Copa 2010
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: crashpad
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Appreciate that answer.
Thank you.
I have been there and fully agree.
QOL vs $$$ is a personal choice.
Having considered COPA, I was looking for some info on what I was missing.
Honestly hope they will not be able to recruit with the current terms, and consider sweetening up the deal...
Same with India, China, Japan, Turkey etc.
Living in Panama, may be desirable.
Considering the location and lifestyle.
That is if one can move there full time.
Good luck. Thanks for all the input.
Thank you.
I have been there and fully agree.
QOL vs $$$ is a personal choice.
Having considered COPA, I was looking for some info on what I was missing.
Honestly hope they will not be able to recruit with the current terms, and consider sweetening up the deal...
Same with India, China, Japan, Turkey etc.
Living in Panama, may be desirable.
Considering the location and lifestyle.
That is if one can move there full time.
Good luck. Thanks for all the input.
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Over the Pacific mostly
Posts: 1,043
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The job market is very bad. There are very few jobs available. A low-paying job is better than no job.
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Over the Pacific mostly
Posts: 1,043
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Living in Panama, may be desirable.
Considering the location and lifestyle.
That is if one can move there full time.
Considering the location and lifestyle.
That is if one can move there full time.
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: USA
Age: 53
Posts: 38
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Seems to be a lot of ex-pat pilots from USAir, SWA, Delta, United, happy with COPA. Could be the latin culture, the nice beaches and warm weather?
Everybody has to take his/her personal situation and see if they can manage. The last few classes have been some RJ drivers with ZERO Boeing time, they might be looking for the Type and the chance to get some Left Seat Boeing time? Who knows what motivates these people?
I also heard that they have a TON of applicants from CHINA, INDIA, and the Sandpit looking to get a slot in COPA--so there must be more to the story?
NO MAJOR is hiring right now in the USA.
Seems to me that a few of the "nay sayers" on this board might have some spilt milk syndrome as they were turned down by COPA.
Everybody has to take his/her personal situation and see if they can manage. The last few classes have been some RJ drivers with ZERO Boeing time, they might be looking for the Type and the chance to get some Left Seat Boeing time? Who knows what motivates these people?
I also heard that they have a TON of applicants from CHINA, INDIA, and the Sandpit looking to get a slot in COPA--so there must be more to the story?
NO MAJOR is hiring right now in the USA.
Seems to me that a few of the "nay sayers" on this board might have some spilt milk syndrome as they were turned down by COPA.
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: USA
Posts: 37
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
>>there are more jobs now on the international market than there have ever been.<<
If you have certain kinds of experience, yes. If you have 500 hours in a glass cockpit airliner there are lots of jobs. If you don't it is a different matter.
If you have certain kinds of experience, yes. If you have 500 hours in a glass cockpit airliner there are lots of jobs. If you don't it is a different matter.
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Over the Pacific mostly
Posts: 1,043
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I understand the logic of F/O's using it as a stepping stone (hence the high attrition) but I just cannot wrap my brain around somebody who qualifies for DEC at copa (thus qualifying at many other places) would fly a 737 for less than I was making flying a CRJ at a ****ty regional 10 years ago, with less days off to boot. In this business there are bad times followed by not so bad times, if the barrel is empty then you scrape the bottom, but there are some goodies in the barrel now a days. I guess that is why we say that we are well trained monkeys, we love working for peanuts.
Well, sorry if anybody got their feelings hurt because I pointed out that there are options. Good luck
Well, sorry if anybody got their feelings hurt because I pointed out that there are options. Good luck
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: New Zealand
Age: 72
Posts: 322
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Copa
Yes there are always options, you could go to work for a mining company in Australia, make 125,000 Aussie dollars a year, go brain dead and work with the dumbest SOB's you ever met. Take a sixty year old pilot, he is not getting the offers that he used to, highly experienced, glass cockpit time, doesn't matter, 60 year olds are not getting the offers that a younger pilot will. China, for example, even KSA, are not going to hire a sixty year old pilot for an airline, India yes, but thats India, been there, done that. Along comes Copa, where many pilots who retired early or hit 60 before they changed the rules, can still fly until they are 65. Warm beaches, nice equipment, and they want you to work for them. Perhaps there comes a time where,"chasing the money" as opposed to doing what you enjoy doing , is no longer important. Get out of flying for a length of time, lets say two years, and believe me when you walk back towards it, you start to feel alive again. Copa is what it is, offers a job to some of us who are not getting calls anymore, and If your idea is to fly, then all the stuff that goes with it, much of which you already know from the numerous aviation threads and the internet, is all part and parcel of the position. So you see, for some of us, the decision is not that hard.
Foot Note, that mining stuff, that is based upon personal experience.
Also the three year bond, is not valid, and most of the pilots are not signing it and are still be offered the job and working there. This info comes from the States side HR person who has clarified that. The Panamanian HR person initiated this, and apparently was reemed for it.
Foot Note, that mining stuff, that is based upon personal experience.
Also the three year bond, is not valid, and most of the pilots are not signing it and are still be offered the job and working there. This info comes from the States side HR person who has clarified that. The Panamanian HR person initiated this, and apparently was reemed for it.
