FUPM

Currently Southern Air is hiring for 737 FO position. Currently 737 pilots are not able to fly over guarantee and there is a longer upgrade time on the 737 then at Atlas on the 767. If you are happy with $43k pre tax for your first year i think you will think again after you hear what life is really like on the 737.

You will be home based and must either get a crash pad for $200-300 a month and provide your own transportation, or get hotel rooms for your reserve/rest days at an average of 10 days a month with will put you anywhere from $400-1000 a month.

If you are commuting you will not have CASS agreements with Delta or Southwest.

Junior Schedules can have you out for 34 days straight if you get stuck with back to back days on over two months.

The 737 is on a seperate sub par LOA.

VIIPILOT

Thanks for the info! I have an interview this month, This don't sound fun!

CTRCommander

This sub human treatment pilots has to stop. Dog sheeat companies/management need to wilt out and die...




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

VIIPILOT

Better to stay away for now.. Regional pilot sounds way better! No disrespect to anyone! Sounds like a $$$$- hole operation..

CallmeJB

Fixed

.....

FUPM

Thanks for fixing that, I am not the best writer.

FUPM

Yeah until there is a new CBA i would seriously think about coming.

glhmoore

My first trip with Sudden Air: I completed OE and flew home and had a nice 10 days off. I check Blue One on every day off and behold a couple of days prior to the end of my days off travel and a trip appears on my roster. Wuhu! I am scheduled to airline from CVG to ORD to FRA on United Airlines, then layover at the hotel Maritime for 28 hours. After my 28 hour layover in Frankfort I am scheduled to fly from FRA to Turkmenistan and layover in Sharja for the Lufthansa contract. Cool!
I actually spend several hours in preparation to do something that I have never done before, fly into a Russian airport. I learn about Flight Levels in Meters and QNH to QFE conversions.
Day of departure: I beg a ride to the CVG airport so I don’t have to leave my truck in pay parking for 20 days. I arrive 2 hours prior per TSA for my International flight. I DO NOT check my bag (I have been in this business for 27 years. I am flying on a RJ from CVG to ORD. I have a 60 minute connection in ORD from a regional jet gate to an International departure). ”NOT STUPID”! My United flight arrives at the gate in CVG at the scheduled departure time. After aircraft servicing the boarding begins. We are only 35 minutes late. Glad I didn’t check my bag! The GOJETS “United” crew under flies the schedule by 10 minutes, great I have plenty of time to catch my flight. Fifteen minutes after we block in, in ORD my gate checked luggage is returned to me by the lethargic ground crew. I now have 17 minutes to catch my flight to FRA.
Fortunately, I am only 2 miles away from the gate. I have my bags in hand and start my sprint through Chicago O’Hare International airport, I am at Terminal F at the farthest gate and I am going to terminal A. I know that this is a 15-20 minute walk from experience. While I was waiting for my bag in the Jet Way at Gate F- 2000 I turn on my cell phone and see a message from United Airlines. Sorry about the delay, you will be re-booked by United Airlines on the next available flight to FRA if you miss your connection. “Good Luck” and please hurry!
I must succeed! So, I sprint through Chicago O’Hare International Airport, Down 3 stories of stairs with 80 pounds of luggage up 3 stories of stairs with 80 pounds of luggage. Fortunately, the FRA flight is at gate A “MIDDLE” right at the top of the
third flight of stairs, and a United Representative is at the Jet Way door. Hello, are you MR. SMITH? Yes Sir I respond. Good I am glad you made it. Fortunately, the flight is completely full except for your middle seat in coach. I will have to check your bag. All of the overheads are full and we are waiting for you! I exchange my 50 pound mobile home for a slip of paper and run down the Jet Way.
