Riverside

I believe the current memo that was published a few days ago, said all new hires are STL based. So that probably answers your first question until ioe.

glassnpowder98

Hey all- long time lurker, first time poster. I missed the first round of CQFO's because I didn't have the time, but now that it's back I'm qualified. I have a couple of concerns maybe you all can address?

First, it was a pretty bold plan to try and more than double the pilot group in a year to ~1200 in order to staff the 80 planes scheduled for early 2016. From what I've gathered, I'd be right around the middle of the pack at 600 if i got in soon. What happens if they can't find approximately 100 pilots a month (especially because those hired in the future will probably miss the 50% benchmark to upgrade with this round of growth)? Is there language in the CPA which protects TSA or can United just pull those planes as part of their ongoing accelerated reduction of 50 seaters?

Secondly, the CQFO first year pay of $43.42 and $61.91 looks good, but what is year 2, 3, etc? If the music stops can they take that away and make you a regular FO or will you just be continually abused as a "junior" CA? As a CQFO do you hold an FO line and they can reassign you to fly as a CA as needed, or are you constantly on reserve?

Finally, how do upgrade bypasses work? Lets say I'm able to hold CA in a year due to those senior to me not having the time to upgrade. Can they then downgrade me once a senior pilot reaches CA mins? TSA's website says junior CA was hired 5/7/14, is that someone with prior 121 time or is that accurate for time to reach 1000 121 time?

The more I think about it, the more it seems like I'd be jumping into a brewing crap sandwich or maybe it's just Stockholm Syndrome from where I'm at now. At the end of the day, I have a much better chance of living in base at TSA and being stuck on reserve for a long time. It's better than my current situation though after commuting to reserve for almost two years. Thanks all for the replies

Riverside

We are pretty much on target for hiring, offer bonus and promises of quick upgrade and people will come. So not really a bold move, got some pretty semi smart people here.

Under contract for those aircraft. United has the option of not renewing contract.

Not a Cqfo, so not going there on pay.

If you can hold captain you will. Sr fo that upgrade will bump you down the seniority list. But if you're captain then you stay captain.

r0cknry

Anyone know an approximate time a new guy will sit reserve in the different bases?

B200 Hawk

Nah, we will just cancel vacations first.

CBreezy

The previous two classes before the July class were both over 14 people. Your statement is incorrect.

MavAv8r

Probably only the month you can't bid.

Since when did we start hiring CQFO's again? The new hire classes have been all FO's. We are still seeing 15 people in a class... Check the first class in July by looking at the standing bid list.

They meter the class sizes so they can handle the training. Theres no sense putting 40 people in a month if you can only handle 20. We don't have enough check airmen, hence the wait for OE. Granted, we can't get 40/month. If you do the math, we are doing fine. We may be a little short, but they are still on pace to staff it. 20 - 25/ month is probably the bare minimum, and I'm sure they would like to see more, but that's what they were getting.

Last I heard was they were thinking about doing the CQ program again in the fall, or has that changed again recently?

Long story short, we don't need 1200 pilots. 800-900 will put us minimally staffed. Especially with attrition the way it is. If that changes, so will the numbers we need to hire obviously.

glassnpowder98

Thanks for the info. I was told the CQFO positions opened back up Thursday. Are most of the new airplanes going to Denver? My decision to switch to TSA is to hopefully within a few months be based at home. Being able to pick up some PIC time here and there and upgrade quicker than the projected 3 years where I'm at now (if we don't implode first) is an added bonus. Even if there is just a glimmer of hope to get DEN based, it's better than commuting across the country to sit reserve.

CBreezy

We aren't severely understaffed. We are only slightly under TSA-staffed. In 2011 they were in way worse shape and had only 2-3 reserves available system-wide. As a line holder, I flew a severely delayed completely empty airplane instead of canceling. That's the TSA way.

MavAv8r

Ya when we were fat. The airline isn't canceling dozens of flights/day for lack of crews. Hence we aren't that short. I've had the pleasure of talking to two CP's in the crew room in the last week or so and they echoed the exact same thing.