Originally Posted by
reid
I’m a new hire starting class in a few weeks and have a bunch of questions about the ETOPS program. I read that there are ETOPS qualified pilots at LAX, OAK, and LAS. I’m looking to get LA when I can.
1. It sounds like not everyone at each of those bases is ETOPS qualified. What is the rough number of ETOPS-qualified crews in LA?
2. Is it the most senior folks who tend to bid ETOPS?
3. Once you’re ETOPS-qualified, is that all you do or are you still flying throughout the rest of the system?
4. If you get ETOPS qualified as an FO, does that carry over after upgrade?
Thanks in advance for an insights.
LAS is the only one with an ETOPS bid group broken out, and yes it tends to go more senior. OAK/LAX are all ETOPS and it’s just a matter of time til LAS is made all ETOPS. Then once (if?) the Max 7s hit the line maybe DEN and/or PHX will get ETOPS groups followed by 100% ETOPS…or not, what do I know?
Once ETOPS qualified you can/will fly to anywhere on our map. I’ll go months sometimes between ETOPS trips, mostly cause I’m a dumb bidder.
You maintain your ETOPS qual as long as you stay up on it through recurrent training. They’ll tack an extra day to your annual training every third year I think it is, as long as you’re still in an ETOPS base. If you bid out of an ETOPS base they won’t add on the ETOPS recurrent training but until it expires you could technically still pick up ETOPS trips from those bases.
Welcome to SWA!