Originally Posted by
JerrySpringer
I think a realistic picture is more important for people to get the trend as to what's going on.
Which is why I posted the interesting facts in my post."29 more retirements to go this year, 31 next year. Adding the 3 GSS -8's this year, 24 more new hires just announced. It's not explosive growth, but it's growth."
It's great there are some kool-aide drinkers that are positive no matter what. However, if there are new hires with no upgrades, that is only to replace FO attrition. They haven't even begun staffing the retirements or these three -8s. Oddly, we are well within the window to staff those airframes as they arrive in May.
And there are Kool-aide drinkers who are pessimists, too, however posting news about retirements, additional aircraft, and new hires in a thread dedicated to Atlas new hires does not make one a Kool-aide drinker.
Atlas needs new hires for retirements, growth, AND attrition. Sure some guys are leaving for other places, but that is not the only reason for hiring. To assume that simply because there are no captains announced in this bid ignores the simple truth that the word "logic" and the phrase "training center" do not belong in the same sentence. Because Atlas relies on "heavy crews" for most of our flying, simple math dictates that there will be many, many more training events for FO's than Captains. It may help, however, that Atlas has recently announced 8 more Captain upgrades.
But yeah, carry on. Maybe we can make this thread last forever. "Dude, start on page 1 then pay your dues reading the 1000 pages!!1!"
To duplicate and consolidate the length, width, and depth of the information contained in this thread about Atlas and the Atlas hiring process would be a monumental task worth high praise and accolades, but I'm not going to do it. I am all about "paying it forward", but reposting all of my brilliant and humorous poetry from this thread would be like asking Van Gogh to "paint that Mona Lisa girl again". You could't recreate the magic. Well, that plus I'm lazy.
There are currently unanswered questions about Atlas in "the other Atlas thread" that are awaiting a response. Interestingly, most of the replies there refer people right back to this thread. Unlike the "old days" getting a job at Atlas today is not easy. It took a lot of time and effort for me get here. We do what we can to help others out, but we can't do it all for them and if a pilot interested in Atlas asks a question that has been answered five times in the past year, that pilot is not availing himself of all the available information for the task at hand.
Also missing would be the ability to get to know the posters and their personalities. Through the hundreds of posts you and many others have made, many aspiring Atlas wannabe's have made connections and gotten personal assistance with their job hunt outside of this forum. Losing that potential resource would be a shame.
We want to attract the best professional pilots to our 121 operation. And when they arrive, we need to be thankful we're filling out ranks with great folks. Mentor them, not haze them.
Jerry, I couldn't agree more.
8