The Zoom experience?

... · Post by **...** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 8:24 am

I flew on this airline last month...

I really didn't hear too much about them before my flight with them.
The only thing I know about them is they have 767's and I know one of them came from Air France. I only know of 1 person that works for them.

Anyone here work for them or know of someone that does? Care to share some inside info on the company? How's the company culture? Working environment?

bizjet_mania · Post by **bizjet_mania** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 8:27 am

I remember hearing of a "Jen" flying cruise for them, and a baggae handler that went cruise with low time as well... other than that dont know of anyone personally. Can you believe the paintscheme was sold to Zoom for only $3k?!?...BTW nice avatar, I just wasted 5 minutes of my life looking at it..

MRO · Post by **MRO** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 9:31 am

Pretty sweet to go from Baggage handler to cruise on a 767. How low time was he? And how long is he gonna have to wait to upgrade?

bizjet_mania · Post by **bizjet_mania** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 10:08 am

Cant remember where he was at. I remember someone telling me and I couldnt believe it. I think it was around 800-1200hrs.

MRO · Post by **MRO** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 10:26 am

Stories like that are unbelievable especially when companies tell you that you don’t meet insurance requirements to go on a ho with that kind of time.

Fine if I cant fly this ho Ill just go fly that 767.

bizjet_mania · Post by **bizjet_mania** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 10:32 am

I hear ya, but at the same time Cruise pilots I dont believe log time, cant takeoff/land or fly the airplane below 10,000ft so basically all they really have to do is sit there and watch the monitors and they have a experienced crew member sitting beside them. I dont even know what a job like that would pay, but it sounds like a nice free way to travel.

MRO · Post by **MRO** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 10:37 am

From what I hear they don’t even have to monitor anything because as soon as something fluctuates the maintenance department is on the horn.

Sounds pretty boring I think you would miss out on allot by doing that and I would be very interested to hear how much they get paid.

However you can still impress all the ladies by telling them what you fly, at least I hope that impresses them that’s what I’m basing my career on.

boeingboy · Post by **boeingboy** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 12:29 pm

All the pilots I know are really nice group, and from what they are telling me their sked is alright. Lots of deadheading and sometimes your right back in it but they make it up to you later.

However their maintenance is going to be their downfall. The contracted maintenance guys are good - but the tech ops manager is another RG (Sonic Blue fame). Nothing drasticly serious or dangerous, but if he doesn't have the part - he makes something up and has the plane fly around broken. Even if it's a maint resked - they will fly around for weeks without fixing it. Basicly - all the pilots and the maint guys don't think very highly of this guy.

This sounds worse than it is - but they really do need to get rid of him and smooth things out again.

Twizzler · Post by **Twizzler** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 2:09 pm

boeingboy

"However their maintenance is going to be their downfall. The contracted maintenance guys are good - but the tech ops manager is another RG (Sonic Blue fame). Nothing drasticly serious or dangerous, but if he doesn't have the part - he makes something up and has the plane fly around broken. Even if it's a maint resked - they will fly around for weeks without fixing it. Basicly - all the pilots and the maint guys don't think very highly of this guy. "

It is not a very good idea to post comments that are completely false!! VP Tech ops is ex-Transat and very competent. From what I am told things do not fly around long before they are fixed. There are such things as MELs and ETOPS requirements that have to be met and you most certainly cannot "make something up" to keep things flying. Most of the contract maintenance guys are ex C3 and layed-off/retired AC.

Everyone else,

As far as pilots are concerned most are ex C3 and Military, with a smattering of First Air, ACE, Skyservice with a few corp jet and turboprop guys/girls to round things out. They do not employ Cruise pilots, but fly Captains and FOs as augment pilots when required. No baggage handlers or rampies have ever been hired to fly. 6000 hrs minimum (non military).

The friends I know there, love working for Zoom. Good moral, good pay, great aircraft (2 are ex AF and 2 are ex KLM) all are around 10 yrs old. I certainly hope to be there soon. Tough to get on without contacts, but I have been told that it has been done. I hope this sheds some light.

Servisair · Post by **Servisair** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 4:27 pm

I wasnt aware that Zoom had 4 aircraft. I thot they only had 3

Twizzler · Post by **Twizzler** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 5:04 pm

4 X 767-300ER. Last one in Jan.

C-GZUM
C-GZMM
C-GZNA
C-GZNC

boeingboy · Post by **boeingboy** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 6:36 pm

Whatever Twizzler

I'm not going to get into a long, drawn out, pointless who's right who's wrong argument.

Let's just agree to disagree.

sprucemonkey · Post by **sprucemonkey** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 6:44 pm

Who cares......as long as the fa's hang out by the pool @ the Maui Coast Hotel.......................

MRO · Post by **MRO** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 7:29 pm

sprucemonkey wrote:Who cares......as long as the fa's hang out by the pool @ the Maui Coast Hotel.......................

Thats the dream right there!

flyincanuck · Post by **flyincanuck** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 10:27 pm

Each year Zoom charters their own plane to fly their employees to an island (usually Cuba or DR) for the company Christmas party. Now that's an awesome party!

Don't know what happens with those who have to stay behind n work.

