Greetings all,

I apologize if these questions have been answered before, but I have been off the forums for years and I know times have changed a lot over the last 5+ years.

I'm currently 7 years in to an ACMI carrier carrier and have finally come to the conclusion that it's time to move on sooner rather than later. I live close to DTW and Delta is the only passenger carrier I currently am interested in. With that in mind, I'd like to rattle off some questions..

1. How long would it take (typically) to hold DTW? Ive read in other posts that the 717 in DTW goes junior and to expect that?
2. Training pay says 2:30 per day at rate? so am I right in assuming 2:30x125 for every day? or just while actually at the training facilities?
3. How long does training last? Have guys gotten chance to run home on weekends? or is it a non stop firehose type training?
4. I assume medical benefits start day 1? I have 3 children at home and other employers have a 90 seasoning period before benefits kick in.
5. What can one expect to actually make 1st year pay? Is there opportunity to pick up OT trips or do you need to be a line holder?
6. I very much enjoy long haul flying and am very used to it at this point, what kind of time frame would I be looking at to get international out of DTW?


Thanks very much

 

1) it depends, but is DTW FO is pretty junior, especially the 717
2) 2:30 every calendar day from day 1 of indoc until completion of OE.
3) I think indoc is 5-7 days, systems is home study, minimum 7 days, then sims are about a month. You get PS travel to and from all training for any break longer than 48 hours (you book this yourself), and I believe contractually you cannot have more than 5 days in a row of sims and must have 2 days off between blocks. I always have.
4) yes, medical benefits start day 1
5) lineholders can pick up on their days off at both straight pay (white slip) or 2X pay (green slip/silver slip) reserves can pick up on their off days for premium (green slip only) or pick up extra, but it pays towards guarantee, not above. The good news is lots of contractual add pay items pay on top of guarantee for both reserve and lineholders.
6) very long time. The current plug WB FO in DTW is 4,500 numbers senior to the bottom of the list. Thats about 10 years worth of retirements. You will almost certainly hold NB CA long before WB FO. WB growth could help, but it is definitely a ways out for a new hire.

 

That's excellent. Thanks for the information. I know it'll be a big change if I go, but with 30 years of career left, I know it will be a great decision.

 

best of luck with the process. Hopefully we start hiring in bigger numbers soon. With 30 years left it’s definitely a good move.

 

I came from Kalitta Air to Delta about 15 years ago - it's a world of difference. I too like the international flying, and it's even nicer at a passenger carrier like Delta, but the narrow body flying is just fine too. I definitely never regretted it - I don't think you'd have trouble getting to DTW, personally I'd bid 737 or 320 rather than the 717, as the 737 will have growth in the future while the 717 is generally stagnate (no more deliveries).

 

717 is where the movement is. We won't see any 737s for at least 2 years anyway. I'd avoid the 737 at all costs and get on the 717 DTW if you want some semblance of seniority. Then hop to the 737 when the MAXs show up.

 

This is all good info. I'd like to expand on a couple of things.

1) It shouldn't be hard to hold DTW. Just bid any NB aircraft that's based in DTW at any base for INDOC, and transfer there ASAP. 717 is most junior there.
2) Think of the 2:30 as a daily guarantee. For a 30 day month, it will pay 75 hours. Which is higher than minimum monthly guarantee for lineholders and reserve most of the time (REG is 65, RES is 72.)
3) Indoc is(was) 7 days in 2 short weeks, Tues-Fri and Mon-Wed, followed by minimum of 7 days off (for the home study) before classroom and sims begin. In a condensed footprint (i.e. no training delays), you're looking at about 6 weeks from the start of INDOC to the final Sim checkride, then 2-3 weeks of IOE. So, about 2 months on training pay until completion of IOE. Probably not less than that, but can be longer than that depending how things go. Sims are usually 4-5 day blocks with 2-3 days in between.

 

Wasn't there the provision post Covid (because of the IOE back log) that said training pay until off IOE or 30 days after the sim check?

 

Thanks for all the replies everyone. Definitely putting my mind at ease. I don't really mind what aircraft I fly, as long as I don't have to commute. I got a fix it email on my resume yesterday, so fingers crossed for the future!

 

I think that was just for the old salaried NH pay. Pretty sure that went away when C2019 finally got rid of that garbage.