I am fortunate; Travel planned ahead and was able to secure me a middle seat in coach precisely between two 250 pound gentlemen. I only tip the scales at 205 lbs., but I wear a 48” jacket and create a significant blip on radar. Needless to say they are happy I made the flight! I was able to enjoy my surf and turf dinner and all of the $7 cocktails I could handle on my way to Frankfurt. I am fortunate that the United in-flight team was willing to blend my meal in a glass and serve me with a straw because with my comfy middle seat and the no Ability to move in it, it would have been impossible to cut my filet. Yea!, we arrived in FRA ten minutes early. I am happy I didn’t have to pee in my middle seat.
All of the luggage arrives, except mine. I ask the United Rep, What-UP! Sorry your home did not make the flight. However, it will be here in 5 hours on the next United Flight. I said cool! I will be staying in FRA for the next 28 hours. I will be at the hotel Maritime. Please send my bag there ASAP. No problem it will be delivered within an hour of its arrival.
I walk outside and look for my ride. Hum? What ride? I go to the hotel board and look for a contact to the Hotel Maritime? After, I learn German from several people I cipher that the Maritime does not provide transport to the hotel. However, with 50 Euros and a cab I was successful. It is 0515 I present myself to the front desk staff at the Maritime hotel. The staff advises me that the hotel is full and I have no reservation and every hotel in FRA is full; there is a significant event happing in town.
Wow, I am sure I have a reservation it is on my Blue One. I boot up my lap top and look at my saved documents. I produce a confirmation number to the staff. Sir! that is the telephone number to the hotel! Hum, I still had no ATT&T calling card so I asked the hotel front desk staff to query Norwalk for me. I spoke with a
Norwalkian team member and they advised me that an email was sent to the Hotel! Cool! I inform the Maritime team member that my company sent an email requesting a room.
Yes, Mister SMITH they did, and we replied on this “day and time” that there are ”NO ROOMS AT THE INN”!!!! In the mean time a friendly German hotel staff member is calling around the city looking for a room for me. Mr. SMITH you are in luck! I found you a room at the InterContinental Hotel. It’s only 350 Euros a night, and there are already a couple of Southern Air Pilots there. Wow. I tell the Norwalkian team player that the front desk staff found me a room. Great! Suit up!!!! She says. I said it is expensive 350 Euro a night. HOLD ON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! She says, I will get back to you. Fortunately, it was 0515 in the morning and the front desk was quiet. I was able to stand at the front desk using the Hotel’s phone on the Hotel’s dime while my team in Norwalk utilized the World Wide Web to find me a room in sold out FRA at 0515 in the morning. 30 Minutes later. I might be exaggerating! (29 actual minutes). My travel planner says I got you a room at the Mercur.
Great! But, the hotel is full and the reservation is booked under the reservationist name. Huh? Okay, so go to the Mercur check in use the name Auto Wrecker? YEP! Wait, how do I get there? Oh, just take a cab. Cool, I am off. I step out front and there are three cabs waiting in front of the hotel. I ask the first cabbie, do you take credit cards? Yep, please take me to the Mercur. Nope, cash only. I ask the second cabbie, nope no credit cards. Third cabbie he says sure where to. I said the Hotel Mercur, he replies which one? Oh, there is more than one? Yes there are hundreds of Mercur’s it’s like a Holiday Inn. I’ll be right back. I go back to the front desk and a different staff member appears from behind the curtain at the front desk, he has no knowledge of my predicament. I start to explain my situation then decide it’s not worth the effort. So, I ask directions to the nearest pay phone so I can call the USA. After a moment I reconsider and ask the staff member to write down the address to the nearest Mercur. Armed with the address I got to cab #3 and he says sure but the fare is too low for a credit card. I say I have US dollars, sorry Euro only. Okay please stop at an ATM and I will get Euro. We depart stop at the ATM. I Euro-UP take a one mile 20 Euro ride to the Mercur.