Dispatch · Post by **Dispatch** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 12:26 am

Wow, the stories that go around on the internet, planes flying around half broken, an incompetant Director of Mtc (which is obsurd if you knew him and the mtc realiability he keeps) so Boingboy, lets keep your comments to yourself about a company you dont know anything about other than the type of airplane it flys and the sched it keeps
I work in Dispatch for Zoom and see things first hand, your ploy to down grade Zoom doesnt wash with me, MTC is increadable and MEL's are 1 or 2 for a day or two max, ETOPS req't are very strict and I am not sure Military and very expereinced CPTs would put up with that for very long. Everyone that works there are a competent bunch of men and woman, lowest time for pilots is in the range of 3000hrs and above, like twizzler says most military and exc3 with a handful of corprate jet, large turboprop etc. No cruise relifers off the ramp etc. Christmas is the talk of the office afterwards, great rewards like profit sharing, travel vouchers for all inclusives down south. Zoom is a great company to work for, hands down.
Cheers

boeingboy · Post by **boeingboy** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 2:41 am

Wow dispatch - the things you see sitting behind a desk!!! So I guess you know everything that happens everywhere all the time? I see them and deal with them, working on your planes on the ramp - and dealing with RD. I haven't heard of anyone that actually likes him.

I never said they were completely unsafe. Would I fly on them - Yes, I believe I even said the pilots were a very nice, good bunch of guys. However the point I was trying to make is that the mentality of the man at the top (of mtce) could be a problem. Yes some stuff gets fixed fairly quickly.........others well.......

Talk about trying to put words in my mouth.

To everyone else,
If my post sounds like I'm trying to make these guys out to be some fly by night outfit - they are not. Lets face it - no company is perfect, and I actually like these guys - I was just trying to point out some of the frustrations that the crews put up with.

dream chaser · Post by **dream chaser** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 4:22 am

[b]Me likey the Skyservice Flight Attendants[/b]

bizjet_mania · Post by **bizjet_mania** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 7:42 am

Anyone know their pay and expansion plans?

B757FO · Post by **B757FO** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 8:07 am

laid off pilot wrote:Me likey the Skyservice Flight Attendants

Its cuz they were red isn't it.

B757FO · Post by **B757FO** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 8:10 am

bizjet_mania wrote:I hear ya, but at the same time Cruise pilots I dont believe log time, cant takeoff/land or fly the airplane below 10,000ft so basically all they really have to do is sit there and watch the monitors and they have a experienced crew member sitting beside them. I dont even know what a job like that would pay, but it sounds like a nice free way to travel.

I am pretty sure it costs almost as much to train a RP cruise relief as it would a direct entry FO. I could be wrong. But if it was the case why not just hire a higher time guy for the job who is upgradable in a few years. I am sure they dont hire cruisers.

B757FO · Post by **B757FO** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 8:17 am

boeingboy wrote:Wow dispatch - the things you see sitting behind a desk!!! So I guess you know everything that happens everywhere all the time? I see them and deal with them, working on your planes on the ramp - and dealing with RD. I haven't heard of anyone that actually likes him.

I never said they were completely unsafe. Would I fly on them - Yes, I believe I even said the pilots were a very nice, good bunch of guys. However the point I was trying to make is that the mentality of the man at the top (of mtce) could be a problem. Yes some stuff gets fixed fairly quickly.........others well.......

Talk about trying to put words in my mouth.

To everyone else,
If my post sounds like I'm trying to make these guys out to be some fly by night outfit - they are not. Lets face it - no company is perfect, and I actually like these guys - I was just trying to point out some of the frustrations that the crews put up with.

Your post was pretty direct. Dogging the Tech Ops director. However you are entitled to your opinion. You work at Air Canada? Just curious. You mentioned in another post you fly trans-atlantic.

bizjet_mania · Post by **bizjet_mania** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 8:44 am

I dont think Cruise pilots require type ratings so the cost would be significantly cheaper I suppose, however in the long run it would be cheaper to get an another pilot to do it.

Big Pratt · Post by **Big Pratt** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 9:22 am

Boeing boy, a sharp dispatcher "sitting behind a desk all day" knows a hell of a lot more than you'd think... A lot of info crosses his desk and a lot of stuff gets said on the phones, not to mention that he's just around the corner from the water cooler or coffee machine.

As for Zoom, I have dealt with them on the groundops and maintenance side of things and they are a top notch company as far as those things go (can't say about other things as I don't know them first hand). The company has a solid backing and the ppl I've met are top notch. If the Mx director is a jerk then I have not heard it but they still respect their MEL and ETOPS restrictions and the planes DO NOT look like chistmas trees from the MEL stickers like some other charter operators did.

Cheers!

Twizzler · Post by **Twizzler** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 11:39 am

So boeingboy

first you put down Zoom's VP Tech Ops, then you sling mud at one of their dispatchers (BTW in a class A dispatching system it is the dispatchers job to know everything that goes on with the aircraft). What is your deal here??

In a previous post you lead people on to think that you are a pilot:

"Hey Mike, the next time I get the oceanic from Shanwick (after spending the previous day in a UK pub) I'll think of you trying to find a job on the ramp."

Now you are saying that you work on their aircraft?

" I see them and deal with them, working on your planes on the ramp - and dealing with RD."

So what is it that you actually do, besides post complete BS? You want to know what I think?! I think that you are a wannabe pilot, who likes to spread gossip (as opposed to rumours). So why don't you go back to the Flight Attendant Forum and spread your crap around there!

The Zoom experience?

The Zoom experience?

LOL