Reserve Time
 

I have a question revolving around expected reserve time at Envoy. Currently I have a class date in September. After training, how long can I expect to be on reserve on the 175 or 145? To go along with that, how many flight hours can I expect in the first year?

Your mileage will vary... greatly.

Sept 2018 hire - former cadet. Got an all ORD 145 class. Currently sitting reserve in DFW and just hit 200 hours. I’m hopeful that I’ll be within sniffing distance of a line by the end of the year, but who really knows. It all depends on how the lines fall with the winter flying.

Jan 2019 hires on the 175 DFW have composite lines for this month. 175 ORD has a longer reserve time, but don’t know how much.

Crimson, do you mind telling me if they promised you all 175’s and 5.5 year flow?

Also as a 2018 hire when’s your projected flow date?

ORD 175 I believe around October hires are holding composite line this month. However this will go down as there is 20 FOs transferring from ORD to DFW. DFW, at this point is about two months of reserve. With new aircraft deliveries I’m sure this will stay relatively the same. You start in September, so reserve times will be different.

The 145 guys have it rough right now. Over a year to hold a line in all bases.

145 guys story does not matter. No one hired today will get the 145. /sarcasm/

I have friends hired in January on the 145 that have composites this month.

I have friends hired early January 2018 that hold ORD 145 lines with 12 days off and weekends on Tuesdays.

Thank you for helping me prove my point.

I was not promised the 175, however, it was pointed out that as a cadet the chances of getting the 175 were extremely high and that in most new hire classes, just enough 175 slots were offered so that every cadet in the class could bid for the 175. Class drops and other cadets that went through also confirmed this.

My flow is projected to be DEC 2026. My “prospective pilot information” pamphlet from recruiting advertised that I would be a AA FO in 6 years. I don’t recall ever being told that flow would be 5.5, but maybe I never asked because the pamphlet was advertising 6 years.

No it isn't.

Dan... if anyone can accurately answer your question, they need to pick my powerball numbers.

Envoy has about 650 lines of flying, meaning there are 1300 line holders across all bases and airframes. There are about 2500 pilots on property, 1200 are not lineholders. Take about 200 away for mgt, instructor and other status, and probably another 400 for training, and you are left with about 600 reserve pilots, 300 reserve FOs. So, if we are hiring 50 a month, you should expect 6 months of reserve, give or take.

Each base and equipment has huge waves and bubbles in hiring and flow which causes weird things to happen. For example, the most junior CA lineholders are on the CRJ. They fly with FOs who are senior to them, but cannot hold an FO line.

Our classes lock FOs into different groups in waves. There will be a time period where only 5 per month get DFW 175 for a few months, then 15 per month for a couple months. If you are on the front of this wave, you will have a disproportionately short time on reserve. If you are on the back of the wave, you'll be on reserve much longer.

Last summer, the fastest place to build time as a new hire on the 145 was NY. Now, the most junior NY 145 reserve FO has been here 8 months. When the music stops at a certain base/equipment, the plug stares down a long dark tunnel of perpetual reserve.

For total hours, our aggregate flying averages out to about 50-55 hours per pilot. Line holders will take about 80 hours per month, leaving 30 hours average for the reserves. So, in your first year, you should expect about 300 hours.

Thanks everyone for your input.

I’ve been hearing that the 145 guys (regardless of base) fly 200-300 hours in their first year. Do things at least get better in year 2?

Yes. Marginally

You know where things do get better? Other airlines

11/2018 hire holds a hard line for June in ORD 145.

I think you might have missed mine.

I misread yours and I’m too stupid to figure out how to edit or delete it. Oh well. Still don’t know what you’re trying to say then.

12 days off and those falling on weekdays isn't that glamorous for a year and a half seniority by today's industry standards

This is also the first month guys 6 months senior to him were able to hold a hard line in ORD. The 11/18 hire will be back on reserve next month when ORD 145 loses 20 lines, and all the TDYs senior to him go back to ORD.

There is a empty spot on the ORD 145 FO seniority list. There are only about 20 in that status hired from 2/18-8/18. So, a reduction of 20 lines could conceivably reverse the junior lineholder date 6-9 months.

They got a line for May as well.

That's entirely possible. The only fact is what we know right now. There's a LOT (like 30 or so) of OFEs moving to DFE in August, and only 10ish moving to OFE. And a bunch of upgrades too. So we shall see in a couple of weeks where it settles for July.