Most of it is just standard critique stuff - things that could be done better, suggestions, compliments of certain instructors, ways to handle some sitiuations differently, which training tools were most effective etc - not issues like suggesting a procedural change or safety concerns. Of course you can always elevate an issue that warrants it and I think everyone knows that. That is not the stuff I was referring to. I am simply talking about regular classroom critique issues. The form is so restrictive you either have to abbreiviate to the point where it makes no sense or leave some things out choosing only one or two to comment on. If they value student input it follows that logically they would provide enough space through the normal critique channels. A critique system that requires you to submit seperate memos just to give your full input on training kind of invalidates the intent.

Beside the point, most of these critiques were done on probation. Who in their right mind is going to submit additional memos drawing attention to themselves while on probation? The critique is the standard channel and someone on probation is going to stick to standard channels.

Just got an email from the union about the PRIP. 195 is the final number. For those interested, here are some of the numbers:


Seniority Number / PRIP pilots senior to
500 63
1000 88
1500 95
2000 109
2500 120
3000 130
3500 135
4000 139
4500 150
5000 155
5500 168
6000 178
6500 183
7000 184
7500 188
8000 188
8500 190
9000 192
9500 193
10000 193
10500 193
11000 195
11500 195
12000 195

There are more demographics position and base wise in the email.

Denny

Sailing,
I agree you are not requesting MIL LV but it is not as simple as you say. My MIL LV request gets denied by a computer and only the CPO can approve it. Am I requesting MIL LV or just notifying the CPO office? The result is the same, MIL LV is not approved until I talk to a Chief Pilot. On a non holiday I put in MIL LV and it goes through. Over a designated holiday (some of which are quite a stretch) the computer rejects your MIL LV and notifies you to contact the Chief Pilot. Well thats just great, I am flying a trip for DAL with upcoming military orders being worked, not cut yet because I am waiting for funding to go through and now I have to call the Chief Pilot to "notify" him as you would say, of my upcoming MIL LV. Well guess what, now you can not simply call the CPO, you have to go through the CPSC, which is a joke, because they have no clue about MIL LV and transfer you to the Chief Pilot. At this point you may or may not speak to a CP you might get his secretary who is normally super efficient but says "I can't do a thing with MIL LV call XXX who is flying - here is his cell phone number." All of this time the trip/trips are still on my schedule and I am responsible for covering them. You are correct I have never had MIL leave denied but they are introducing a lot of A$$ pain to make it happen.

By the way I am not making this up - this is what happened to me last winter and forget about short notice or weekends. I concede your point that they do not disapprove MIL LV but I still have to get it approved and if a rotation is still on my schedule its kind of a moot point because in my mind its still my trip. All of these changes are simply making it harder to penetrate the bureaucracy and simply adding unnecessary administrative layers in what should be a simple procedure. If guys abuse MIL LV hammer them, don't make the whole process more burdensome for the 99% of the guys who play by the rules.

I have been in the reserves since 1994. I have been on both active duty and a reservist in a Navy reserve squadron. I have dealt with MIL LV issues as the Operations Officer, the Executive Officer, and the Commanding Officer of a squadron with over thirty reserve Pilots from anywhere from 8-10 different companies and have seen it all in regard to guys trying to abuse the system on one hand and companies trying to make it hard and/or uncomfortable for guys to take MIL LV on the other. Over the years DAL has been one of the best and most supportive companies regarding MIL LV, unfortunately we seem to be veering off the high road and into the same valley as some of our competitors. :cool:

Scoop

With the bus going into SLC hopefully they'll move more 73's into LAX and grow the base there.

Involuntary upgrades
 

Now in Europe they may not do this. It is just here in ATL and in NYC that I have seen this happening and quite frequently.[/quote]

I left my wife behind in Europe not once, not twice, but, yes, three times because of involuntary upgrades out of Europe. They did look at Medallion levels and fares paid, though. FWIW, the agents were all very helpful and exhausted all possibilities before closing the door(I was working the flights).

Boy,that was fun picking her up at the airport!:eek:

Just to post once again the policy on upgrades. If its a non business elite flight and a passenger has a confirmed reservation they will upgrade to get the passenger onboard the flight. It may be a FF or the actual passenger but someone will get upgraded. If it is a business elite flight they will not upgrade a passenger if other travel options are availabe that will get the passenger to his destination in a reasonable time. If there are not options they will upgrade the passenger. If the passenger in back is a inconvenenced passenger he will get onboard regardless of other options. Agents should upgrade FF's first in the order of their status. Lazy agents will upgrade the last passengers to show up and skip the FF's.

Sailing, you hit the nail on the head. "Lazy Agents" I think that describes many of them.

Serious question. You acknowledge that you've seen guys trying to abuse the system. I assume you were a conscientious commander and either prevented it or put a stop to it. How would you recommend the employer identify and deal with suspected abuse in cases where the command doesn't prevent or stop it without crossing into the "abusive company" camp? There are the easy ones that look suspect, such as a guy dropping every third on call day for MLOA in an international category, but there are some that are a lot harder. Delta has already identified several pilots working for two employers while on MLOA (including LUV, FDX, and UPS). That's a hard one to track. While some of those pilots have already "resigned" while paying back USERRA required cash contributions from the company, there are anecdotal reports of others that remain "hidden". There were another couple of guys that tried to MLOA while holding an ART position, but Delta didn't find them for quite a while. There are the reverse situations, where a pilot on full time orders has flown for the company on the weekends without putting in MLOA (until he was rerouted and dropped MLOA in the middle of his trip).

These 1 percenters aren't just costing the company money. They're hurting their fellow pilots too. To the mudhen that thinks I'm military bashing, I'm not. I despise those that steal from me and my fellow pilots, whether it be the guy using "platinum days" from sick leave, the "disabled" pilot that's really not, or the guy abusing MLOA. The sick abusers cost me a lot in sick leave benefits during the bankruptcy contract. The "disabled" reduced the benefits provided to those who really need them when LTD. The 1% are going to cost the MLOA guys as well if they're not careful.

Oh, the "disabled" pilot that I found to be one of the more egregious was killed while kite surfing. He had just completed a single handed sail from Venezuela to Seattle. He was out on disability with "back problems" that wouldn't "allow" him to sit for more than 30 minutes at a time. Anybody ever sail here...? His website said that he "took a leave of absence" from Delta to pursue his dream of sailing around the world....

Yes there are others. Their time is coming.

I second that! I hope it is just 1% but I got a feeling its more, a lot more.

I spoke with one guy on the freighter that rather than take the PRIP, the plan is to stay on till December when everything shuts down. Enjoy a few months of pay while they are benched and when they get the call for training, submit long term sick, wait till that runs out and then retire.