Weeee! Almost there, I approach the front desk still not too busy it’s only 0630. Hello, I am Mr. SMITH, I reservation under the name Auto Wrecker. Sorry, we have no reservation for Mr. Otto Recker and the hotel is full. Hum? But, my company just called less than an hour ago and said I had a room at Inn. Sorry! So, you have nothing available? Well we have one suite that is reserved for a late check in for Mr. Ronnie Van Zant (RIP). I said I am pretty sure that his flight did not make it. Here is my Met Life credit card, please check me in. Sure, but this is a suite and it is 20 Euro more and does not include breakfast. Fine I already feel like a plane wreck survivor and I need some sleep now. I check-in change the name on the reservation to Mr. SMITH so when I call United Airlines to tell them of my new location there will be NO CONFUSION and my mobile home will arrive.
I get to the room boot up my lap top then agree to pay 20 Euro to use the internet. Wow I thought my internet was expensive. I email crew scheduling my: Hotel Name, My room Number, the hotel telephone number and also advise them that United Airlines is still in possession of my luggage. Cool everything is done, it’s is 1000 I close my eyes for a nap.
1400 I wake up and still feel a bit cranky and hungry. I think I’ll get cleaned up and grab a bite to eat. I better check email and Blue One find out about my luggage and make sure my Captain knows where I am. Wow no response from anyone. What’s this a Rooster Change? Hum, I better look at that.
Wow! Limo from FRA to RMS at 1500 Local and operate to Kuwait and back to RMS in the morning. Huh, I better call and find out if this is correct. Yes Mr. SMITH that is correct the Limo will be down stairs in one hour can you do this? I guess this is my first trip and all; I don’t want to get fired. I tell the team that I am hungry and have no luggage. Why don’t you just order something to go and eat it in the van? Okay but I still need my luggage. Well I don’t know to tell you about that. I make a few calls and find my luggage did make it and the bellman at the Hotel Meritim is in possession of my mobile home. I call room service and ask them to make me a 30 Euro Club sandwich and put it in a take-away box. I will pick it up at the front desk in 20 minutes.
In my previous life I had been to RMS many times and had always stayed at the Hotel Christin. Well, I thought I better check because, there was not any information about my stay in RMS by email or B1. So call and am advised to go to the Hotel Novotel in Kauiserslautin. Okay, good I know where I am going and I have a hotel reservation? I get to the Mercur front desk at 1455 and advise them that I would like to check out please put the room on my Met life credit card and I will pay cash for the internet, phone and room services. No problem the room is 150 Euro and the additional charges are 100 Euro. Wow! I don’t have enough Euros, do you take US? Sure no problem just a 20% service fee. Okay make it happen! I have a van waiting for me. I walk outside and there is a 20 passenger bus waiting to take me to RMS. I ask the driver if this is all for me? Yes, you are the only one. I ask are you picking anyone up in RMS. Nope, it’s a drop off and DH back; I say it must be expensive? Yes it is!
We stop at the Maritim and I am reunited with my luggage. I was fortunate, TSA actual unpacked and repacked my suitcase for me while it was sitting in Chicago for 5 hours waiting to catch the next flight to FRA. They were kind enough to leave me their card. So we get on the road and average about 60 Kilometers an hour to Kaiserslautin . Yes that’s Kilometers an hour (60 kilometers = 37 miles an hour). One lane of traffic is closed in both directions for about 80 MILES. Three hours later we arrive at the Novotel Hotel in Kauserslautin. I asked my Bus driver if he would mind hanging out for a few minutes while I checked in. He said no problem.
I approach the front desk and they ask if I have a reservation. I say yes I do my name is Mr. SMITH my company booked me a room at the Inn several hours ago. Their response was puzzling. Mr. SMITH the hotel is full and we have been oversold the last few nights, we have not added any reservations for several days. I ask them to please check again. They said we have three empty rooms and Southern Air is the holder of the reservation, perhaps one of them is for you? I asked them to call the company on my behalf, because I have no way of getting in touch with my team. They were very obliging and made the call. I spoke with a team member and was advised those rooms are for the inbound crew which was
due to arrive in RMS at any moment. My travel team had sent an email request for a room to the Novotel and were only now reading the negative response.

