Airline Pilot Central Forums - Any "Latest & Greatest" about Delta?

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I'm still surprised of the 13.4k pilots that there aren't those local to NYC that can just drive in to all 3 airports with a 3 hr callout?

What makes the right seat of the MD88 more busy than say the right seat of a 717/737/320?

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShyGuy (Post 2170834)

Are you asking seriously or more rhetorically?

I know the checklists are longer on the 88, there are more items that could "bite" you if you miss them on the checklist, and the a/c packs just don't cut it IMHO.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShyGuy (Post 2170834)

I'm still surprised of the 13.4k pilots that there aren't those local to NYC that can just drive in to all 3 airports with a 3 hr callout?

What makes the right seat of the MD88 more busy than say the right seat of a 717/737/320?

That comes from when the MD88 was used on shuttle operations and that's all you flew was shuttle. DCA, BOS and LGA use to turn that aircraft in 15 to 20 mintues. You would bounce back and forth all day 12 hours plus and get 5 hours of flight time. And yes it was the busiest seat in the company.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShyGuy (Post 2170834)

Imagine working all the levers and cranks of a one-man band in a cockpit the size of a porta-john, while programming a 386 computer powered by squirrels, listening to 3 different freqs and the FA in the rear complaining that it's a sauna while you try to get a clearance out of LGA for the first leg of 5 for the day. Then add what Mike said, wash..rinse..repeat.

CG

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShyGuy (Post 2170834)

Take a look at the flows on the Maddog vs those automated airplanes, it's a joke. You are doing 3 or 4 things at a time continuously from the pushback checklist through the climb check and then again from the approach checklist until you shut down. The time in between you are always worried that the airplane is going to get you violated because it doesn't do what you told it to do. It does build some good PM habit patterns because if you don't back each other up in the Maddog, you are both screwed.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikeF16 (Post 2170814)

It takes a certain kind of person. If you live locally the equation changes. But for the commuters NYC on a narrowbody is extremely challenging.

Hotels are expensive, even for NB captains. Crash pads are nasty. If you're 40-something you don't need snoring roommates, nasty dirty kitchens and couches, and people going in and out at all hours disturbing your sleep. Since you are junior, you will occasionally have 0600 EWR sign-ins from your Kew Gardens crash pad. Enjoy competing for the 1 shower at 0345 and the ridiculously expensive cab ride or mind numbingly painful mass transit to get to sign-in.

You are going to be junior for your 2 year seat lock, hope you don't like weekends off and vacation when your kids are out of school. Commuting to reserve is miserable at any airline or seat position. NYC adds congestion and WX to what would already suck if you were commuting to PHX. If you get a line it won't be commutable, see the previous paragraph for the fun that will entail. Since you will be flying into LGA quite often, just plan on missing your commute home every now and then since you are going to be late. 40 open seats on your backup the night prior somehow turns into 30 seats oversold in a matter or 12 hours. What just happened? Oh great another night in the pad.

Some guys bet on the come thinking that they'd be able to slide to ATL in a couple months. Nope, ATL is still plenty senior and you're going to eat 2 full years in NYC as a junior captain. Here's your encore kick in the junk. From your freshly minted captain's chair look to your right. That guy might be making more money than you while working less, with all the seniority he could ever desire. Such is the nature of NYC 88/717, I'll pass.

If I was 28 and single, sign me up. Hell, if I was 45 and single...

From a QOL standpoint agree 100%. If you're looking for 75 hours and 15+ days a month off narrow body Captain reserve is absolutely not for you. Especially commuting.

With years of service being equal, only way an 88/717 B will make more than an A working less is if they are very senior and get every LCA trip bought and pick up GSs on top of those trips or get every scheduled trip GSWCed. Possible to make more some months but highly unlikely throughout the year working less. A 16 month guy on the 88 will make $188 in the A seat vs $101 in the B seat. Roughly over a two year period the 16 month guy will need to average 135-140 hours of pay a month on 12 days or more a month off to make more while working less than a reserve A averaging 75 hours.

Now if you have decent seniority and do the GS/WS Mafia strategy you can make quite a bit more than an A but you will surely work more days and have 12 days or less off, with a lot of your free time spent looking at Daily Trip Coverage, Reserve Coverage and waiting for a call. If you like doing the computer stuff, it's quite a lucrative hobby.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Viper33 (Post 2170861)

Imagine all that..and pay sheets.Uphill both ways. Tigers, Lions.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikeF16 (Post 2170814)

Here's your encore kick in the junk. From your freshly minted captain's chair look to your right. That guy might be making more money than you while working less, with all the seniority he could ever desire.

Or, he could be a new hire on his first leg after OE. Good luck with any help on that expressway visual at night. Or anything. Given Delta's "outstanding" training program, even the sharpest guy needs seasoning on the line, to put it tactfully.

E175 Captain, with only FADEC/glass time...1 year on the 88...to 88 captain.. Yeah. That's safe.

Quote:

Originally Posted by HTBH (Post 2170786)

does ALPA lodge a complaint or do we just manage it with maxing out the reserves and having guys fly their 6th+ green slip for the month .

I hear you. ALPA did address this (only after the company self-reported).
Recommend getting signed up for ALPA emails. Important stuff in there, especially during contract time.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Purple Drank (Post 2170917)

How's it any different than when a 320/737 FO takes the upgrade on the MD88 with 0 time on type? Is that safer than the E175 CA who at least had one year on type before upgrade?