I know three highly-qualified ANG pilots (fighter guys) hired recently. All were zoomies and not guard babies, but long-time guardsmen nonetheless.

 

Hired in 1985 with 5,600 total, 5,000 Civ, 600 mil

4000 multi/turbine/night

DC 9, LR23, KC135 time as well.

Joined the ANG after flying part 135 for 4+ years.

(flying cnxd checks in an AC690 mostly, with some LR23 F/O time too)

BTW, my 5,600 total was the highest in my new hire class of 24, but at the time there was no such thing as an RJ, and the Mil commitment was only 4-5 years so most of the Mil guys only had about 1,200-2,000 TT. I think there were only 4 of us civilians in the class.

A couple other Civilians in my class had the next two highest times with about 4,500 and 3,500 each, and the 3 of us where the youngest in the class at 24, 26 and 26.5. Average age of the class was 28, oldest guys (2) were 34.

Of that new hire class of 24 I think there are only about 10 of us still working at Delta. 6 left early just before bankruptcy, a couple of those guys flew for Polar and/or Atlas and other places.

Oh, my then new hire seniority number was...

are you sitting down?

3879!

That's how many pilots Delta had in September of 1985!

BUT...we did get to sit sideways on the 727 for 3 years and paid on the B scale for the full 5 years so there's that.

I got my first A Scale paycheck in November of 1990, and my guard unit was activated to participate in Desert Shield/Storm a month later!

One A scale check ($5K), and then back to active duty pay! ($3,000/month in 1990)

In 1992, after released from Desert Storm, I bid MD88 Capt/CVG and got it....4 from the bottom.

Most senior guys were shocked that a 'new hire' with only 6 years got a MD88 Capt. bid, so was I, but it didn't last long as the company soon sold off the DC9's and all those more senior (most of them!) DC9 Capts came to the MD88 and spit me out the bottom, back to the 757 right seat for 4 more years. Then in 1993 Delta started furloughing pilots for the first time in the history of the company.

My how times have changed!

 

Sort of on a related note, but I heard that we use about 4 X more mil leave today then some recent time in the past (I believe 5-10 years) Delta is having issues with this massive amount of MIL leave and how it is being "used" Obviously, the world has changed since 9/11 especially, but mil leave is a MAJOR issue at Delta
FWIW, 13 years of my career at Delta was while I was in the ANG(and I retired from the Guard).
As for if this is making Delta less likely to hire ANG/Reserve guys....I sure hope not!!!

 

What's the impact to a pilot for using MIL leave with it being a major issue right now? I know we have USERRA protecting us for deployments, training, drills, etc, but is there anything the company does to discourage it in any way?

 

Any tilt rotor guys? I want to hear about that thing.

 

Were they retired, or still actively drilling when they got hired? I'm wondering if DAL is staying away from ANG/RES folks who haven't hit 20 years. I got hired a few years ago, and it took me a couple years to get noticed, so I've tried to manage their expectations.

 

One of the three was approaching an AGR retirement and didn't get a call until he was within 3-6 months of that. The other two have several more years remaining until reaching 20 years for a full retirement... their records clearly show they are "ripe" to take long term military leave to finish out at some point, but were luckily still hired.

 

[QUOTE=Rocker;2752260]What's the impact to a pilot for using MIL leave with it being a major issue right now? I know we have USERRA protecting us for deployments, training, drills, etc, but is there anything the company does to discourage it in any way?[/QUOTE
This is mostly anecdotal but I did talk to a guy "in the know" What I remember being an "issue" is getting hired, going to indoc, and then dropping orders for a long period of time. Getting hired and then within a few months or a year, going out on mil leave for several years. Again, anecdotal but that was my recollection.

 

Just another data point. I recently flew with a guy who separated at 16 years AD. Delta has to know he's going to drop mil leave for 4-5 years after he gets off probation. He was hired fairly shortly after he got his ATP (via Delta).

 

Gotcha. The issue they have definitely makes sense to me. The HR team in my interview did bring up the fact that I was separating from the AF with almost 15 years of service and asked if I was planning to join the reserves. I was blatantly honest with them and told them I was already hired by a guard unit, and that I planned to remain in a part time status, but that I would have periodic commitments that I'd need to use military leave for. They seemed content with that answer and we moved on, and I have no intentions of changing my plan, but I know several who disappear for years after they finish consolidation...in some cases, not even probation (with various companies).