It actually started 7 or 8 years ago. Before that, the Bagwan and AS HR avoided hiring QX pilots because the Bagwan "didn't want to be the training department for AS."

That was possibly the STUPIDEST thing I ever heard an airline manager say. We should have been giving QX pilots preferentail hiring all along for several reasons:

1. You know the standard to which they are trained.
2. You know how they function as employees.
3. You know they have a solid link to the Pacific Northwest (one of the key factors they look for in hiring...prosective interviewees TAKE NOTE!)

By discriminating against QX pilots all the Bagwan did was ensure that they would go to FedEX, UAL, SWA and other airlines.

Once the Bagwan was gone, smarter heads prevailed and they opened up hiring for QX pilots. The even waived the PIC requirement as long as a QX pilot has 2000 hrs SIC at QX. That was mostly an acknowledgement that it takes a LONG time to upgrade at QX.

Personally, I think it was the best thing to come down the pike in a long time. Especially now that we have a pilot base in PDX, the ex-QX guys that live there are extremely, happy, productive campers.

 

I don't think 30% hiring can be mandated, but making 30% of the available interview slots for those applying from Horizon is very likely.

 

Fish or another Alaska Pilot,

Do you know, or have you heard if Alaska Pilots will get a silver bullet referral, or something similar?

 

Last I heard, the Silver Bullet program was being reworked by the Legal Dept. Can't tell you if that's good or bad, but nepotism reigns at AS.

 

Glad to see 22 of our remaining 43 furloughed brothers and sisters coming back with this bid... and glad to see fellow pilots going back to where they want to be based. Anxious to see when the pilot hiring really starts.

Finally moving in the right direction... hopefully it lasts.

 

Amen!
Do you know if they are still going to excercise the QX SIC program? The bad thing about that of course is the dozen or so QX gangsters that did make the Eskimo leap are/were on the street with little or no PIC time to go anywhere else.

 

Like it mattered over the last couple of years. Where else was there to go?? (unless you were willing to head over to Asia) Also, everybody knows movement at QX is non-existent nowadays so it's all about who you know more than having 1K of PIC. I have buddies at QX, and looking at the state of the place today, those QX gangsters probably made the best decision of their careers when the made the jump.

 

I don't. I hope they do. Personally, I enjoy flying with the ex-QX pilots. They're trained to AS standards and are generally a known quantity.

 

I'll agree with you if you call leaving a paying line holding job only to be furloughed a good career decision. Maybe it was. I suppose the benefit they have now is that they will be recalled. How long has it been...3 years? Granted my crystal ball has been on MEL for years too...just sayin.