Originally Posted by
MavAv8r
The company doesn't blindly accept, and/or bid on something they know that they won't be able to staff. Great business model, and if you haven't paid attention to the industry in the last 10-15 years, TSA won't do something they can't make money. Gaining flying, and then losing it all, due to staffing, makes it tough to make money.
^This. They have simply altered their recruiting tactics for now. The primary focus is getting Captains on property for the initial growth spurt, because we will already have FO's to handle the initial growth. If we get short on FO's they can use the CQFO's to handle it. It's simply being smart with their hiring. Like Breezy said, the company hired 10 ish a month for over a year with no promise of growth, no upgrades, and no attrition. Now you are saying that since we are tripling in size to stay away? Go take your meds old man.
Bring.It.On... I've flown with enough old codgers like yourself that still think they are Chuck Yeager, and just getting it on the ground is a tough task.
You call that a solid 10 year contract? You do realize it is an absolute sh!t sandwich, and worse than the contract TSA pilots currently work under right? You do realize Endeavor has to stay around to get that bonus right? As for Mesa… you've missed the fast upgrade. So go there and upgrade in 2-2.5 years while your buddy came here and upgrades the day he hits 3000 TT. Don't forget that if we get short, we can and WE WILL drop the TT requirements if that is what is required to staff it. In which case you upgrade in 1-1.5 years tops.
The fact that people continue to rip on this place absolutely blows my mind. Why are we such a bad place to work? Why is it so bad that this pilot group has a good relationship with management and enjoys working here? Why is it so bad that we are growing? Why do we get the ridicule for "undercutting" yet Compass gets the free pass? You do realize that they have 20 of "your" birds because they were able to do it cheaper than you!! Yet, I don't see you on the Compass forum spewing the same sh!t you do over here. Is it because they are practically mainline pilots with those new engine under wing shiny jets!?!?
Move along.
Ooooh another angry TSA kiddo!! I've outed you guys too much?
I agree TSA wouldn't do this if they didn't think they could. Seeing as you speak of historics - how has TSA "historically" treated their pilots? Like crap? Hired in the spring furloughed in the fall over and over? The CQFO program is how they will staff but it will require CQFOs that don't actually make it to the left seat(my opinion). You even basically said this yourself above!
(Insert baseless assumptive potshot here about how this old codger has "saved" plenty of young bucks like you that think they can fly)
Envoy has a 10 year contract with brand new aircraft and an automatic flow to AA. You have a 5 year contract and are receiving old airplanes that only have 5 years of useful life left out of them. You are saying your contract is better?
Compass, like you has not taken any contract alterations to receive these aircraft. However, Compass has not put a program in place that is designed to pilfer pilots from fellow regionals. If they get 121 pilots, great, but they are not trying to directly suck them away with a "CQFO" program.
All that being said, I don't really have anything against you guys and I am not upset at anything; it doesn't affect me personally in any way shape or form. Simply put, it is my opinion that this experiment will fail. You are only being given these airplanes because Envoy cannot staff them. If you pull it off great, but my advice to the average 1500 CFI is that there are much better bets out there right now.