Seriously?

There are a lot of reasons folks apply to be a CKA, just like there are for those that bid captain, don't bid captain etc. The name tag BS is getting old.

There are a lot of new CKA that have been in the pipeline for a while. They enjoy the job, and for them the upside is better than the downside. There will always be a few that do it for poor reasons, but most do it for the right reasons.

I find it funny that a few months ago many pilots at AA thought CKA were management and not union members. Then the CKA committee chair highlighted issues with the CKA part of the agreement and CKA leaving and...ding!...someone figured out that it could be leverage for all pilots. Fair enough, and it might be. But in the mean time, what are the line pilots doing? Are trips being left uncovered? Are folks dropping trips and not picking up premium? Are union reps taking it on the chin? I don't think so.

Here's a scheme-all pilots bid a lower paying position. All G4 CA's bid G2 F/O seats. The amount of training would be impossible-ultimate leverage.

Please don't make assumptions of new CKA. I've worked with two this month and they are excellent. The whole "CKA to save the day" thought process was flawed and there will always be those that will take the job for the wrong reasons. We will live with the training department we are currently staffing for a long time.

 

what exactly is the upside?

 

The name tag.


Sorry, couldn’t resist

 

Other than to stroke your own ego...none.

 

It depends on the person, where they live and seniority. For some it's a good deal, for some I don't know why they do it.

Some really, really do love the work. If you live where the sim is, you get several months in your own bed every night. If you can hold G4, you get 92:22 at that rate without commuting to reserve and the seasonal changes. If you are G2 reserve, you get 92:22 at your rate without sitting reserve.

A friend of mine told me "The job is much harder than you can imagine, but it's also much more rewarding than you can imagine." He was right.

 

Well, hope all those new check airmen enjoy working more days as a practical reserve pilot and making a lot less than a line holder, who works the same number of days. They don't even get Avg credit day like a line holder. Such a joke of an agreement they work under. All I could do is laugh at a junior check airman I saw doing OE on a 777 getting paid 15 hours for a LOOONNGG 3 day trip, at a320/b737 pay rates, while the pilot he was training was getting paid much more in pay rate and hours.

Every one of them should turn in their letters of resignation. But they don't, because too many of them just enjoy being a super awesome check airman. Jokes on them now, they won't have a new contract for years to come.

 

If you have to ask, you definitely aren’t the kind of person who should apply.

 

Are you doing the job? Have you done the job at AA?

 

Actually...

For years and years the complaint was average day. CKA get a 5:26 MINIMUM DAY, or the value of the trip, whichever is greater.

I scratched my head when the CKA chair put that out and the DFW reps parroted it.

 

How about you? If all pilots resigned, we'd have massive leverage! How about my downbid scheme?

Amazing how pilots are so knowledgable of other's situation and so eager for them to do the lifting.