Commuting into CVG can be a pain and the crash pad list is few a far between.

 

If you go to SAI be ready......If K4 strikes......SAI WILL back them!

"We Are All In"

If you are not willing to support your brothers....then stay home!

 

Would be ready but think I'll stay home anyway for now. Financial impact of a new job then financial impact of labor issues. Too much risk.

 

Very much appreciated!

 

Two more bits of current information to add.

1)The training pipeline seems to be backed up again, at least on the guppy fleet. Expect to sit at home about two months on training pay after your type ride before heading out to IOE. Budget accordingly. Also, benefit costs have gone up again for 2016.

2) If Connie goes out on strike, I imagine given the language below that you won't get paid while honoring the picket line. At least until the grievance is settled.

Section 21
"A. Picket Lines
It shall not be cause for discipline or discharge if a Crewmember refuses to enter upon any property involved in a primary labor dispute with the IBT or its affiliated Local Unions, or refuses to cross or work behind any primary picket line of the IBT or its affiliated Local Unions, or refuses to deadhead on a struck carrier or layover at a struck hotel."

 

robthree,
So how's it going on the other side of the house? Miss the Triple?

To all others FYI, management shakeups will probably continue, none of which are positive or an improvement.

Attrition rate is currently running at about close to 50%. The flight crews number around 230+, and has not really moved off that level due to the heavy attrition. Constant training to replace those leaving means that your not going to quickly build time and leave. Your going to sit at home either waiting for training or getting displaced for training.

The only people that are making money are the check airman that are picking up extra flying. Many of them are timing out.

As robthree has stated union issues are looming large, both in support of the Teamsters and for SAI contract negotiations. So if your not ready to support that, it would be best to stay away.

SAI is adapting new Flag & Domestic rest/duty rules. I can assure you that it only benefits the company and not the crews. It means working harder and making less.

Really surprised at the length of this thread. Would think that it would be abandoned by now, seeing how the conditions at SAI are pretty terrible and only getting worse.

 

If I ever turn a wheel I'll let you know.
But its been a very nice opportunity to get to know my family again, so I am not complaining about the delay.

 

Attrition rate just nudged itself to 51%, and Club XSA just gained a new member.

Congrats on the escape! You're gonna love it!

 

So I've spent all day/night reading every single post on this thread on Southern...needless to say its a rough read. I recently interviewed with them last Friday and was offered a 777 class date this upcoming January.

Im not from CVG, and I do not have any desire for the 737. So my main question is being very junior on a very senior airplane how often can I expect to do these "50 day deployments" rather than just do my 20 and go home? With current hiring how quickly will I be able to sit reserve at home?

Its pretty obvious this is a stepping stone, but not much is mentioned about where 777 FO's end up going once they have decided their time at Southern needs to come to an end. Do a majority just go to another ACMI?

 

Lear,

This is simply one pilots opinion, whose been flying Part 121 since 2004, so please take it with a grain of salt.

I know many on this board refuse to accept that there is an actual pilot shortage, and I don't blame them. I've been hearing about a pilot shortage since I was in high school and made early career decisions based on getting a seniority number as early as possible at a legacy carrier that now I regret. I think in actuality however, the numbers are hard to argue with barring some insane paradigm shift like we saw in 911, but even then all the airlines were at the edge of a cliff financially and 911 just pushed them over an exposed the cracks.

That being said, I personally would not take any stepping stone position and work my ass of to get hired directly at the airline (hmm hmm) I see myself staying at for the rest of my career. If you are currently logging 121 time, regardless of whether its PIC a legacy carrier will pick you up in the next few years, if that is what your goal is I would stick to that. If you are in a position where you need to get out of your current situation at least try to go to Atlas for a stepping stone.

Regarding Southern, pilot attrition will eventually lead to the companies demise, probably sooner than later. There are simply not enough normal functioning people that are willing to work 20 days a month for crap wages. Why would anyone go work for Southern when Atlas can barely hold on to its pilots and is also planning on doubling its crew force in the next few years. I'm not saying Atlas is a bowl of cherries, but it is objectively a much better job than Southern Air, and at their current attrition rate and need to grow the crew force they will soon be looking for anyone who can dress themselves. At Atlas the same questions get asked, why would you stay at Atlas if United, DAL, FedEx etc. call them? However, for many, Atlas is a smart strategy for laying up because if you never get those calls, its probably a company that will be around for the next 20 years, they are making insane amounts of money and have and have massive growth plans that they are currently not sharing. Last quarter they paid of 4 747-400s and bought back 20 mil in stock.

All this has been mentioned in a previous thread:

http://www.airlinepilotforums.com/ca...tcy-again.html

I personally think we are running around playing a game of musical Chairs between Kaltia, Atlas, Southern Air and a few other cargo carriers. When the music stops a few of those companies aren't going to have chairs, and I personally wouldn't want to be at Southern Air when that happens.

Again these are just my opinions and I am not anyones career fiduciary, so again don't take anything I say as fact, do your own research. Best of luck in your career decision. If you do take the job at Southern Air, I'm sure you will enjoy it because there are some great people working there.