ROCKETM8

Any captains finding themselves sitting next to guys with no TPIC experience? Has it been an issue? Will it be one?

742Dash

Yes.

Depends. Most are like sponges, knowing that they have a lot to learn -- and they are and will be fine. More than a few seem to think that they learned everything that they needed to know back at their pilot puppy mill, and the sooner I have a heart attack and get out of their seat the better.

Yes. Aggravated by the basing system. It looks lot of people are going to have their first command be in a heavy jet and operating in parts of the world that they have never been in.

Fortunately they will be able to count on great operational support. /s

Fleron270

I would say a good third of new hires have no TPIC, maybe more. Just based on observation.

Globemaster2827

In many cases the Captain has no TPIC either. Many of us were hired without it knowing it'd take a while to get out.

ROCKETM8

I would be one of the sponges. 74/767s have a way of handling rookie arrogance I would imagine. I heard this before about guys going to parts of the world they have never been in before. Now, I haven't flown airplanes in much of the world apart from Aussie and USA. BUT, I have lived and worked in a great chunk of it in other professions (Europe / Asia / Oceana mainly). Would that kind of experience help in any way- even if it wasn't flying?

Yes...first dollar made as a PIC will be in a heavy jet. That is quite a thought. European and Asian carriers do it routinely with ab-initio training schemes. Do you know any people whom this has been the case? What kind of captain do/did they make?

zerozero

With all due respect, it's not the airplane.

Boeing have created amazingly capable machines, stable and powerful.

The problem is the OPERATION.

This company literally throws you the keys, sends you off in the middle of the night to some of the dustiest corners of the globe and says, "If you need anything, call us."

lol.

Until you've SEEN it and DONE it, well, you really don't know what you don't know. Two years to season in the right seat of a WORLDWIDE operation is pretty much nothing when you consider how much time you're sitting in the middle seat or in the back, logging 1 landing per month--2 if you're lucky.

742Dash

The issues in different parts of the world come down to culture, so yes -- a general understanding of the local culture would be a big help. But the biggest thing is to be wary.

There is nothing magic about a heavy jet operation, other than they are closer to the limits a lot more often than a 737 shuttling around a legacy network. So on average it is not as forgiving (though every operation has its "bring your A game" days).

I have no doubt in my mind that a regional FO can come to Atlas and in time make an excellent Captain. But he/she needs to focused on preparing for it. Most of them are going to do a good job (and are a pleasure to fly with in the here and now). But this hiring cycle seems to have a larger minority of passive, uninterested new hires than existed in past cycles. Those are the ones that are going to have a very, very hard time. And, frankly, be dangerous. I don't think that this is just an Atlas phenomena.

When I look at the ab-initio airlines that you mention I see more established cultures, operating philosophies and route structures. Atlas is much more....dynamic. There is not a lot of hand holding in the day to day operation, to be diplomatic.

My advice, which may not be worth much, is to get around as you get near upgrade. Bid the weird lines that get out of your base when they show up. Bid reserve and bug scheduling to send you off the beaten path. Whatever works.

WhipWhitaker

This is one of the best, most accurate, and thoughtful posts I have read here in a long time. Couldn't agree more.

Whale Driver

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Very true.

Flyfish83

It is nice to see some positive posts on this thread. Any new developments on the contract negotiations front? It would be nice to see something positive there as well.