Yep. If we hire this year I wouldn't excpect to see anthing about interviews until September. Probably have classes late this year or early 2013 to have new hires on the line for summer 2013.

We'll see how the early-out stuff goes and the "re-alignment" of categories go in the next bid. I have flown 2 out of the last 60 days and sat 2 short calls, so some categories are very overstaffed for the fall/winter season if we aren't working during the summer. I would bet if we do hire it will be a very small number for 2013.

Gotcha! I have heard that all the training department (as of now) can handle a year is 600 newhires. I have read on here that there is an estimated 7000 pilots retiring the next 10 years. If the training capacity is true and is not increased I'm assuming they will have to be fat on pilots for a while in order to not get behind the curve of folks leaving..... Thoughts? Any truth to this?

its true and the only way they can stay ahead.

...and there are some categories that are understaffed big time. I'm flying my lily white ass off. Hopefully, the fall AE will smooth that out and bring on some new hires.

The fall AE will likely smooth out the over/under staffed categories but I wouldn't count on huge requirements for more pilots overall. The first thing the company is going to do is cash the huge check we wrote them with the productivity improvements. The higher ALVs and flying reserves more hours and making July and August into 30 day months, etc. etc. will allow them to run the airline with a lot fewer pilots.

From interview (the first day possible) to class was only 13 days!

I had been emailed for the interview about a week and a half prior.

I worked in the training department 96-99 as a 727 FO instructor and we were hiring 100 per month back then. That was mostly to the 727 panel with some going to right seat on the Fluf. We can jack up hiring easily if we want to, the hold back is instructors and sim availability. We were leasing sims in MIA and DAY for the 727 new hires. I think 100 a month is doable as long as we have the instructors and sims available to lease. I remember deadheading on a Monday, double banging sims Tues-Thurs, morning sim on Fri followed by a deadhead home. Those were as seat fillers for practice rating rides and rating rides. 8 days pay in 5 days.

no no fault go around?

or "hey, just saw these idiots on the news are acting like we tried to land at the wrong airport, just to let you know we were practicing the NDB approach, and we nailed it. just look on tv. anyways, ignore the news." :D

Actually buzz, what would the USAF do to the guys that just did this? theyre flying careers aren't over are they?

and does the USN still just force guys to fly rubber dog poop out of hong kong when they damage a $30 million dollar jet they don't own?

As I recall, the AC got downgraded for awhile and was reinstated a few months later. The USAF was not very tolerable of guys messing up. Fortunately, I had some classic f-ups that flew under the radar. That's what happens when you upgrade a 1st Lt to IP, give him a heavy jet, a crew, and tell him to fly internationally about 90% of the time. It was a steep learning curve but it was a frikkin blast!:D

Disregard (filler)