TBucket

That one wasn't free though. That was in exchange for not assigning reserve trips by seniority anymore. (Instead, they have "buckets", which is code for "whatever the hell scheduling feels like doing that day")

atpcliff

This change saves money for TSA, because the small costs they incur are more than offset by large savings in hiring and training new hires they don't have to do because they retain some pilots longer.

RgrMurdock

Reserve volunteers now have priority over the bucket

deej

What are the odds of getting the STL base as a new hire?

Thanks.

TBucket

As far as I know you can get whichever base you want out of newhire right now. They're hurting for FOs everywhere.

DegeReguard

I've heard Jim has been in meetings in CLT and other odd cities recently and that a big announcement was supposed to be made yesterday but this didn't happen.

I've heard rumors about more united flying, and am aware of at least one new plane coming up from mexico soon.

I've heard rumors about taking some of AAG's ORD flying that CHQ dropped, but had also heard that skywest has already gotten that and is planning to fly it with CRJ-200s.

I've also heard rumors of AAG's second batch of 20 E175's being bid on by us.

A republic crew out of DCA asked me if I was "excited about the 175s we have coming" when I checked in for the jump-seat and he found out I was a TSA pilot.

I was told at my interview that TSA's plan was to "continue doing what we've always done, and weather our mainline partners like it or not there will always be a market for 50 seat jets and we plan to continue to be simply a 50 seat jet operator."

We are running two initial classes a month with decent numbers and are continuing to hire aggressively for such a small company.

It feels like our current flying is staffed very effectively and our attrition is slow off the top, so it doesn't seem like we're hiring for attrition or 117

Almost everyone i've talked to thinks there is something big in the near future.

I heard in 2010 or about we had hired alot in anticipation for flying that was actually taken by CHQ and had to furlough. It doesn't seem like, if we didn't grow with our current numbers we would be able to retain everyone we've hired and are hiring.

So, this leaves me with questions... and i'd like theories from either side of the argument.

First, knowing that uncle H won't bid on anything at a loss, how to the economics of bringing a new type online work? And lets leave compass, and its already existing 175 type out of this.

I know a new type needs an SOP, manuals, proving, training, etc and that instructors must be made who make check airmen who make regular crews etc. and thats just from the pilot stand point. Would it be possible to simply copy most of Compass's stuff and make a few modifications to reduce the cost of a new start up program since we are both TSH?

Assuming AAG owns the airplanes and intends to lease them to us to operate them, I imagine that lease comes at a steal style price, what is the process that would need to be done in order to get those planes from imaginary to flying under the TSA name and how much does that cost?

Is it even possible to arrange a way to carefully ensure a steady and decent profit stream for a situation like TSA getting 175s from AAG for AAG using the combination of a good lease deal and a strong contract that would still be able to underbid our competitors, knowing that 20 of these AAG planes are going to someone who does not currently operate them?

These are of course all theoretical questions and an attempt on my part to gain a little more understand in how a FFD regional airline business model works.

aprilcoconut

All I last heard was TSA bought one of the largest block of sim time ever at FlightSafety. Don't know what type or types of sim time.

turbinepic

So much optimism... So precious...

Riverside

We are picking up one erj from Mexico next week.

I'm sure compass has the bid in for the erj175 cause that's what they were talking about on their forum.

Saw Jim yesterday after I got back from my 4 day as he was updating our ship sets. He didn't mention anything new going on.

I think your speech is the same speech everyone got, in order to make people believe there is a market for 50 seaters.

cfii2007

The hiring department has been pushing people through at a brisk rate, something must be in the works.