Why would he start now?

 

Ive heard age 67 is a done deal. With that and PBS, the flow might be a wash for awhile.



Good Luck!

 

Hiring bonus has being extended to Part 91(k) pilots.

 

Signs of things getting desperate.

 

What kind of bonuses captains are getting?


Good Luck!

 

Yes, of course United and Delta have and will continue to hire those without 121 PIC from the regionals, but as a component of qualification, it is far better to have that experience (a checked box) then not. If two pilots are considered both with "loyalty" to a particular company of say 4 years, the one WITH 121 PIC is more apt to be selected, all other things being equal and that is a strike against Envoy considering their longer (above average) upgrade times.

But again, it doesn't matter whether I am an "angry old man" or an "Envoy hater" or any other nonsense some claim about me as that is simply irrelevant distraction (and inaccurate, but I'm sure emotionally satisfying). What IS important (and undeniable) is that Envoy will not flow itself either out of existence, nor to the point that they have to once again start relinquishing present feed assignments, at least not by choice. In the past, management made ridiculous claims they would park aircraft to keep the flow going and yet in March, they did the exact opposite by withholding a measly 5 pilots because of future staffing concerns. THIS is what should be of importance to pilots, i.e., not what they CLAIM (and a projection is a claim), but what they DO. In fact, the very act by Envoy to suck up more flying for AAG is one of the very things likely to haunt them and Envoy pilots in the future as the more flying they convince AAG they can take on now, the bigger monkey they have to feed going forward, meaning even more pilots or they shrink, AAG one again divests flying away from Envoy, upgrades slow further from already industry slow rates and eventually the flow is jeopardized.

Each and EVERY month going forward that provides anything fewer then 35-40 new-hires for Envoy is a master warning light requiring a checklist and as of now, even with Aprils hire numbers, Envoy is already behind the ball and should be keeping close watch for diversion airports.

Can they feed this HUGE (and increasing) monkey for another half decade consistently ?

I have STRONG doubts about that and that means another plan simply must come forward and likely sooner rather then later. THAT plan will likely mean MORE stability in the flow for Envoy pilots and other AAG regionals, but in exchange for that, more flexibility among eligible pilots meaning it will add more time to get to AA. Anyone is free to believe that going forward all will be unicorns and rainbows (complete with a pot of gold at the end) as some are advertising, but that is a recipe for disappointment and frustration. That is the SAME component behind many at Envoy now lamenting their long tenures as F/O's or the multitude of broken promises of the past that has led up to that long tenure.

Hopefully, the Charlie Buckets of the future will have more realistic expectations so as not to end up yet another generation of empty handed pilots with chips on their shoulders and feeling they have to resort to some of the tactics that seem especially prevalent at Envoy vs. other regionals as demonstrated on this forum.

 

If you think about it, the more flying they convince AAG they can do, the more pilots they must get to keep the house of cards from collapsing. It's like a junkie who develops a tolerance for their drug and must ingest higher doses of the drug for the same effect. Eventually, the junkie cannot support their habit and a predictable path to destruction occurs.

At this point Envoy HAS to bring in as many pilots as they lose or they are in trouble and with each increase in flying (the "habit"), the more of the "drug" (pilots) they need.

The question is how long can this vicious cycle continue ?

 

One could argue the more pilots they keep getting the more flying they will keep getting and the more pilots they will get. A revolving door is in eagles history. If the flow works it'll pay off. The have alot of cards left to play still and it will take years for this to play out. They can merge envoy and piedmont short term, they can merge psa long term. They can buy someone. They can push someone into ch 11. They can just bring more flying to mainline. They can increase aa new hire class % to flow and stop any hopes of off the street pushing guys to the wo. They can issue hard seniority numbers. They honestly could give every envoy pilot 50k a year extra. The regional sector is in deep doo doo and trust me envoy isn't the one in danger for some time.

 

No, the question is WHY IN THE HELL DO YOU CARE? What is your obsession with making doomsday predictions for this place you don't work at?

 

I agree with you on one point. The regional sector is in deep doo doo. That's for sure.

I don't agree that pilots are going to be flocking to Envoy. One, management is too stupid to really fix the problem. Adding more band aids until the wound ruptures and the patient dies is their chosen course of action as proved over and over in the past.

There aren't enough pilots out there in total right now to fill the numbers Envoy needs going forward if this flow is really going to work as advertised. They picked up a few extra with this latest gimmick of bonuses and it appears that they are now all in with Part 91 pilots as well. It's definitely a sign that things are getting desperate in the hunt for cheap labor to staff AA's regional feed. Next month, they might get a few extra with the extension of bonuses to Part 91 guys, but that isn't going to last. By July or August at the latest, the hiring numbers per month will again be in the teens.

Envoy is going to flow out the 824 and at that point you will likely see a "re-adjustment" from the company. The union will work hand in hand with management to bring you this "enhancement" to the flow. For a lesser percentage of the flow with an "at the company's discretion" disclaimer thrown in, you might see some relaxation of the reserve rules, a slight bump in pay and maybe a Miami base and better commutability with the lines.