he likes that.

I have worked for AR long time ago...don't expect too much of him.
He doesn't care about having a good airline, the only thing he cares of is to make money.

He already bought the ARROW AIR's bunkruptcy so when Skylease guys were asking too much like the Centurion at this moment...he would transfer the aircraft to ARROW AIR and everything starts again.:{

10 reasons not to complain about your flying job (ever)
 

1: It makes things look worse than they are
When people complain, they focus only on what’s wrong. Things may be mostly fine in the company, but complainers only talk about the problems, annoyances and peeves they perceive.
If things in a company are 80% good and 20% bad and you spend most of your time thinking and talking about the bad 20% – the situation will look a lot worse than it really is.

2: It becomes a habitThe more you complain, the easier it gets. In the end, everything is bad, every situation is a problem, every co-worker is a jerk and nothing is good.
The more you focus on the negative, the harder it gets to switch into a positive mindset.


3: You get what you focus on
According to Wikipedia, Confirmation bias is:…a tendency to search for or interpret new information in a way that confirms one’s preconceptions and avoid information and interpretations which contradict prior beliefs.
In other words, what you already believe influences your perception of everything around you. That’s why constant complaining makes you see everything in a negative light, because your subconscious mind tries to make new observation fit with what you already know.

4: It leads to onedownmanship
A complaining session might go something like this:Also, chronic complainers are the first to shoot down any new idea.

7: It favors negative people
The way to get status among complainers is to be the most negative. To be the one who sees everything in the most negative light.
Any attempt to be positive or cheerful will be shot down and optimists will be accused of being Pollyanna, naive and unrealistic.

8: It promotes bad relationships
People who complain together unite against the world and can create strong internal relationships based on this. But these relationships are based mostly on negative experiences. That’s not healthy.
It also means that you can only continue to be a part of the group if you can continue to complain, miring you even deeper in a complaint mindset.

9: It creates cliques
Being positive, optimistic and appreciative makes you more open towards other people – no matter who they are. It becomes easy to connect to co-workers in other departments, projects or divisions.
Complaining, on the other hand, makes people gather in cliques with their fellow complainers where they can be critical and suspicious of everybody else.
10: Pessimism is bad for you

Psychologist Martin Seligman showed in his groundbreaking research in positive psychology that people who see the world in a positive light have a long list of advantages, including:

• They live longer
• They’re healthier
• They have more friends and better social lives
• They enjoy life more
• They’re more successful at work

We sometimes think that pessimists and complainers have the edge because they see problems sooner but the truth is that optimists not only lead better lives, they’re also more successful because they believe that what they’re doing is going to work.

time o get back to my peanut butter and jelly sandwich now. Just had to keep it real thats all. :)

Sucking Down the Coolaid
 

How did that meeting work out for you. O that us right the CEO did not even come to MIAMI!!!!!!! it was much easier to avoid question on the computer.

The last time he came down for a meeting the local pilots got together and wined and dinned him. They thought they had worked out a deal, and then he did it to them also. Not what they taled about. A 2.00 increase.

The CEO is on record saying the PAY AND BENEFITS WILL NEVER GET BETTER UNLESS I SEE A BENEFIT FOR ME:mad:

The posts are right there are a lot of good people here, and a lot of good pilots. Yes there is a maphia and there is a few good pilot in their group.:ugh:, but not as many as they think. They have the power because where the company is not for their flying abolities.

The experienced MD11 pilots are all leaving. On one hand you can count the heavy experienced MD11 time guys, and that number decreases by the day.

If you live in Miami and do not mind 24 hrs on call, or selling yourself to make a buck, this place is for you. If you want a schedule don't do it. The schedule changes 4-5 times a day. & if a maphia want's your trip he will call in and it's his.

The duty time is long say departure time is 0500Z for a 18 hrs duty day,with delays it now is leaving at 1700Z they still expect you to do the trip even though your rest is screwed up.

They do part 91 tailend ferrys, they do not consider DH duty, so A 35 hurs dh is not unexceptable in their mind:uhoh:. If you are willing good for you.

The maphia biggest thing is they say you need to speak spanish to fly to South America. The only place I hear this is Miami. I do not see that as a requirement at UPS,FEDEX,AA,DELTA,World,ATLAS,KLM,MARTIN AIR but why in Miami they do not anyone taking what they see as theirs. That is the only reason:eek:.

I could go on but other post are right on. Pay is bad. A captain with health insurance after taxes brings home 1500.00 every two weeks.:{ Hard to pay the bills.

JUST WANT EVERYONE TO BE INFORMED BEFORE THEY MAKE THE FINAL DECESION. BY THE WAY THEY MAKE YOU SIGN A 25,000 TRAINING BOND FOR TWO YEARS. WITH THE AMOUNT OF HIRING IN THE FUTURE THAT SEEMS EXTREAME.

WELL TO ANYONE I OFFENDED WITH MY STATEMENTS I AM SORRY:sad: BUT I AM JSUT TELLING IT AS I AM LIVING IT. GOOD LUCK OF FINDING A JOB WHERE YOU CAN BE HAPPY AND NO COMPLAIN WHERE YOU CAN SPEND A LOT OF TIME WITH YOUR FAMILY. GOD BLESS:ok:

Sky lease
 

You must be taking serious mind altering drugs! Are you for real?

May I ask as to why SkyLease is in existence? If the owner also owns Centurion, why not grow Centurion? Same aircraft type, same area of operation. Can anybody give me some insight? BTW, I have to give credit where it is due, the new MRO on 36th Street for Centurion is about the biggest project in recent memory, good to see some life coming back to the North Side after the Eastern debacle.

Hiring?
 

Any real hiring going on over there?