What should I do? Hang on I will see what I can do. 20 minutes later my team advises me that they found me a room at the hotel Christin. However, there is a problem with the room. They only have one room and the description is the bed is in a hole in the wall and people are generally not happy with this room. I said it will be fine, please make it happen. Oh, by the way how should I get there? Oh, just take a cab! Okay, so I solicit a ride from my bus driver to the hotel Christin it is only 25 or 30 Kilometers away. I arrive at the Christin and there is a reservation in my name and a room available. I kiss my bus driver good buy and settle into my new digs at 2100.
I boot up my laptop and agree to the terms of the complimentary password protected internet. I spend the required 20 minutes booting up Blue One and discover the dreaded “RED BUTTON” (Remember my FIRST TRIP). I proceed to digest my new Rooster. Am I confused? I am now flying from FRA to Tashkent and then positioning to Kuala Lumpur on the same airplane tomorrow afternoon at 1900 local. How can this be?
So, I make a call to crew scheduling and am advised that the RMS Kuwait RMS trip was cancelled by the military several days ago. Oh! Why am I here then? I don’t know was the response. So, I ask what’s the plan? Well we don’t know yet but we are working on it. I said maybe you should leave me here until 1400 local then limo me to FRA so I can do the flight. Well we have considered that but we don’t want you to arrive late.
So we will arrange transport from RMS to FRA at 0600 Local and you will have 8 hours rest in RMS and then rest in FRA before your trip to Tashkent. I said no problem but please be advised there are no rooms in FRA. I was advised to just check your BLUE ONE in an hour or so. I head out for a quick bit to eat and bring it back to the room, after an hour passes I check Blue-One and see transport to FRA at 0600. I call crew scheduling and ask about the rest of the crew and I am
advised that the Captain is in RMS at a different hotel not too far from the Christin and the Engineer is at the Novotel in Kauserslautin. Transport will pick me up at 0600 the Captain at 0615 and the Engineer at 0630 and we will arrive in FRA at 0730 at a hotel to be determined. Off to bed with a 0500 wakeup call. I check out of the hotel at 0545, 15 minutes prior to complimentary breakfast. I am anxiously waiting for my ride at 0605 I ask the front desk to call Norwalk about my ride. Norwalk responds that there is a problem with the ride, but there will be a taxi there in 10 or 20 minutes.
A cab pulls up at 0630 and we race off to collect the remaining crew members. We pull up to a quaint little bed and breakfast and the Captain, after enjoying his lovely breakfast, leisurely brushes the crumbs of his clothes and finishes his cup of coffee. Really in no hurry at all. We fill the trunk of the cab with the Captain’s luggage and proceed at a snail’s pace to the Novotol in Kauserslautin. Who would have thought that traffic would be a nightmare in a quaint little German village?
We arrived at the Novotol and the Flight Engineer had just finished breakfast and was drinking coffee and checking out of the hotel. I remember this because I was quite hungry and in a need of a cup of coffee and if you recall my day started prior to the hotels complimentary breakfast. The taxi’s trunk was full with my bags and the Captain’s bags. So we had to make room in the passenger compartment for the Engineers luggage. Who would have thought that three grown men on a 20 day tour would have so much luggage?
0715 on the road only 45 minutes late, recollection serves you right. Road construction is still going on and 1 lane of traffic is closed in each direction for about 80 miles. We arrive at the Frankfurt airport hotel at 0945. Precisely 2 hours and 15 minutes late exactly 8 hours of rest. 45 minutes later we are checked in but are advised the rooms will not be ready till 1100. The hotel was full and the maids are currently cleaning our rooms. Please wait in the lobby.
I decide to get a bite to eat and go to the restaurant and order two scrambled eggs, toast and coffee. I finished my breakfast and pay my 20 Euro’s. Wow I don’t know if I can afford to work here. I have already spent more than twice my per-diem and have only been on the road for 2 days. I get settled in my room and
agree to pay 10.95 Euro for 1 hour of internet, so I can check my email and blue one. Whew! No changes. Having, used 20 minutes of my 60 minutes logging into Blue one. I figured I better log off of the computer so I can check my schedule later in the day. Having sleep for 8 hours I was not tired and decided a workout was in order. I spent my required 90 minutes in the gym got cleaned up and figured I would take a walk and look for a place to eat.
I crossed paths with the engineer not far from the hotel and he advised me that he had walked extensively and since this was a airport hotel there were no restaurants in the vicinity, however there was a petrol station a couple of blocks away with hotdogs that were only 1 euro each. I generally try to eat healthy and decided that Frankfurters in Frankfurt were still not for me. So I trekked back to the hotel restaurant and ordered the 25 euro club sandwich and fruit plate.
