Originally Posted by
Akutan Bandit
Home basing is the only way to get the blocks of time off such as 18/12. So far, to be home based you have to fly the larger half of the fleet, it hasn't applied to PA-31's or 99's. What they did was create a carrot for guys to aspire to, and a reason to hang in. By the time you qualify for that carrot at Amflight you can find someone offering much more elsewhere, which is why they created a trail of crumbs to the next carrot: a "peak-to-peak" bonus of $20,000 if you stay from last peak to next peak (you don't even have to wear the stupid hat they literally send to you advertising the "peaks").
What all the games amount to is an attempt to stall until they can clone more guys with your attitude. By the time you qualify for home basing your several years of 6 on-1 off may have you singing a different tune than "sign me the eff up." Management seems to think between the business cycle, importing foreign FO's, and dangling fruit just out of reach of current employees (I know, carrots are a vegetable) they can stall long enough until things turn and labor inflation abates. I hope they're wrong.
Ameriflight has some fantastic employees, as do other poorly managed companies. But Ameriflight and outfits like them have directly contributed to the labor supply situation we find ourselves in today. I used to fuel Navajo's for Amflight in the early 90's, and when it came time for me to build time I didn't even consider them since I had the flexibility to go to Alaska and make 3 to 5x the money. I know not everyone has that latitude, but I'd think long and hard today about going to fly with this company given the other opportunities out there.
The home base isn't actually aimed at the low time guys coming in. We know that most of them are going to leave after a relatively short time. (I just wish it were at least till the end of the time they agree to when they hire on and get trained.)
The primary purpose of the home base in the upper planes is the meet the needs of the folks coming on as a second career. Ones who aren't in a position to up and move but want to still be flying.
And I'm not sure what your comment about "importing foreign FOs" has to do with anything. That program predates any of the current labor shortages and, in fact, is going to be phased out in order to bring on our own FOs who we want to build time to become captains. We really get very little out of the Korean FOs from an operations standpoint. It is a small income stream that our previous owners set up that actually hurts our current plans for pilot supply.
Originally Posted by
towlowtrain77
You know, I am there right with you. I got attracted by the pay scale on the Metroliner and the long break during the day.
If I look at DPJ or plane sense the 8 days looks like a long stretch but at least you get the 6 days off. That 6/1 every week is not for me. But I do love the sound and looks of that Metroliner..
People of Ameriflight, make it a 4/3 and I will apply!
(Wishful.... You know)
4/3 is a target for many in base runs. (The CID and ALB runs out of CVG, for example.) But we need the staffing to be able to do it. We can't promise or maintain that type of schedule when we are bleeding pilots.