Originally Posted by
White Cap
You are correct. There has been so much worse in this industry in training. No ACMI has better training than Atlas, maybe with the exception of ABX back in the day. ABX "ate their own children" and made life miserable for new hires, or so I have heard. Funny, our TC sits on 36th Street. Maybe a historian should give a talk to new hires about Miami aviation history. It would be amusing, and I am somewhat proud to have survived those trash bag airlines. I asked our IBT rep in the TC about failures, and he didn't see a change in the percentage, only now they are training large groups on the -400 (hence 3X the failure rate). HR has thrown some knuckleheads into 767 training, but for the most part I see a lot of pretty sharp folk on the twin. Washing out guys who maybe shouldn't be on a flight deck is a good thing. A good student who listens and has the requisite skills should not fail the program (especially the 767 program).
This is the kind of stuff prospective candidates want to read about and thanks for that.
I have talked and flown with a lot of you guys too. Where you guys have come from and what you have survived over the years is amazing. My aviation career has not been as colorful or storied. GA, CFI, RJ, here. I have not had to endure any furloughs(I missed the one at XJT, but I was forced to do a trans-con commute), but one thing I learned flying pax was I knew I never wanted to do that again. Sure, we need a contract and fast but what S.A has done with our training department has all but mirrored what I went through year over year at XJT with the one exception being the lack of AQP. FWIW, our PT and the RLOFT is a step in the right direction.
I have said it before, our training department is not a reflection of the company demeanor toward our pilot group. Everyone instructor is there to help you pass. I have personally witnessed guys whom I passed judgment upon and did not give a chance to pass solely because of the lack of airline background or heavy equipment experience. Turns out those guys worked very hard and passed without any re-training. On the other hand, I had a guy in my class who was typed in the A/C and washed out. He didn't work, or study and assumed that the PC would be handed to him. He blamed everyone except himself. He brought his sim partner up on a complaint to the TC. He was ultimately fired and I say GOOD RIDDANCE. I don't want to fly with those types. Who does? And I should know, because I am a knucklehead !! lol.