4runner

You guys are solid AF. Instead of paying to attract suitable candidates, let’s hire mercenaries, base them in Europe. Then let’s rationalize it to our pilot group.

TikkleMe

(2) Interesting statements.

“No one has been bypassed”?
In actuality, the entire pilot group has been bypassed. Let’s stick to the facts.

A first year Swift Captain earns $117 per hour with a 60 hour guarantee.

After 80 hours that hourly rate is increased by 150% to $175.50. So at 81 hours for the month a Swift captain is looking at a gross income of $9535.50.

Through the contract agency, a contract captain is earning €14,000 per month. At current conversion rates that’s $15914.15 That’s a lot of dough! (Over $6000.00 more per month than a reserve/line captain working the same amount of hours.)

Since Mexi has stated we must consider the “business sense” of this, wouldn’t it be much cheaper to employ contract pilots as first officers then? Is a captain that has only flown a 737 of “any type” once within the last month any more proficient or able than a first officer who has been consistently putting in 70+ hours a month continuously for the past 6 months?

Without adding the philosophical ethical “sense” to this, we can see that swift is offering new hire captains a 67% premium over line pilots.

In actuality Swift may have set a precedent for when a contract (now inevitably) comes around- “but you offered contract pilots 67% more . . .”

Nothing to see here, just another shady Miami operation. Good luck to all.

P.S. Mexi why do you stay? Is it quality of life? A 121 check airman has options brother.

mexipilot84

These guys have to do their own taxes, they’re paying all their own medicals, etc. So when it comes down to it they’re not making more than us. Their per diem is lower. If they chose the far away hotel they have to get themselves to work, not company paid. So talking to one of the American contract guys he’s making a crapload less than I am and his expenses are a lot higher too. They have to pay to bring their families over, where swift pilots can do it on company paid tickets.

To RR

How is a swift pilot bypassed? How can you bypass a position we’re not even staffed for? You suggesting we upgrade FOs, hire contract FOs and then downgrade all those FOs again after the summer? We’re short pilots look at the seniority list. 177 pilots. We required 60 pilots in PRG alone. With the current staffing this would be impossible. Do the numbers..... as I mentioned earlier it’s do this or park 5 airplanes. I don’t know about you but I’ve been furloughed enough times, I don’t want to be back in the unemployment line. My kids need food on the table.

We’re already hiring for the fall so when the contract guys leave we can be staffed for the 2 acft additions. The system cannot be sustained with the current numbers.

We’re upgrading 12 FOs in July, so the deck is already shuffling again. These FOs will go to fill CA spots in MIA and IWA.




In other news....


Looks like company wants to remove the incentive bonuses and integrate them into a pay raise instead. Not sure on timeline, those of us in the company for a while will receive another retention bonus in September. Hopefully something to narrow the gap.

Looks like the DHL cargo planes will be integrated in to the IWA pilots bidding. West coast hopping.

They said looking for a330 pax acft to expand into acmi heavy market. I’m assuming for DOD or European carriers. Timeline unknown as certification and proving runs take time. No integrated flying so if you’re on the bus, you only fly the bus. Seat locks involved for those who move is the plan.

Looks like only certain parts of the company will move to MIA, 119s, occ etc to remain in GSO for the future for now. Mostly training and tasks that are done in MIa will move there. Operating out of MIA is costlier for HQ than GSO. Higher cost of living.

TikkleMe

They certainly are making more, and if they are working as contractors-with good accountants, they can certainly write-off more than the standard deduction(if they are even paying US taxes). I didn’t even realize they were earning a per diem, so that adds to that $15,000+ figure. As for your pay, I would expect YOU to earn more because you have been at the company for a while, and I guess you could also say that you earn a “crapload” more than the typical Swift Captain and First Officer. As with any airline, especially an ACMI- no carrier I know of provides positive space or purchased seat travel for family members. That’s a moot expense decision like choosing the expensive Gouda over the store brand cheddar.

The bypass comes from the hiring of expatriate labor? It’s quite obvious Mexi. You can’t be so short that you need contract labor-while at the same time being so over staffed that you may furlough-while at the same time expanding the fleet. This is math that doesn’t add up. That ‘my kids need food on the table’ is pretty amazing. As if the people that hire as F/O’s don’t have families. As long as these contract guys get some work. But, I know, you are just one of the ‘good guys’.

