Originally Posted by
Learjet FO
It looks like we have an actual Breeze person here. What's going on with Norfolk? Which type ERJ is based there? I live in Norfolk. I am on a reserve deployment now, but will be available this coming summer. Will there be an opening in Norfolk then?
ORF has suffered mainly because of staffing. Originally, very few of the pilots based there actually WANTED the base. It ended up only being 3 senior CA’s, and a string of new hire FO’s who would bid out, or quit all together, really soon. It was hit the hardest with the flight cuts this fall. October bid shows 11 CA and 7 FO, but the pairings aren’t being built back in as much as they are in other bases yet. I can’t say if the block hours will be built, cut, or remain the same going later into the fall because I can’t find the email with block hour projections for all of the bases.
Management did say they anticipate the possibility of doing some type of TDY for ORF pilots down to South Florida. Such as they will fly in ORF when the demand is there, but during travel down turn months, go down to south Florida and fly there. I don’t know how that would work, and I think it was just a verbalized brainstorm by Neeleman. If we can get staffing right, we could just have pilots in each base and not need to do that.
Right now, I know the 195 will be doing passenger service, and I THINK that the 190 will be based there to do some charters. I also believe at one point the 220 was said to be based there eventually, but it is not right now.
ORF is historically junior, the top 3 captains are senior, everyone below them is a direct entry, and the FO’s are all very junior. There will be a spot available for you as long as the base stays open.