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Over the Pacific mostly
Posts: 1,043
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
So people at the dawn of their careers with few options and people at the twilight of their careers with fewer options are the ones who would give this any thought, ok got it. For everybody in the middle of those two demographics, here is what of one of their current pilots posted on another site
First off Copa has changed alot since new management. QOL is a big issue now, and of course pay is thin. Main issues expats have with the company are:
1-Pay
2-Pay
3-Pay
4-Breach of contracts
5-Days off requests
6-Jumpseats
7-Family tickets
8-Removal of Housing Allowance
9-Routes and duty times
10-Fuel issues
11-"Culture of Fear" issues
12-Lack of interest towards employee's needs and wants
13-License fees out-of-pocket
14-Scheduling
Basically the list goes on and on....
I wouldn't hold my breath waiting on a raise much less benefits.
First off Copa has changed alot since new management. QOL is a big issue now, and of course pay is thin. Main issues expats have with the company are:
1-Pay
2-Pay
3-Pay
4-Breach of contracts
5-Days off requests
6-Jumpseats
7-Family tickets
8-Removal of Housing Allowance
9-Routes and duty times
10-Fuel issues
11-"Culture of Fear" issues
12-Lack of interest towards employee's needs and wants
13-License fees out-of-pocket
14-Scheduling
Basically the list goes on and on....
I wouldn't hold my breath waiting on a raise much less benefits.
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Queensland
Age: 65
Posts: 11
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
It is what it is.....
1,2,3 = About $6000 net for 80 hours
4 = I don't have any experience with that
5 = You can ask for 2 dates off each month, good luck to get them
6 = Doesn't exist, no jumpseat on Copa or anyone else, obviously
7 = A root canal is less painful than getting a pass for family on Copa
8 = $600 net housing allowance goes away after 24 mos.
9 = no comment
10 = NOT ENOUGH on super-long legs like Montevideo-Panama, an accident is imminent
11 = I have NO FEAR of mgmt
12 = Employee needs & wants, what is that ??
13 = huh ?
14 = All flying is ASSIGNED
4 = I don't have any experience with that
5 = You can ask for 2 dates off each month, good luck to get them
6 = Doesn't exist, no jumpseat on Copa or anyone else, obviously
7 = A root canal is less painful than getting a pass for family on Copa
8 = $600 net housing allowance goes away after 24 mos.
9 = no comment
10 = NOT ENOUGH on super-long legs like Montevideo-Panama, an accident is imminent
11 = I have NO FEAR of mgmt
12 = Employee needs & wants, what is that ??
13 = huh ?
14 = All flying is ASSIGNED
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: In the air
Age: 62
Posts: 38
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Copa will needs to raise pilot salaries!
If COPA going to raise pilots salaries?
I think, COPA and LAN have to raise the salaries or pilots are going to leave to the middle, and far east.
A FAIR SALARY FOR A CAPTAIN HAVE TO BE BETWEEN 8000US and 8500US.
The union have to be tough with negotiation .
I think, COPA and LAN have to raise the salaries or pilots are going to leave to the middle, and far east.
A FAIR SALARY FOR A CAPTAIN HAVE TO BE BETWEEN 8000US and 8500US.
The union have to be tough with negotiation .
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: New Zealand
Age: 72
Posts: 322
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Copa
According to the HR person for Copa who resides in Houston, she is not renewing here contract, she advised me. She says that somebody is putting adds in CLimbto350, different from her ads, she has NO October interviews, and their are approximately 34 guys who are waiting to hear either Yea or Nay about the job. She has not heard from one of the interviewing personnel for over two weeks. Copa was targeting non-typed rated regional jet guys, one of which I know is in training now, and one who was interviewing with me who got a "NO Thanks", which I find strange, considering they are desperate for pilots. This individual had all the creditably except for the 737 type. So for an airline that is desperate for crew they are not organised on getting the interviewed and accepted people into training. I think under those circumstances, a few aviaiors will lose interest and look elsewhere. Seems to be the ever changing aviation industry, mixed with some un-organised office staff is slowing things down at the moment
My 2cents
Cheers
My 2cents
Cheers
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: 09°04´N, 079°23´W
Age: 54
Posts: 145
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
"NO Thanks", which I find strange, considering they are desperate for pilots
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: SKG
Posts: 0
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
FYI
I was told by my friends who flying there,
Copa hires 40 percent of the direct entry captain applicants with an average of more than 10000 hrs
I was told by my friends who flying there,
Copa hires 40 percent of the direct entry captain applicants with an average of more than 10000 hrs
Last edited by paokara; 16th Oct 2011 at 19:53.
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Over the Pacific mostly
Posts: 1,043
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
@ NZ X man
My recommendation would be to apply to some of the work out here in SE Asia, I know there is an age limit but apply anyway and see what happens, I just had a couple of friends hired as DEC's on B737's with no type or time on the A/C into a job that had a minimum of 500 hours for DEC's posted. The situation is getting pretty tight in the international market and they are starting to bend their rules, who knows if they would bend the age limit, after all they can get 5 more productive years from you. Start filling applications, who knows?
Good luck
My recommendation would be to apply to some of the work out here in SE Asia, I know there is an age limit but apply anyway and see what happens, I just had a couple of friends hired as DEC's on B737's with no type or time on the A/C into a job that had a minimum of 500 hours for DEC's posted. The situation is getting pretty tight in the international market and they are starting to bend their rules, who knows if they would bend the age limit, after all they can get 5 more productive years from you. Start filling applications, who knows?
Good luck
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Germany
Posts: 56
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hello Dominican
..we had contact before regarding the Haitian accident. Sorry, mistook the event for another. So no news on that. Regarding the NTR jobs in the Far East on the 737, I am really interested. Have a lot of Boeing time, including command. No 737 type however. Can you pm me about the companies offering those positions please. Tried for a while, no luck so far. Thx, Blohm.