After supper I figured I better get a nap before I operate on my 20 hour journey to Tashkent and Kuala Lumpur. The Captain advised me that He would give me a wake-up call one hour prior to lobby report. I get my 1630 wake-up call. I am cleaned and pressed ready to go at 1720 and headed downstairs as my room phone rings. I step back into the room and it is the Captain calling. Remain dressed in your room. There airplane is RED? I’ll call you soon with an update. 15 minutes later the Captain calls again and advises that the Aircraft is still down for maintenance and if it is not green by 1830 there is NO WAY to make a take-off before curfew. 1830 I get a call from the Captain. We are done for the day, 0600 show for an 0800 go tomorrow. Go ahead and get changed and let’s meet for dinner at 1900. At 1855 my phone rings again and the Captain says that the Dispatcher just called him and she was crying. She said that she had been instructed to get the F”ing” crew to the F”ing” airplane immediately. Okay, what about curfew? Just do as you’re told. Ok, I’ll see you in 15 minutes. I get dressed again check out of the “full” hotel and we leave to the airport. After our ride to the airport we clear passport control and then ride to the aircraft. We arrive at the aircraft stairs at exactly 2000. The Manager of European Operations for Malaysian Air is standing at the base of the steps and looks at us and says “WHAT THE ****** ARE YOU DOING HERE!!!!!!” He proceeded on a verbal tirade for more than 5 minutes about how ******ed UP Southern air is and that he was going to be
rid of us no matter what it took. He then told us to get back on the crew bus because we were past curfew and NOT GOING ANYWHERE TONIGHT!!!!! The Captain told him no we had been instructed to go to the aircraft and prepare for departure. He told me to go prepare for the flight. So, I proceeded upstairs to make my nest.
My previous life I had been a Captain and I was in the habit of looking at the logbook prior to sitting down. I looked at the logbook and there was an inbound write up regarding one of the engines. The discrepancy had been cleared by maintenance and there were no deferred maintenance items. In other words, “GOOD TO GO”. I got in my seat a completed my flow. I then proceeded to work on the weight and balance. The Captain entered the cockpit several minutes later. He had been downstairs talking to the Load Master and the Mechanic. They were still loading the aircraft because it had been loaded wrong earlier and he was wondering about the maintenance issue. The mechanic advised the Captain that the write up had been cleared 5 minutes after the aircraft blocked in and that Maintenance Control had failed to communicate the status of the aircraft to Flight Control. So, there was NO maintenance delay. It was now a loading delay because of the improper loading.
The Captain then called the company and talked to several team members about what was going on. They all agreed that we were not going anywhere tonight, but maintenance control required an engine run-up on the engine that had been written up on the inbound. I told the captain that the engine had been signed off in the log-book and no run-up was required. The Captain passed this information on to Maintenance control and he was told we must do an engine run-up now! I then advised the Captain that it was unlikely that Frankfurt Airport Authority will allow an engine run-up past curfew but, I would check. I spoke with Frankfurt ground and Tower on the radio and they said a run-up was possible, however we could not taxi. We had to be tugged to the taxi way that was between the takeoff and arrival runways perform our run-up and be tugged back to the gate. An airplane that was in non-compliance was not allowed to taxi after curfew. I than advised the Captain that this would certainly delay our departure in the morning because there is NO way we will be back in the blocks prior to 2300. The Captain
advised Norwalk and was told advise us when you block in. I then asked about accommodations since we had checked out of the FULL Hotel. We will work on it was the response.
We were tugged out and completed the run-up tugged back to the gate and blocked in at 2300. We jumped through the hoops and arrived at the hotel at 0030. We were advised that the hotel was full and there were NO rooms. Hum… Hey we just checked out five hours ago perhaps our dirty rooms are still available???? You are in luck! We would be MORE THAN HAPPY to sell you your dirty room for another $150 EUROS. Please sign us up!!!!
Off to bed. 0530 wake-up 0630 van 0830 takeoff. WUHU! I arrive in the lobby at 0620 and check out of the hotel. I am greeted by a new face. Hello, I’m FRED who are you. I am Jim. Hello Jim where are you going? Oh! I am flying the flight from FRA to TAS. I was walking out of my room this morning to catch my Delta flight from FRA TO LAX and crew scheduling called me and told me that I was operating the flight from FRA to TAS. I told them that was fine but, I would be working on GDO’s. No problem you are the only one! I asked Jim what’s your last name? He said SMITH. I told him my name was SMITH as well and I was scheduled to fly the trip. At this point the Captain arrived downstairs and we brought him up to speed. He called the company and they said oops! Have Jim SMITH fly the trip and have MR. SMITH DH to Tashkent then operate to Kuala Lumpur. We will book travel for Jim SMITH from Tashkent to LAX on Uzbekistan Airways.
Seven or eight hours later we arrive in Tashkent. The other crew leaves the aircraft and I build my nest for the flight to KL. I have completed all of my work and then load the INS’s and have the aircraft fueled and do everything that can be accomplished. The Captain and Engineer show up 20 or 30 minutes prior to scheduled departure. They had spent an hour looking for their FO at the Hotel. They had not been informed that crew scheduling had re-assigned their FO to DH on the earlier west bound flight so he could operate to the USA to start his GDO’s.
Seven or eight hours later we arrive in Kuala Lumpur, we jump through the hoops and arrive at the airport hotel. “MISTER SMITH sorry the HOTEL is FULLLLLLL and
you have NO reservation”. That concludes my first revenue leg. Unfortunately, this story is true and these tribulations continue on a daily basis.

VIIPILOT

WOW! If you ever RON in Dallas, drinks on me! Thnaks for sharing and good luck to you!

Birdsmash

Wow! Throw in some chapter numbers and you'll have yourself a bestselling "Beginners Guide To International ACMI" that you can publish.

Fortunately, the monotonous DHL flying does not have the drama associated with it that the charter flying did.