COPA insight

[petethedog]

Hi there,
Despite searching through countless posts about COPA and other Latin and South American airlines, I have found lots of opinions and hearsay, but very little personal experience or factual info (yes, I understand this is a "rumor network").

I may have an interview coming up for FO at COPA in the near future. (FWIW: I have 3500tt, 500 MEL, 350 TPIC and some 135 exp.) I am hoping I can find some quality information about what it's like to work for COPA: Pay and what kind of lifestyle can it afford in Panama? QOL? Flight benefits? Work environment? Training quality? Anyone here work for COPA care to share some of your experience?

The news-feed info and company financial information about COPA are very promising. It sounds like a strong, well-run airline. Panama itself sounds like a very interesting and beautiful country.

Essentially, I have this pet-idea about COPA and Panama that is very appealing. Looking for some reliable, hopefully firsthand, information. Thanks alot! Best of luck to anyone else in the same boat as me!

[ernestoj777]

hi there, i dont know if you have already done your whole hiring proces at COPA, i already did it, and as you said despite everything you can found on this place or anyother in the net, I can tell you that if you got on it, they are gonna make you sign a contract for 3 years, in wich the last year is where you pay for your type rating (pay with working time) the bond is for 18000 dllrs, the first 3 months of training you are gonna get almost 2700 dllrs, and they gonna give you 3 months of staying at a hotel room, after you get done with the checkride you are gonna get a rise to 3500 incluiding what we call "viaticos" and that is for food and 800 dllrs of housing for 2 years, it used to be no limit on that but panamenian guys at the pilots union complain about it so its gonna be 2 years now, that money is for 63 flying hours after that you are gonna get payed 65 dllrs for each extra flight our and extra food time also (viaticos) the top of flight hours at Panama is 100 so do the math. i've heard that they are planning to get 40 birds up tp 2012 so moving for the left seat is not gonna take to much

let me tell you that is quite a nice place to live, and a great oporttunity to improve a career, you are gonna get endorsed with 2 of the state of the art planes right now the E190 and te B738NG, and the city is a great place to rise a side bussines so you might take the flying thing just for a hobby, and the girls and night life and so well....what can i tell... I hope you've had luck in the whole proces.

[sunkilr73]

Will the company come after you to pay the TYPE RATING,if you leave before your three years are up???

[petethedog]

Ernesto,
Thanks for the quality information. Sounds appealing. I was contacted by HR and asked what city I wanted to fly out of for an interview in July. I responded within a day. Heard nothing from them for a week. So, I wrote again. Then I received an email saying they'd send everything I needed to know "shortly". That was three weeks ago. Was your experience similar? In any case, good luck! I hope you get the job! Cheers...

[Immigrant]

so moving for the left seat is not gonna take to much

I wouldn't be so Exiting.....rate of failure usually about 60-80%....
last course .....more then 90%....... :eek:

et me tell you that is quite a nice place to live

Just wandering where are you living now???? :}

state of the art planes
737NG......thats was fanny :ok:

top of flight hours at Panama is 100

average 737 FO - 80 Hr, E190- LATELY 60-70 Hr .. just 1 month ago and for looooooong time it was 40-50 on E190

so do the math :)

All the best to all suffererS :ok:

[nuneze23]

uhmmmm.. I think most people would agree that a 737-700 NG is definitely state of the art... WTF?!