Originally Posted by
CptGSXR
Lets say out of 300 Pilots that only 10% won't have 1500 hours. Yes, that is a grand total of 30 pilots and that seems like just a handful will have a real problem and cause for concern. From the company perspective (since they claim to be shrinking) this is a GOOD thing. They get rid of an extra 10% of the pilot group and claim their $7500 training contract to pocket for profit. Well I'm sorry but I can't be so cavalier about this. Some FOs are faced with RSV until Aug because of the shrinking lines and are not getting 60 hours a month. In fact, some are getting 6 (read SIX) hours of RSV making it impossible to reach 1500. And as for picking up extra flying outside Lakes....well that is a breach of contract unless you get written authorization from the company. And I can tell you they are not giving that in written form.
Yes, this is more of a per person problem that should be addressed on an individual basis. I just feel that tossing this under the rug is not a attitude fellow Lakers should have toward low-time FOs.
I try to look at the math this way, out of 300 pilots, 150 are f/o's. Of that, how many are chasing 1500 (and the other atp requirements?). I cannot attest to the Beech side, but what I see on the EMB side is that say 4 of 16 of us are chasing the 1500. Thats 25% of our group, or roughly 37 F/O's if the ratio is the same across the board. Obviously thats terrible math in a statistics world.
The "shrinking" referenced, the number of F/O's that upgrade, then the number of F/O's who think they see "the writing on the wall" and leave over the next several months. I imagine the airline will be done shrinking as much as it'd like by August. Then when the F/O's get furloughed that don't meet ATP requirements, 25% or more of them, that means by me using elementary math, 25% of our flights cancel or operate with two captains.
And the suggestion that the company fires the individuals and collects $7,500 only sounds to me like a scare. I see not meeting minimums a furlough event ("call us when you get an atp"), not a termination of employment event. If furloughed, the company cannot collect the money, your 15 months has hit the pause button until you get called back to work. So the company gains nothing by holding individuals under 1500 hours.
If I am one who gets let go and they were to demand $7,500 I wish them luck trying to find a way to squeeze water from a rock. I have no assets and have nothing to offer this company other than the debt I've accrued working on first year F/O wages.
All this just one guy thinking to himself aloud in an open forum.