Originally Posted by
leftcoast
65---SIXTY FIVE!! New 737-700's are on their way plus a handful of 319's. those are new captain jobs as UAL takes flying back from the 50 seat segment.
Many FOs who could've held captain recently are settling into new widebody a FO jobs. They probably won't be moving soon.
The bids to fill those guppies will be large. Large bids go Junior pretty quickly. I think a post merger hire will be flying captain before next summer.
Even this quick upgrade is slower than what delta has experienced with their MD-80 in New York.
65 new aircraft would mean at least 780 pilots as growth.. of which (again.. assuming) 60% would/could be Captains. So, you are looking at 468 Captains. Great. But.. when are these aircraft scheduled to come?! Will they all be here end of 2017 and will we not park any Airbus/Guppies?!
It's great to "plan" on being a 2 or 4 year Captain. But I also think people should look at numbers and facts before any speculation. I'm an '07 hire with 900 pre New Hire Post SLI pilots behind me. Reality is, I'm (probably) still over two years from holding Captain on the smallest equipment out of EWR. If I can hold left seat on the guppy in SFO next year.. well, won't take it. But have to believe that there will be many of those 900 junior to me who will take it. Not to mention many who are senior who have bypassed or will be off a seat lock.
Nothing against those who are dreaming of holding Captain and have only been here 3 or 4 years.. but just understand, that there are pilots who have been here 9 years and still can't hold it. Just saying.
Always
Motch