Originally Posted by
xjtgrunt
Lets put my gorilla math to work.
133 planes * 10 fh/day * 31 day/month = 41230 fh/month.
41230 /70 fh per-pilot = 589 pilots *2 (you need a co-pilot) = 1178 pilots.
So my guess is right now Mesa is either fully staffed for pilots or close to it. Mesa probably wants a few more than that to cover training, sick days, misc coverage, so 1250 would be the ideal number of pilots...I think.
Am I close?
Your math is close but can be further refined, however it matters not since BeatNavy's comments are more germane.
But, in any case: (132 aircraft * your presumed 10 flight hours per day * (365 days / 12 months per year)) / 75.83 contract hours per month, per pilot * 2 pilots per aircraft = 1058.9 pilots.
With the management types on the seniority list, ground school instructors, military / medical LOAs, etc., that could be easily 10% of the seniority list. 1218 * .9 = 1096, which is reasonably close to 1058.9.
Your calculated mileage may vary. Average airframe utilization per day is a variable here we don't really know. But these rough back-of-the-napkin calculations suggest we are appropriately staffed .. at this point in time.
The reserve grid could use some strengthening, and additional folks in the door and qualified would help with that. That is probably why the seniority list has floated in the 1250-1350 range over the last year.