While this is true, I think their preference is for FO's to be new hire mentors. I guess being more on an even footing makes new hires more likely to engage with their mentors.

oh for sure, and I’m sure new mentors going forward will be only first officers, but no senior captains stepped up to provide their wealth of experience during 2022-2023.

Are you lamely attempting to turn this into an age 67 debate? Take it up with the FAA, this is how they envision mentoring.

no, i’m talking about the non-faa required mentoring program that is staffed primarily by first officer volunteers

As someone who is now finally old enough to be a senior captain with just a few years left...do you really want one of us to be a new hire mentor? I remember 7-8 years ago, as a fairly new captain myself, enjoying a casual sports bar meal with a great F/O. He was a mentor, and in fact had about a 10 minute conversation over the phone with one of his "mentees." It found it interesting listening to him, as he walked the mentee through mil leave issues, bidding, family considerations etc. He was a reservist himself, and was BY FAR the better pilot of the two of us to take on that role as mentor.

No senior captain volunteers for the mentor role because we realize that it is just not the job for us--we wouldn't relate as well as a 5-10 year F/O, and we just aren't the right pilots for the job.

I was "hired" to be a mentor back around 2016 or so but was advised I couldn't upgrade or be an ACP within those two years while in the mentor program. Seeing as I was on the cusp of upgrade, I declined to participate as a mentor. I had been here for two years or so. When I eventually upgraded I inquired again as I simply wanted to give back if they'd have me. I was told in very clear terms that it was only for FOs since they were more up to date on FO new hire things and on similar "levels" as new hires. So I watched friends that were NH's be "mentored" by 15+ year ER FO's in their late 40's that were so out of touch with the new hires way of life and doing things vs me, an early 30's CA only two years removed from indoc. In many cases they got bad info bc of the amount of time since the mentors had been new hires.

Over the years I inquired 1 or 2 more times. Eventually they ran out of mentors bc they were overrun with NH's. When they finally opened it to CA's I was like, "no way". I offered for ages and wasn't considered appropriate enough. Not now.

I've unoffically mentored probably 30-40 pilots here since then. They're all just friends. In fact, the entire program should just be that NH's list a buddy and they become their mentor. I can't imagine anyone here doesnt have a handful of friends they can call for help.

It’s laughable that they were trying to tell an unpaid volunteer not to exercise their contractual right to upgrade in accordance with the PWA bidding process. That’s a perfect example of why I’ll never do anything more than the bare minimum for Delta.

When it comes to unofficially mentoring and helping other pilots/friends, I’m all for it.

I think they tell SLIs the same thing. 2 year minimum commitment is what I was told.

I was about the same timeframe, similar scenario. They didn't tell me not to upgrade, just that once I did I would be removed from mentor program. He was polite about it.

My upgrade was immediately followed by me being assigned a half dozen new mentees.

The most hilarious mentor thing I saw was telling SLI mentors they should never be assigned sims with assigned mentees. As if SLIs have any say whatsoever in students.

They say the same to LCPs as well. Realistically, the company has zero recourse if a pilot breaks that commitment (other than not “hiring” them for future positions).

While LCPs and SLIs may have financial incentives to remain in their positions, management’s attempt to lock in mentors for 2 years in exchange for nothing more than a 4 hour training credit is a joke. It’s another illustration of their disdain for the PWA.