Originally Posted by
GogglesPisano
With the caliber of people we're hiring, I don't think ER new-hires will have issues.
As has been said many times, the ACMI carriers have been doing this for decades.
True, and you were around in the pre 9/11 era. When the ACMI's (to include your former employer) would take guys that had never flown nothing heavier than a small turbo-prop and put them into a heavy/glass jet, flying into some of the most challenging/demanding 3rd world crap holes, with next to nothing for dispatch support compared to a legacy. Then in a year, the dude can upgrade to said heavy/glass jet, flying into the SAME 3rd world crap holes, with next to nothing for dispatch support compared to a legacy. Interesting, is it not? That World/Gemini/Polar/Atlas/Souther/Tradewinds etc was capable of doing that.
Originally Posted by
waldo135
OK, I'll bite. I start Indoc soon and am a newly retired mil pilot. I have zero 121 (or any other civil) experience. I DO, however, have extensive experience crossing the ocean (all of them) with ACARS and CPDLC. I have flown into the busiest airports in the world and to every continent except Antartica. I find it very condescending when people assume that just because someone is a 'newhire' or a military pilot just entering the commercial world that they are somehow inept or dangerous.
I agree. But then again, go a few pages back and look who altered the trend of the thread vector.
And according to some of the other posts, the guys that would be the most screwed in the single seat/tactical jet guy
.
Let's see, random thoughts on one's first crossing of IOE. You know, just to conform with the overall crappy vector the thread has taken;
"dude, what are these guys doing in this giant cockpit with me? Even more, who the heck are all those people behind that door?. Oh well, I get to have face to face interaction with my coworkers and eat/poop/pee when I want"
"where the heck is my wingman?"
"where's my HOTAS, I can't figure this out"
"I feel kinda naked flying without my g-suit on"
"Crap!!! where are the tankers to drag me across the Atlantic!!!!! We're gonna get lost!!!!!!. May day may day!!!! EJECT EJECT EJECT!!!!!!!!"
(god, I pity those that DON'T have the capacity to understand sarcastic/facetious intent).
Anyway, 80kts/BuckingBar/ACL65 were hired into the heavy equipment IIRC. And even if not, they advanced quickly before the downward slide in the recession. Granted, they're sharp dudes. And there were pilots of other backgrounds that were able to do the SAME. Nothing new here, nothing earth shattering or dangerous.
Originally Posted by
lear700pilot
It all boils down to this, we are all pilots and most of us, through good training, should be able to figure it out. Congrats on getting hired by Delta. I hope to join the ranks one day soon.
Originally Posted by
Michael Jackson
I was hired directly to ER, displaced twice to the 737 then the 88. The easiest job by far was flying the ER. We as pilots don't like to think that we are at all indispensable but the truth is that to a degree we are. There is a reason the ER is senior and it's not the pay. New hires at Delta are highly qualified and experienced pilots who are very capable of doing that job.
Originally Posted by
Oberon
There is less new stuff for 121 guys to learn so the transition is probably a little easier but military guys generally have the aptitude to get up to speed quickly. After a few months you'd be hard pressed to tell what someone's background is.
Delta might have the most mature screening and training program in the world. Anyone who makes it to the line is qualified to do the job. New hires to the ER is no less safe than new hires to the MD-88 no matter where they came from.
Originally Posted by
Scoop
Concur 100%. Either way the new-hire is going to have a steep learning curve. In my humble opinion, the ER presents a much more "Gentlemen" like learning pace, with one 9+ hour leg/day with an extra FO, than up and down the east coast 4-5 times per day with no time to discuss much besides the next "slam-dunk" arrival.
Both airframes have unique challenges and I am very confident that upwards of 95% of our new-hires have minimal trouble with either.
Scoop
^^^^^^ What these cats are saying. One can do this job, or they can't. One posses the capacity/skill to manage the learning curve, or they don't. And with the calibre of candidates and the screening process, it's proven itself to be a non issue.