Originally Posted by
Lemonade
You have made some accurate observations but let me help you understand. Prior to the 2001-hires this airline was having a very difficult time retaining pilots due to the high volume of Legacy carrier hiring. In an effort to minimize the turnover the hiring team was given a mandate to hire only those who lacked 'big airline' qualifications. This meant those with no college degree, DUIs, accident history, and other crimes. It was successful to some degree. Anyone who doubts this can ask one of those interviewers. He is a checkairman now with the initials RW.
This airline is top heavy with an older group of pilots that were never capable of working at a better airline. Their low self esteem and fears were for many years spread through the lower ranks until it literally became part of our culture. Despite our relatively recent success as an airline this culture lives on in the webbing of our culture. Remember now that many of those individuals went on to become our union reps and checkairmen. They have a captive audience.
Hope that helps.
You and Tine must be flying together. I've refuted this idea that the top of the Spirit sen list is filled with "pilots that were never capable of working at at better airline" so many times that anyone who's been on APC for more than six months can likely write it for me. I can give you plenty of examples of 1990's Spirit hires that had already worked for major airlines. Most of the top 50 came from Air Florida. It wasn't their fault their employer went broke. Yes, we have our 2%'rs, but for most of us Spirit was just the next to last step on the career ladder. But you're correct in that for years our instructor/CheckAirman corps has controlled the culture of our airline. Go ahead, refute me. I'm going back to live under my rock. Maybe I'll go have some Bone Daddys ribs and listen to the blues. Buh bye