My ideal job would be to leave my regional and be an instructor for JB with the option to fly maybe 1 trip per month but it doesn't seem possible here unfortunately. Then with the further option of leaving the training department with seniority after a year or so and just be a regular line pilot. Truth is, I really enjoy both instructing and flying, ground instructing as well.

 

I take the combo
Oversize me please

 

It's an issue for me as well. Worst instructor here by far was a young guy with attitude problems, zero jet time straight out of Gulfstream (190 side). He got so flustered if things went off-script I actually stopped a p-phase FTD during my upgrade and got his supervisor involved. All instructors should be on our list and have time flying JetBlue aircraft. More pilot jobs overall and more opportunities for MCO guys to sleep at home. It is, of course, a cost issue...

 

I agree with the seniority list issue. My point is just that the guys are fine instructors regardless of if they're on the seniority list or not. Your story is the exception to the rule and it's really the only story I've heard like that.

 

I'll had a similar situation last year.

 

I had that guy, all I can say is he did not make it through his interview and is gone now.

 

At least get your facts straight. After 1 year they can apply for a line number. Most of the guys have numbers now, in fact several just got line numbers.

There is definitely value to having line qualified instructors, but the non seniority guys do a fine job. And we are pretty unusual in that we let them apply for numbers. The non seniority guys at Delta cannot ever apply to get numbers. They would have to go through the normal process.

 

There's no guarantee a line guy will be any good either. But most of our guys on the E190 now have numbers. The only ones who do not are the ones with no medical or aged out.

I think check airmen should be line guys, but the P phase is all about the book. You don't need line experience to teach the black and white procedures. It helps to give some color to the lesson, but it's not required at all.

 

My point isnt to attack these guys its too attack the process and if your one of the guys you should kinda be ****ed about it too, you lost a year of seniority. The only reason we do this is $$$.

The process is flawed. Its not that these guys arent good instructors, its that there is a new and renewed perspective from having instructors who have flown the line and do more than 2 MCO-NAS turns a months. That cant be denied.

As a general rule, the best training house experiences I've had at JB were the adjunct guys, line pilots, who were only in the training department for a few months at a time.

 

I agree there's no guarantee a line pilot will be great, but in reality that's what the adjunct interview and review process is for. My experience through 3 full training events so far has shown the adjunct guys to be the best and most consistent overall. I strongly believe that having the ability to rotate from OSC to full-time line flying and back keeps guys more mentally fresh, and is more applicable experience than just flying MCO-CUN or MCO-LGA 1 to 2 days/month.

Much like we say in the safety pubs, it's not the "who" but the "what": other than my previous example I've had several non-seniority list guys and gals in both fleets who ranged from average to excellent. It was really disappointing to fly with so many newhires after I upgraded that said 'training was great, EXCEPT this guy...."

Overall IME a guy who has not flown the line here, or worse has no 121 major/lcc line experience, can't fully translate what we're being taught, P phase or otherwise. And yes, I also view it as a legitimate scope/jobs issue. There are plenty of pilots living local to MCO that can't or choose not to hold the base, but would be excellent instructors and enjoy the extra time at home.