Any "Latest & Greatest" about Delta?
05-15-2010 | 05:28 PM
Gets Weekends Off
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More Worldflight fodder for those interested.
Story I heard today was that DAL originally wanted to turn it off.
Now fNW has been using Worldflight basically since its inception, so we have a GREAT contract rate. Something like $25K-$30K/month.
Contrast that to AMR which just switched to Worldflight and paid $5-6 million up front and pays monthly fees of ~$100K.
Fortunately, someone at DAL realized/was persuaded that cancelling the contract would be a really bad idea because if they ever wanted it back they would pay AMR type fees.
Extra fuel - Has anyone in a 747 or a A330 been short released since we went to FPS2? I haven't and I have not talked to anyone else that has either. That would explain some of the extra fuel we have been carrying around. Was told that FPS2 can't do short releases???
Random routes - Was told that FPS2 cannot quickly do random routes, they have to exist in some kind of database. Worldflight they could enter and compare a bunch of different routes for fuel burn in minutes.
Worldflight cannot replace FPS2 as a drop in because FPS is "attached" to too many other things.
Conclusion, Worldflight is not dead, but its not coming back in its current form. More likely it will be used as a tool by dispatch until FPS2 can be upgraded. I hope FPS3 gives us a more Worldflight-like product.
Story I heard today was that DAL originally wanted to turn it off.
Now fNW has been using Worldflight basically since its inception, so we have a GREAT contract rate. Something like $25K-$30K/month.
Contrast that to AMR which just switched to Worldflight and paid $5-6 million up front and pays monthly fees of ~$100K.
Fortunately, someone at DAL realized/was persuaded that cancelling the contract would be a really bad idea because if they ever wanted it back they would pay AMR type fees.
Extra fuel - Has anyone in a 747 or a A330 been short released since we went to FPS2? I haven't and I have not talked to anyone else that has either. That would explain some of the extra fuel we have been carrying around. Was told that FPS2 can't do short releases???
Random routes - Was told that FPS2 cannot quickly do random routes, they have to exist in some kind of database. Worldflight they could enter and compare a bunch of different routes for fuel burn in minutes.
Worldflight cannot replace FPS2 as a drop in because FPS is "attached" to too many other things.
Conclusion, Worldflight is not dead, but its not coming back in its current form. More likely it will be used as a tool by dispatch until FPS2 can be upgraded. I hope FPS3 gives us a more Worldflight-like product.
FPS works by tracking fuel burn by individual ship numbers. It however has to have a history for this function to work. Normally needs about 180 days of data. You should see fuel loads come down as it adjust to each aircrafts actual burn. Most Delta pilots have always considered our fuel loads to light on international. Rarely have I heard a guy argue for less fuel then the flight plan.
05-15-2010 | 05:33 PM
Doesn't Get Weekends Off
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Waborita,
What ACL said is right. However, the way I look at it is that by 2024 half of the current list will retire. So in 14 years the most junior guy right now will be a captain if he chooses to be. That is also looking at age 65 numbers and I'll bet we have alot that leave earlier than that. The list shows 3 age 65 retirements for 2010 and we've already had close to 80 leave. The peak year is 871 retirements in 2022. Guys getting hired now will have a great seniority outlook. Guys who get hired in 2015 will hit the jackpot.
What ACL said is right. However, the way I look at it is that by 2024 half of the current list will retire. So in 14 years the most junior guy right now will be a captain if he chooses to be. That is also looking at age 65 numbers and I'll bet we have alot that leave earlier than that. The list shows 3 age 65 retirements for 2010 and we've already had close to 80 leave. The peak year is 871 retirements in 2022. Guys getting hired now will have a great seniority outlook. Guys who get hired in 2015 will hit the jackpot.
05-15-2010 | 05:37 PM
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From: A-320A
Yep, that is why I tell the guys that are juniors at the flight schools to get their time asap. They need to be in a position to be here at 24-26. They literally will be captains for almost 40 years here. A few years at the regional than two to four years to upgrade here. Of course they will stagnate, but it will be in the left seat of a 73N.
Some will hit it quite well. (That is if we do not shrink)
Some will hit it quite well. (That is if we do not shrink)
05-15-2010 | 05:43 PM
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Yep, that is why I tell the guys that are juniors at the flight schools to get their time asap. They need to be in a position to be here at 24-26. They literally will be captains for almost 40 years here. A few years at the regional than two to four years to upgrade here. Of course they will stagnate, but it will be in the left seat of a 73N.
Some will hit it quite well. (That is if we do not shrink)
Some will hit it quite well. (That is if we do not shrink)
Yep, that's what I'm telling guys I know. Of course things will change, but you have to make your choices based on what you know now. Who knows, maybe we'll grow and have a pilot group of 15,000+ by 2022. If we do shrink, I don't see how we can shrink below about 10,500. I think it is more likely that we will grow than shrink. We're gonna have to have about 40 more 777's to compete with the new United.
05-15-2010 | 05:49 PM
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Just looked at the May seniority list and there were another 40 guys leave. That puts the 2010 numbers at 129 according to my calculations. 2009 was 165 so we should exceed that easily in 2010.
05-15-2010 | 07:25 PM
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From: Kickin’ Back
The last couple of months retirements are probably more due to the early retirement negotiated last year. I suspect it will slow down alot for the rest of the year. I think there are a few more that go June 1 and all the PIRP pilots should be accounted for.
Denny
Denny
05-15-2010 | 08:29 PM
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From: Space Shuttle PIC
A friend of mine on the 7ER just went to Saipan for the first time and met a girl at "Chicago's" (?) who was named "Irish" and she said she "was retarded." Does Ferd know this girl?
05-15-2010 | 08:32 PM
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From: FO forever
Not sure what a short release is but FPS has the capability to re dispatch or dispatch under several exemptions on international flights. It also can generate any random routes needed. Many of the Atlantic routes are random and the tracks of course move every day. You can even get a Random route generated in short order by talking to dispatch if needed.
FPS works by tracking fuel burn by individual ship numbers. It however has to have a history for this function to work. Normally needs about 180 days of data. You should see fuel loads come down as it adjust to each aircrafts actual burn. Most Delta pilots have always considered our fuel loads to light on international. Rarely have I heard a guy argue for less fuel then the flight plan.
FPS works by tracking fuel burn by individual ship numbers. It however has to have a history for this function to work. Normally needs about 180 days of data. You should see fuel loads come down as it adjust to each aircrafts actual burn. Most Delta pilots have always considered our fuel loads to light on international. Rarely have I heard a guy argue for less fuel then the flight plan.
We are being told that FPS has a limited number of fixes in it data base, came striaght form our 744 fleet captain. Trust me on this because it is creating problems on charters as well. World flight had unlimited fixes in its data base. This gave us much more flexiblilty in creating random routes to take advantage of winds. In 23 years of flying ocean crossings, many times we were not on tracks or NAT tracks because we were random planned for fuel burn in the best winds areas. I would say that if you are landing with the amount of fuel that you need for reserves, you are doing well and no one would want less fuel. However, for right now on the 744 we are landing on average 10,000lbs over what we used to land with and sometimes much more(I had 18,000 extra on my last crossing coming to DTW). That adds up to alot of extra fuel burn overtime. Hopefully this will self correct. It is aggravating sitting in a plane for 13 hours burning extra fuel and also having longer flight plans because of limitations on random routes especially when you read all the post on here about money for pay raises and retirements. Some of that money is being wasted out the tail pipe right now.
05-15-2010 | 08:35 PM
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05-15-2010 | 08:41 PM
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From: FO forever
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