We're our own worst enemies. I fly with plenty of guys that routinely fly in excess of 100 credit hours per month. Their rationale for doing so is completely understandable-- paying for college, recovering a lost pension, and covering a too-large mortgage are the most common reasons.

I don't raise the BS flag until that same person starts carping about the lack of career progression.

Did I say War Eagle?
 

Need a little help from the military guys. A divorced friend has a teenager whose father just retired from the military. She would like some info on the program for college tuition from his service. I have heard plenty of y'all discuss how it can be used for oneself, one child, split up amongst children, etc. Is there a website, phone number that she can contact to see what is available, if anything? Thanks

Latest from council 44 hotline:

Item 4. MD-88 Staffing (repeat item): Some pilots holding a bid or displacement to the MD88 will be converted on December 1st or January 1st prior to their expected conversion dates and prior to training. These conversions are to maintain the minimum PBS Staffing formula required by your contract. Our Scheduling Committee monitors these requirements continually. Your MEC is committed to enforcing your contract.

The way I read this is that the company will convert guys prior to training to meet the staffing formula. So if we are short in a category the company just types up a new conversion list and its magically in compliance? What am I missing?

Welcome to the GI Bill Web Site | The Home for All Educational Benefits Provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs

Here you go. The whole process needs to be initiated by the military member to transfer benefits. PM if you have additional questions.

First it needs to be determined if the military member (the father) wants to transfer his Post-911 GI Bill benefits to her. If he does then he can initiate this action. This option is only available if the father retired after Aug 2009 or is currently serving. If currently serving the military member would likely incur additional commitment unless he already has a commitment that takes him to a point where the GI Bill transfer commitment would be concurrent. For more information visit the VA's Post-9/11 GI Bill page.

My understanding is the category for the MD-88 guys was so low they are putting pilots who bid the 88 onto the category list even though they have not gotten their training yet. So the category is technically staffed to min level required, but the real-world (can actually be on reserve or hold a line) staffing is not. The new 88 pilots are out of their old category and are getting paid to wait around for their training.

Dude and Gunship I'll pass this along. Thanks for the quick reply.

These guys are converted BEFORE training. That means they will get a pay raise in most instances, and get the ALV for sitting around watching TV.

Contrary to the drivel you often read here, DALPA often does hold the company's feet to the fire, and ensuring compliance with the contract is a nonstop job. The contract requires minimum staffing. Most categories usually exceed that comfortably, but in some cases, such as this one, the staffing would not be in compliance without such exceptional moves.

I can promise you the company is not happy about giving guys a pay raise and being unable to fly them, but they dug this hole and DALPA wasn't about to lift them out of it.

(To be fair, any union, including DPA would do the same, but I wanted to highlight that DALPA doesn't always sit around trying to solve the company's problems of their own doing--on the contrary, we ensure that the contract is followed even when the company would love to not do so).

I usually try to stay below 80K. It helps keep me humble.