I agree. Every single FO from a new hire to a 777 FO is qualified to be captain. I hear guys all the time say we cant have new hires going to the captain seat on the E-190. I always think that is funny because most are probably coming to Delta from a captain seat. I am a senior FO, and have flown with very junior captains. Across the board they did a great job.

 

Very true. Many many new hires over the past few years came in with a PIC type on the 170/190 w/ many years as LCA/ Sim Instructor/ PIC/ SIC, etc... Compass, Republic, JetBlue...

 

Looks like 321s are going to NYC/DTW.

 

Let me clarify. First, Xray, sorry if I was a bit harsh. I do appreciate you posting on here as a LCA and making a call, etc... I'm just repeating what I've heard in the widebody community and from some mgmt types.

And to be clear, I'm NOT saying anything bad about JR. Captains. Or anyone. Only that some do regret the lifestyle they've signed up for. It's changed from what it was. The crisis part refers to the future. The retirements are accelerating and the ranks of LCAs and the like will decrease. The E190 situation is the first time that we could see a cockpit crew with less than a year experience at Delta between them. There's no guarantee that former E175 LCAs will be the ones in the left seat. The widebody FO campers are the ones who need to be enticed to choose a career path that benefits not only themselves but the company.

 

Exactly right.....the only guys that need a little right seat time are the single seat military peeps but thats just a short period to learn the system and 121 ops. Essentially everyone is qualified to be in the left seat here at Delta. If senior management really cared, they would have squashed regional outsourcing long ago.

 

I would agree many wide body FOs bid narrow body captain and reqret it.....for lifestyle reasons. And please don't misunderstand what I am saying. I think the current 190 rate is way too low and needs to be addressed. That said....wide body FO is a pretty good lifestyle and I am not sure any pay raise will fix the issue of guys camping out there! And I don't think we are anywhere near a crisis in terms of qualified pilots to fly captain. Top to bottom we have a very good pilot group.

 

We heard the same thing back in '07. "We can't have newhires going straight into the right seat of the ER. That would be madness." Meanwhile ACMI outfits had been doing this for decades.

 

Remember all the incidents we had in '08 when new hires went straight to the ER? Yeah. Me neither.

 

Xray,

I basically agree with what you are saying but you are greatly simplifying the issue. Many Seniors FOs did not have the quick upgrade opportunity due to 9-11, outsourcing and age 65. Now things are changing, but many are enjoying the very high QOL that summer vacations, weekends off, LCA drops, and the GS opportunities that often become available to senior FOs.

IMHO - If guys want to upgrade quickly - great for them, anyone hired by DAL should do great. If guys want to camp out in the right seat - great for them, more opportunity for other guys to upgrade quickly.

One of the best things about this job is that "One mans trash is another mans gold."

Scoop

 

That's not true (I don't think). You only get paid straight pay for the trip you work plus straight pay for the dropped trip. That's why there isn't a white slip with conflict. It would be the same thing.