Disclaimer: Delta's a great company and I couldn't have more gratitude for all it has done for me and my family.
Originally Posted by
ChecklistMonkey
There is no "seniority" with managers. They are hired from within or without based solely on their qualifications.
Guess we differ on the term "qualifications"...I don't make the decisions on what those are and I understand that. I would make a movie analogy to illustrate my point. In the movie "Paths of Glory" when a horridly planned attack fails. The soldiers are being killed before they can even stand up out of the trenches. The generals immediate response is to court martial and execute 3 random privates. After all, the attack must have failed due to the soldiers cowardice. I'm not saying things are this bad here...yet. But the gulf between the "4th floor" and the trenches is widening.
Do you think Delta would hire an upper level manager that is wholly unqualified for their position?
My short answer is YES.
I think MGT will hire anyone who agrees to carry the company water or grind whatever grist they're asked. There was a time a long time ago when some Chief Pilots were chosen from line operator ranks. This, I'm sure, proved ornery, as they may not always agree with a MGT position and operate with an eye towards fairness. After all, they used to do it themselves or still have friends on the line who can tell them how bad XYZ truly was. Enter Bankruptcy/Post Merger and it's the complete opposite now. One must start up the ladder and make that intention clear from the day they first interview or even have had that experience at their last carrier. Good for mgt and the bottom line, but not so good if you're expecting your mgt to ever go to bat for you.
Additionally, do you think they should be forced to hire a manager who is a Delta employee and has x-hours of PIC?
Short answer NO.
I guess I can elaborate with a question of my own: How can one make sound decisions and execute strategy for all aircraft/categories if they've never flown operationally anything bigger than an RJ and have a Line Check "ATP" rating on the 7ER?
Gumm's job description:
"Direct oversight of Delta Flight Operations’ internal business processes, including the development and execution of the financial operating plan,
crew resource planning and scheduling, technology strategy, training device infrastructure, and business support for the entire division supporting the
more than 14,000 pilots at Delta."