Fact: 50 seat aircraft will be around for at least another decade. They most definitely won't be in the large numbers we see now, but they will continue to be profitable.

Fact: Anyone who uses 50-seaters as a long term plan is not a smart person. That being said, the people who run airlines, while disliked, are not dumb...especially if they survived 2001-2008. You can sit here and pretend to know what "the industry" is doing, but in reality, you have no clue. Neither do I. No one really knows what discussions people are having behind closed doors in Chicago or Dallas. Especially at a private company. If I owned an airline though? I wouldn't be setting myself to lose everything.

 

Clearly you don't understand pattern bargaining and the overall state of the industry.

Pattern bargaining: Just look at what other regional have signed and you'll get a glimpse of what the next contract will look like with a few changes.

State of the industry: In case you haven't noticed, majors are parking more RJ's than what is being delivered, and what is being delivered are 70/76 seat aircraft. CPA's are becoming less and less lucrative, and more and more restrictive due to mainline scope with block hour percentages, etc.

The growth you are seeing at TSA is nice, but you are getting some tired XJT birds. Mesa is the recipient of NEW Ejets for UAL with more possible on the way.

Maybe you should do a little more than "light reading" on the realities of US commercial aviation.

 

I hear you even get a roomie in training, sweet....bro time!!!

 

Really? Such a funny little man.

 

Really. You guys are delusional if you think majors will be kicking your door down at 1,001 TIPC. Take a look at the people getting hired right now, they are a long way away from offering job offers over the phone to people with three DUI's and training failures.

I hope upcoming CFI's can see through all the pyramid scheme tactics and at least chase the upgrade at a reputable airline.

 

Having gotten to know several Mesa pilots over the last few months that have recently been hired I can tell you that you couldn't be further from reality. The manner in which one gets hired is not indicative of the person's resume or experience. The regional industry has become cut throat with majors fishing with crap CPA's. Combine that with the new FAR's for pilot time and certificates and you have a very shallow pool.

Oh and those major jobs you speak of, just looking at our most recent Flight Ops Update at UAL, we will need to hire 769 pilots this year with 450 of those between January and June. In fact, the month of May will bring in 130 new hires alone. I believe DAL's numbers are higher. The Military pool is also drying up according to some of our recruiters so that leaves a majority coming from the regionals.

With all that said, I would much rather help a union carrier brother or sister get on than someone from a non-union carrier, and I know several other UAL pilots who feel the same way. Sure folks from Skywest will get hired, and maybe some of the older Mesa pilots have some serious background issues that makes them a lifer, but the new batch coming in to Mesa have solid backgrounds and will have no problem getting hired.

Now keep on troll'in little guy.....

 

ELOHEL.

Union brothers? You do realize the mere existence of airlines like Mesa are the reason why ALPA is a total joke. Especially at the regional level. Kind of like how Eagles 'union brothers' (PSA) knifed them in the back. Too funny.

 

Never said they wouldn't be around for a while, but a decade may be a stretch. What I do know is my contract, which in 2016 will restrict UAL management to outsourcing only 450 airplanes with a max of 325 70/76 airplanes. In addition, they will also need to add a NEW small-narrowbody to the mainline fleet and the block hour percentage for UAX is ultimately reduced to a percentage in the high 60's. And that's off narrow body block hours only!

With tight block hour restrictions I bet we see more 50 seaters parked in order to max the block hours out on the 70/76 seater. I also suspect we'll see E190/CS300 type aircraft flown by mainline on some of these routes currently flown by the 70/76 seat aircraft.

The above in bold is such a true statement.

 

That's all the more reason why we need to step up and help. Either way, you're on the outside looking in, good luck with that!

 

You think I care? The cost of admission to ALPA at the regional level is picking up your phone and saying "yes, I'll come to class". Quite the exclusive club.