And this AD was needed because of all those exploding MD80's we've been hearing about...? :rolleyes:

Or is it just from Boeing, trying to get us to buy "NEW" airplanes rather than fly the MD80's as long as the DC9's?

And yet I move backward on the SLC737 literally every single bid since March of 2012 (except one in spring of 2013, did not move up or down) If that is what growth feel like, I am absolutely terrified of the future. I guess I just don't fully understand how growth effects the seniority list.

Scoop, I think you're wrong if you're claiming anything official beyond a hiring limit of 300-- there is nowhere the company has said officially we are hiring anything but 300 that I've been able to find. But I'm happy for you to cut/paste or post a link to an OFFICIAL posting showing otherwise.

Don't get me wrong, I'm ecstatic about the fact we're hiring even 300. But I'm tired of this ">300 I heard!" getting parroted around so often folks are starting to think it's true, without proof.

All of you jumping in here climbing all over the rumors and innuendo and assuming we are hiring anything more than 300... well, it seems the exact same to me as this un-ending argument on "2012 pitch said we'd be hiring by end of 2012!" No on ever officially said any such thing, but there was plenty of innuendo... and NOW you're all jumping on each other to point out how nothing OFFICIAL ever said we'd hire then.

Why then do so many of you keep claiming we're hiring more than 300??? This is the EXACT SAME sort of bogus claim of hiring that is not supported by official company statements we're all complaining about happening on the 2012 pitch!

I read everything from the company, voraciously. I'm like a hope-addict, they get me almost every month with something, though I seem to bid lower every single month. I know of two official statements by flight ops that say we're hiring 300. I know of three official statements by flight ops that say the furlough recalls ARE PART OF that 300. In fact, they specifically went through all the classes and showed how many would be filled by recalls and how many would be off the street to make up the balance of the 300.

Now, I've read 30 places folks claiming they've talked to a guy who knows a guy who says 600... But as all the ALPA guys have pointed out again and again on the C2012 "hiring now" interpretation--no one ever said anything official, and until they do it's unadulterated wishful thinking at best, and intentional misleading of the pilot group into seeing a rosy future that hasn't been committed to.

Now, prove me wrong please anyone--post a link to the EXACT spot of the exact OFFICIAL statement on DeltaNet showing more hires than 300. Not some "forward looking" statement by anyone not in charge saying they EXPECT hiring will continue. Fool me once, (C2012 we'll be hiring by year's end!") shame on me, fool me twice, shame on all of you cheer-leading this 300 hiring commitment into something bigger without proof. I'll be the first to cheer when I see something beyond 300.

Well said!

daldude, I think you and I are real close to the same status. Everything you write always rings true with me, I know you're seeing much the same as I am.
On this last AE, I actually moved up 2 guys. First time in over 2 years I moved up, it was due to some 7ERB guys getting reinstated. Bottom 4 guys on our list got reinstated also I think, back from lax or dtw.
Now, here's the downside... the Sep13AE said we'd have 103 total guys in category, but it turns out that in Mar14, we only have 99. So, my actual PERCENTILE has stayed the same still. Until we move UP and the category stays the same size or grows, we're still moving backwards faster than retirements. I do think/hope we'll see category increases with 100 planes coming, but I'm worried I'll still move backwards as 7ER guys displace downwards and slot in above me.

Roadkill,

I think I am just a few numbers ahead of you in SLC, the movement between us caused me to loose 2 numbers while you gained 2. I have moved backwards 21% on the SLC73 since Nov 11. I still maintain that if we keep "growing" or "hiring" you and I will be displaced by Dec of 2015.

Yeah, right, they're just raining down on us.. I'd heard it from an AA MD80 guy. We have installed nitro generators on the 767's recently... so maybe there's something to it, like all airplanes will need them or something... I don't really know as I've not read the AD.

Hiring doesn't create upward mobility, nor does 'growth' if the new airplanes are behind what you are already on, as is the 717. You need more big airplanes to show up, if you want to move up.

Unfortunately, an airplane bigger than the 737, the 757's, are being parked and replaced with...more 737's.

No help to anyone who is already on the 737.

Until they post an A/E to replace the retiring wide body Capts. you won't see any upward movement.

The newer 777 LR's (ship 7104-7110) have them installed from the factory, but I've not heard that they are going to retrofit the eight ER's or LR's 7101-7103. Maybe they are but we've just not been told about it yet.

All this came about because an errant Navy practice missile shot down a 747? :eek::rolleyes:

So basically, Boeing used money from aircraft orders enabled by the Ex/Im bank to bribe, er, "lobby" the FAA into publishing an AD that effectively forces Delta to place an order for new airplanes.

What a racket.

The Ex/Im bank is the gift that keeps on giving.