So expect the raise around the time these unicorn A330’s show up? If the operation can’t be staffed right now, how will it be staffed with 7-9 pilots per airplane for long haul flying? But, before that we have adding a new type to the certificate, manual inspection, table top excercises, aircraft inspection, initial cadre training time, the fed rides, parts warehousing, maintenance programs, and then the competition of bidding for the contracts(if even awarded one).

The only upside to this is plenty of expats from the mid-east with heavy Airbus time. Seems like a never - ending circle jerk.

mexipilot84

Who knows when they pay increases will come. Until it’s in the bank it’s just an idea.

Lowering the mins just reduces quality and they’re trying not to do that. Quality pilots in this market is difficult to come by without the right money. It’s reality. However a freshly minted ATP with limited jet time handling European or even more critical NHL flying is not something I want to deal with personally. That’s why regional pilots do great here because they come with a good structure of experience. But now when you’re to the level of competing with ULCC then money talks.

FOs super senior to you have their chance to upgrade. Hopefully a lot of the good ones I’ve been recommending can get it done since I think all of them now meet the requirements. So doing the numbers anyone whose been here 2 yrs or so will be able to upgrade as long as they pass and meet the checked boxes. So counting that would include all the FOs going to nov 2017 give or take.

I see a lot more of the big picture than you guys get to see. You guys just see “contract pilots took errr jerrrbs” they’re filling a void. Their projections did not pan out the way they expected. Competition is fierce and while I don’t agree with the method they did what they had to, to meet a contract. So I get that part. There’s no way we’d be able to hire 26 plus pilots in the time frame to meet the Europe contract. Impossible. In this market you have to hire 20-25 just to get 15.

So you get all your panties in a wad, but sounds you rather they default and effectively hurt the company which for you still here is your livelihood. That’s a pretty messed up view and you just rather see then crash and burn. The overall picture is I work here and I want this place to succeed. Their methods sometimes are a bit off, but no contract no union they did what they had to. I get that part. You’re all welcome to quit and become a contract pilot since you got bypassed, no one is stopping you. Since they’re making the big dough. Just remember October comes fast.

No great thing started without hick-ups and road blocks. They have a long way to go. Y’all should have been here years ago, you’d probably quit day 2. if you’re that miserable and don’t like it just leave.... honestly.


And for the one that ask me why I stick around here. Yeah there’s jobs everywhere but that’s like jumpseating on Dixie and the captain saying “you know we’re hiring right?” You just don’t walk to delta or southwest and say I’d like to apply for a job. The shortage is not to where they hire anyone that fogs a mirror yet. When southwest is only hiring 500 pilots for this year and there’s 12,000 applications competition is fierce. I’m here to build valuable time and experience. Which I have been able to do quick.

4runner

The DOD won’t allow for A330’s. It’s been tried. More BS from people that don’t know what they’re talking about and making noise to sound as if they’re in the know.

TiredSoul

So word on NW36th street is that the DO got canned.
What did he do, draw a line in the sand? Had enough of the circus and called them out on it?
DC was a reasonable enough guy.

Hellafo

He is such a good guy!

TiredSoul

Well....I said reasonable enough.
Then again he may have wanted to fire but was prevented from doing so.
You and I know they have captains that should have been fired long time ago.
Never happened.

Cicada

That's the bottom line. The Wharton types think they are genius managers and can't figure out why they cannot attract pilots. It's always moron B schoolers who trip over
quarters reaching for pennies. The same brilliant thinkers who brought you Continental Lite, Song, Metrojet, Ted, and the other half baked ideas they learned in their Ivy League " think tank." From some professor who never worked a real job in his/ her life.
These are the same people who bring you: toilet paper so thin you end up wiping like a Afghani. Cereal boxes that have shrunk to cigarette box size, a pound of coffee that got reduced to 12 OZ.
Candy bars that have shrunk to mini size. Hoses that won't reach half as far.
As long as these morons keep popping up and running these third world operations in the US, it will never change. Hopefully enough pilots will say no, and they go away. Unfortunately, they won't.