T Square,

Our MEC is IMHO the world's best when it comes to finding leverage.

I do not expect this flow to deliver the operational reliability Richard Anderson desires across the bottom 40% of Delta's network. It is a quick band aid which creates more problems in the cockpits of Endeavor airlines. One can only imagine the entitled new hire with the grumpy crusty Captain who failed his interview. It is not an idea mentoring environment and maybe not even safe (as the two semi recent deadly accidents which hit Delta's books thanks to outsourcing proved).

You should understand that you benefit when:

• Management has a problem they need our help with
• We can offer longevity, which has an immediate value and a deferred cost
• We can increase our bargaining leverage by controlling more of the market

Please don't take offense, because I want you to gain. You (and those of your seniority) have to gain or else this is a political non starter ... but ... you've let ALPA transfer money from outsourced express jobs for years. Your saying "I'm not paying it back" comes across as pretty arrogant and entitled by those of us who had our careers put on hold for a decade or more due to outsourcing.

Your opinion is political fact (truth), but it's perceived as rude to rub our noses in it.

Now THIS adds an interesting ingredient to the discussion. If what you say is true, then the scope hawks that are all chafed under their saddle blanket can relax because DAL will never buy all of the super duper large RJs that they are all worried about. After all, if our exclusive carrier is downgrading and backsliding, why would they need them? But what this agreement would appear to do is to start the process of exclusive arrangements with the rapidly dwindling regional airline industry. Don't want to be exclusive? See DAL vs Alaska......

Depends. I's say the odds are improving dramatically as the next generation of jets gets heavier and Delta decides to be a leader instead of aiming just above "embarrassing."*

* yeah, got a data point for that under Mullin. I'd have to find the copy of his presentation on an old computer for the exact date.

I didn't mean to come across as arrogant. I just mean that I see no reason to buy back what will eventually come our way anyway. The RJ experiment is over... especially here at DAL. Yes they are slightly bigger, but look at UAL where they still have a million of the 50 seaters. I think the battle underlying all of this is control of those larger airframes as the 50s become more and more economically unfeasible. Hmmmmm where have I heard that line of logic before? :eek:

I'm a line dog. I have no political connections whatsoever.

Respectfully disagree.

As any ex America West pilot will tell you, they had a difficult but valid sim. No, they didn't bother with complex approaches and IFR procedures like Alaska.

Instead, you flew an old school 73-1 in a constant airspeed climb and descents while doing constant rate turns between two heading bugs. Then you would slow the airspeed while climbing while continuing to do this. 250 down to 210 and then 160.

One might ask, ***? A good portion of the candidates would stall in the slow airspeed climb with the turns. They were hoping they would. Because here is where they could see their instincts. Did they recover? Did they do it naturally?

Basically, how did they perform under stress and resolve it. As you said, "does it reveal secret pilot potential." Naw. Valuable insight into the skills and critical thinking. Yes

In conclusion. The people we hire today Gloopy are gonna be sitting next to you. We are screening pilots with less and less experience than the 90 and 2000 hires. Still think it is a bad idea?

The reason management is currently giving to explain the downgrades is the lack of qualified pilots applying to Endeavor. They have stated that Delta cannot execute their business plan with the current situation.

I think we are going to see each major identify a most favored nation/regional. They want to be able to say to a prospective pilot that if you want to work for Delta, United, or American you need to start out at our designated regional. I predict American will follow suit shortly but I think they will offer better terms. The chess game for new hires is here.

Excellent.

You are a well spoken line dog. We agree :)

I really appreciate that kind sir. I really do.

Its not a "bad" idea, its just a worthless idea. The scenario you describe is a theoretical shortcut to attempt to hire those with basic flying instincts, which most pilots have anyway, including those that don't do well flying a new aircraft for the first time ever. Yet the instant the gouge gets out there, everyone knows it, sees it coming and practices it. Airlines need to incorporate that into their training programs, heavens forbid if it adds a couple sim periods in these days of cost cutting by any means necessary.

DL has had exceptional success with non sim interviews. If sim interviews are really a clear and significant advantage, it should be easy to prove it. Yet airlines at every level have sim interviews or not, with no discernible difference.