Reactivity

Nobody knows, but here is some information to work with:

For the last several years (at least since 2012, or maybe it was 2011, whenever it was I started applying again), Alaska has been in the habit of dumping out all applications and advising those applicants that they may reapply, doing this on an approximately annual basis, usually toward the end of the year. From the application window in 2017, they received something like 2,500 applications. They hired 160-ish for the year. A good guess would be that this year's application window produced a similar number of applications. Projected hiring for 2018 sounds like it will be close to 2017. Even if they were to hire 400 like they had originally planned for 2017, that leaves plenty to choose from.

Take all of that, and extrapolate from there.

cornbeef007

Not an Alaska guy, so neutral third party that has flown both.

Honestly a new 737 from a passenger perspective is a pretty good plane. However the A320 is wider, so no denying that.

From a pilot perspective, it’s just a step up from a POS.

737 Pros:

Nice MFDs and PFD- size and content.

Good navigation capabilities, with nice RNP values.

Pretty reliable. Far fewer return to gate mx issues. 1 in 2000 hours.


Cons:

Small cockpit

Loud. At 18k headsets come off on the Bus

Uncoupled go- around (yes the autopilot clicks off and most go arounds are hand flown).

Tempature control - only adjusted the cabin temp knobs on the A320 once in 700 hours.

The garbage recall system - absolute trash concept when the lights actually work. Boeing should be ashamed that they can’t digitize the interface, so it actually works the way it’s designed to. This wouldn’t invalidate the type rating , if our interaction with it was identical. Boeing just gave up.



From a pilots perspective, out of 10. 10 being best (sorry Boeing fan club)

A320 = 8

737 = 3

PNWFlyer

Fixed it for you.

Ok, now that we have the admin stuff out of the way, what are you thoughts (if any) on the new flow through program with Horizon?

It seems with the flow through program we are now giving preference to the Horizon Pilots that had resigned themselves to never leave. Meaning people that never progressed, never got a 4 year degree, never applied anywhere else.... are now the first in line to come to Alaska. As I understand the interview process is not the same as off the street and it has a 90% pass rate. Meanwhile, newer pilots at Horizon who want to come here have to long a wait and will (probably to their benefit) be forced to go elsewhere...

How is this good for us, or does no one care..

Reactivity

In theory, it's good because you're getting someone who is a known quantity. The interview weeds out the 10% that you know you don't want. The other 90% - whether they've ever applied anywhere else, have a four-year degree, or not, as if it should matter to you - should have a reasonable chance at success.

From the company's perspective, it's a necessity in the current market. In order to fill seats at Horizon, they need to provide an incentive to go there. With all of the flow agreements in place out there, the game has become pick the major you want, then target a regional that has a flow agreement with them.

cornbeef007

90% to me sounds like most of those folks fit the criteria Alaska is looking for. Why would Alaska hire guys they don’t want. It’s not a flow anyway because they need to interview. They can call it that, but it’s not.

Do off the street hires require a degree or not?

Guys sometimes graduate from the Air Force academy, flew fighters and end up with a DUI after they have been at Alaska for a while. People are still human and do stupid stuff, so that variable will always be present. I’m actually glad to see Alaska giving guys a chance long after they did some bone headed stuff.

A flow allows the company to vet the new hires who have shown that they want to be at Alaska. HR has a paper trail available they otherwise wouldn’t.

It will keep the seats filled at Horizon. With Alaska’s prior history of NOT hiring Horizon guys because of the cost incurred as opposed to a street hire, they truly have left a bitter taste in peoples mouths.

90% is a good number because it means the culture of arrogance previously present between Horizon and Alaska is dead. Your no longer any better then 90% of the Horizon guys.

PNWFlyer

The reason it matter to me and others is for the longest time it was understood it was required.. almost everywhere... except for a few exceptions. Some chose to do the work, some didn't. I do not believe having a 4 year degree makes a better pilot, it was just a box to check, but an expensive one that took some effort.

Fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through life, son.

Just saw post while I was typing. I see why they made the program and I am glad that they take so many as opposed to other airlines that have very few pass the flow through interview. Just sucks for someone that went to Horizon wanting to fly for Alaska that is learning that it would have been best to go to Skywest and apply. They did change the rules after some showed up. Guess what is good for the many sucks for the few.

Please don't take this to mean that I think mainline pilots are better than regional pilots. I don't and I actually despise that attitude. When I came here JH said just that, They do not ask complicated approach plate questions or give overly complicated test to see if you are good enough. He said "If you are here to interview you are a professional pilot, and to think otherwise is embarrassing." I really appreciated that, having seen others airlines that do not think that.

I am just trying to see how far I should push to help a friend.

cornbeef007

I do tend to agree with you there. I finished mine while working at a regional. Anyone can do it, you just need to be motivated enough.

It’s really not a difficult or expensive box to check.

DangleDunlops

and there you have it

snackysmores

Yeah pretty sure both JH and CZ failed their Q400 checkrides, they both still aren't typed. BL also couldn't make it through the program either. In fact, no director of flight ops at horizon has ever been typed or flown a Q400 trip before.

Fixnem2Flyinem

When I first got to Horizon, people said BL failed, then they said he just didn’t get through because of his workload as VP of flight ops. Now people saying CZ couldn’t pass, but I am sure he is a better rounded pilot than some of the people who have passed training on the Q in the last few years(myself included). JH may be far removed from his Great Lakes days, but to pass training and fly there one had to be a pretty solid pilot, so I don’t think he’d fail out of training on the Q either. Me thinks these are nothing more than rumors from the never ending rumor mill tbh.

I wish they both would get a Q type rating and fly on the line for even just a week, may be good for them to enter the trenches of which they’re overseeing from a distance

Apologies for the thread drift...