AA717driver

They aren’t aviation people. They’re HR and Bean Counters. They have no resources in aviation and (often) believe they’re the smartest people in the room. As someone said, many departments are “led” by people who are weak or just want to maintain their position until retirement,

The CP at my former 91 department refuses to stand up to the people running the show downtown. He’s making good money and has a good schedule living where he wants. Why push it? He’s a good guy but needs to grow a pair.

WingAttackPlanR

They thought themselves superior because they're responsible for everything from trip planning to luggage handling. There was this misconception that 121 pilots couldn't survive in corporate because they're used to having everything done for them. Dispatches, rampers, etc. Being on the 121 side now, I can see that having to orchestrate all the support functions to get 150+ people into and out of airport by the book takes a lot of skill considering there's you and 3000 flights going on that say. Not to mention the social media aspect that you're always being watched and scrutinized.

Sliceback

As 121 pilots we do very little of the coordination between other departments at a 121 operation. The schedule/time line is fairly well structured. It's only during delays, diversions, mechanical delays, etc, that the Captain, if he's trying to keep the show rolling, gets actively involved with the agents, crew chiefs, loads, dispatch, etc. Behind the scenes it's HUGE operation but the pilots do very little of it except for taking care of their jet. Catering? Someone else does that. Passengers? Someone else does that. Loading? Someone else does that. Weight & balance? Someone else does that. Performance? Someone else does that. The Captain/crew mostly just verifies that it's being done and double checked.

Flew an organ transplant flight this month. On the trip I had 40+ texts and emails, that's not counting maybe a half dozen phone calls, on a 12 hr duty day about the trip, details, complications, changes, etc. No airline Captain ever does that in a month let alone one night. Had a diversion last week flying Part 135 - 1:51 from shutdown to engine start. Flying the next leg I told the FO - "I never sat down the entire time." Nothing major but just chasing flies and mosquitos with a fly swatter trying to get all the ducks in a row.

In comparison 121 pilots do have everything done for them. Flying with a former NW/DL A320/757/747/777 CA/CKA last week and he said "I hear guys say that airline flying is harder and I laugh. They have no idea."

captjns

The tide may be ebbing:

Delta to Slow Down Pilot Hiring in 2024Delta Air Lines said it plans to hire far fewer pilots in 2024 than in recent years, signaling a potential end to the airline industry's post-pandemic hiring surge. Delta said it will hire a little over 1,000 pilots in 2024, roughly half the amount it hired in 2023.

TransWorld

Put this in perspective.

Except for 2022 and 2023, the greatest hiring had been:

1206 in 2016
1088 in 2017

No other years have they hired over 1000 in the last couple of decades.

"Far fewer...a little over 1,000" is still one of the top 5 hiring years in two decades.

Red Forman

It is only Delta that is slowing as well, and has been said hiring only 1,000 is still a ton of hiring.

Crockrocket95

SWA has scaled back, from 2000 to around 900 planned hires. And upgrades have slowed as well for 2024. Im sure other airlines are seeing similar trends.

captjns

FED EX is also encouraging their pilot group to take advantage of the sign on bonuses offered by regionals.

https://apple.news/A4BEDF9rpTtKHpKQsSr2lNw

Brickfire

The majors are still, as a group, hiring faster than ever before.

Less fast than a year ago. Still not good news for corporate recruiters

Sliceback

It can't be "hiring faster than ever" and "less fast than a year ago."

It looks like it's going to be less in 2024 than it was in 2023 and perhaps 2022.

Still huge pressure on the lower tier jobs which is great for the people who got into flying 1-3 up to 6-8 years ago.