Let me guess ex military? So where are the new hires going to come from
when the regionals go away? Your Buddies?

Record profits on the backs of who? The lowest paid employees who fly Delta's passengers. You should be thanking all the low paid Regional
employees who had a big hand in it.

 

never mind

 

 

I'm with 80, who is former regional like myself btw, what are you talking about? Gunfighter made a great point about SNB scope, how now is a great time to take it all back and that it's important to take it all back.

Pilot backgrounds have nothing to do with any of that. So what exactly are you getting at? That we shouldn't take back DCI scope? That PS for DCI isn't the same as the PS for DAL pilots and that's not fair or something?

 

Preposterous, and would never happen. Put a 73 captain ahead of all our WB captains???? Not a chance in the world. His career expectation is 737 captain. He would undoubtedly be slotted after several of our 73 captains. Flamebait right?

 

Some will be, yes. Is being captain as soon as possible the objective of the average pilot? I don't know the answer but I suspect that after the last decade some will. I also think many aspire to be in the top half or third of the seniority group for a variety of reasons. Commutes, vacations of choice, schedule, ability to benefit from premium pay etc.

The forth stripe is not the holy grail it used to be. There are many iterations of this job that allow all types of schedule and earnings. Most know how bad the bottom in the category have it. Add to that the migration of the trip mix to longer and less variety of trips and schedule becomes valuable. Most pilots at Delta have checked the pilot in command box long before they were hired.

My point is that the 14 month captain is not the norm and definitely not surprising. The Egypt air captain that sadly was involved in the latest incident was reported to be highly experienced having 6200 hours and over 2000 in type. That's about the experience of our 14 month captains. Not at all inadequate but low by Delta standards. In 2007 and 2008 you needed 7000+ to get hired and other big airplane experience or an advanced degree or chief pilot or instructor/check airman experience. Times change. The new captains probably aren't new captains at all, just new to Delta captains.

The characterization that the median captain will have less than 10 years is just plain wrong and either is stated for political purpose or is just naďve and uninformed. The pilots on the front of the wave will have spectacular careers but those leading the wave always do. Most will wait the few more years to maintain some sense of normal schedule.

I'm not denying the benefit of upcoming retirements but to say we will all be captains shortly and that that will cure all is ridiculous. Fire away.

 

Huh? Capturing regional jobs on the mainline is a bad thing? The biggest travesty in this industry was the vast proliferation of RJ flying in the late 90's and into the 2000's. All facilitated by conflict-of-interest representation by ALPA. If you think you or your buddies at some regional produced record profits via your hard labor, take a pat on the back and sit down in your mainline seat. While I have an appreciation for how I got to a major and some fond memories of regional life, I never saw it as anything but a stepping stone. Right now I'm loving the view from above as the regional model readjusts to reality. If you are saying the regionals should remain bigger to keep a supply of major carrier new-hires in proportion to military sourcing, well, you could have unresolved issues because Uncle Sam didn't invite you to play with his jets. Might want to have that checked.

 

Mr. Madison, what you've just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.

 

Most 777 F/O's I fly with have no intention of leaving for a narrow body Captain job, many are waiting to go from right seat to left on the 777, or just retire off the right seat of the 777. With the IOE trip drop/GS thing, many are making more than I am in the left seat!

I'm considering bidding to the right seat as I'd be number 1 on it for now, but it's tough with a 5 hour commute to make many of those last minute 2hr GS show times, so I'll probably stay put.

I know more than a few 777 F/O's who have bid narrow body captain only to come back to the right seat on the 777 asap!

"What was I thinking?" is the most common thought I hear!

 

I am enjoying the 717A; was 777B. Loved the guys and the jet. The trips were another story.

I needed a different schedule, being away from home 8-10 days was an issue.

It's more work for sure, but it is not all bad. (I get to fly with the grandaughters of your F/A's).

Are they still asking for your belt and shoelaces when you check in at NRT for a 48 or 72 hour layover? "Welcome Home"

I guess that's one of the neat things about this job; there are many templates out there to fit what you need/want for income/lifestyle.