No truer words have been spoken!

Thanks. I have enough time that I was thinking a lot of the new hires with 600TT will need a year or two more time to meet upgrade minimums. If things keep moving quick, although some may have a seniority number 30-40 better, they may not be able to upgrade before I can. (Kind of what is happening at Pinnacle.) Do you think NWA will ever look at the upgrade system and decide that paying for 6 weeks of training for a RJ FO to move to Cap on the Saab is costing the company a lot more than just a 2 week upgrade training in the same type?

The training center is going to be nuts these next couple of months, there are 96 returning furloughs and 80 new hires. Get in as early as possible to get a good number.

Apparently, the 900 training is only in MSP for the first week for indoc. After that, its in Montreal for the rest. Unless they decide to hire a ton more ground instructors and get some CPT's and just do the FTD and Sim stuff in YUL

Possible, but we do not have the same requirements as Pinnacle for Upgrade. At Mesaba it is FAR minimums (ATP) and 1000 hours with the company or two years longevity. So no matter how much time/experience you already have logged, you are still bound to 24.D.1 of our contract.

We do not have the 3000 total time rule here...yet.

so 1000 or 2 years, whichever happens first? or you need both? 85 hours a month gets you 1000 hrs in a year

Mesaba new hires - shine your shoes. RJ85FO will conduct "no-notice" personal appearance checks to see if you meet the standards portrayed in his Avatar. ;) ;)

Makes you wonder if the guy has pants on behind the sign...

Whichever happens first. You are right about the 85 hours, but you have a couple of months of training, sick, cancelled trips, and used to be several months of reserve. You guys will probably have very short reserve if any.

The difficult part of being on the new fleet at the start is all of the training that has to be accomodated. Even though you are "senior," the junior pilots have to be able to fly a green line after IOE, so when you only have a few jets, even the line holders sit some reserve to accomodate the green pilots training.

I had my pants on, had to keep it legal!

Hopefully they do not add too many pilots for the 2 aircraft/month deal. BTW, what are you flying now the Bachjet is gone?

We're all on the SAAB! Oh wait, there are a select few still flying our one remaining CRJ.

This Saab is a bit of a different animal than the RJ was!

Who ended up going to the 900? I assume there's some who have started class?

RJ85FO........How do I PM you?? Or can't I seeing as that I'm a newbie??

First CR9 class is on April 17. 5 lateraled from the Saab and 5 returned from furlough.

We still have the one CRJ-200 on the schedule. It heads to Pinnacle in June last I heard.

Can't PM until you've posted a bit

I though I saw someone say you need 10 posts or something like that. I am not sure of the requirements for this forum.

Any idea how many FO's there will be for the 900 before I get there in June?

at least 12 so far. We have the class of 10 on April 17 and then class of two on April 30.

Thanks...just wanted to chuck a few questions at you Mesaba folks. I'd like to fly the red tail when I meet the mins. Is the 600 and 50 going do it?? Thanks in advance!

How many crews per A/C does Mesaba have? 20?

9-10 PILOTS (5 crews) per jet. 10-12 pilots (6 crews) per Saab. Roughly.

Our current seniority list ends at roughly 600. It will be in the neighborhood of 975-1000 by the end of 2008 to staff 49 Saabs and 36 CR9's at current utilization rates.

If Mesaba hires 400 people this year (like they said when I interviewed), that equates to 200 crews, which means they have pilots for 40 new airplanes...something doesn't add up...

Did you miss the part where they also talked about attrition and increased utilization on the Saabs? ;)

The 400 is inflated in my personal opinion. I am sure that number included an attrition cushion and planning for furlough returns. Mesaba was planning for 60 or less furloughs to return, Ends up being just shy of 100. Attrition has been holding at about 15 per month, but that has slowed some now that we are in growth mode again. They will always staff well ahead of the deliveries and pay pilots to sit reserve so as not to be in a bind when the airplanes are coming. Lots of factors can delay training, so they will staff ahead for the CR9. All of that adds into the 400 number they were/are adverting for this year, which really probably means in the next 12 months.

Remember, part of the interview process is to sell you the company. Don't read too much into what you may have been told at the interview. They will always paint the most optimistic outlook they can.

if MES gets 15 RJ's this year, that equates to 75 crews. you have at least 250 people left. The first new hire class starts April 23, so they won't be ready until June. in 7 months to lose 250 pilots seems excessive (35+ a month)

Maybe they'll just run more routes or more crews. Hey if the 900 picks up some slack for the DC-9, that'd make sense.

Start off on the right foot,don't say this around the mainline guys. :cool:

I said it to see if any of the mainline guys were reading the thread...Like dumping water into a grease fire...

Don't you know it!!! :eek:

XJ, what are you flying?

SAAAABBBBB!!!!!!;)

I've heard a lot of talk about little or no time on reserve for new hires. I've got my class date on April 23rd in the Saab and I was wondering what "little" time on reserve would equate to. Like a couple of months or half a year? I know nobody knows the actual answer to this question, but an estimate would be appreciated. Thanks!

At my interview I was told 1 month or so by JT.

Just got called for the 5/28 Saab class. Guess I'll see some of y'all there! :)

Got a call yesterday for the CRJ class on June 4. do any of you know how much of it will be up in montreal?

When did you guys interview?

I interviewed March 22nd. From what I recall the first week of indoc is done in MN then the rest in Montreal. I remember hearing there was a time frame where CRJ training would all be done outside of Montreal. I was assigned the Saab so don't hold my word for it.

I'd plan 4-6 months for reserve on the Saab. Hopefully it will be shorter, but you should be prepared. We are going to be fat on Saab crews. I have heard that utilization is going to increase, but that has not manifested into the schedule yet. May bid packs will be out on April 12, so we'll see what happens.

I interviewed the first week of Mar, I got a call the following wed. They called me last week and offered me a Saab class on the 23 of April or the June 4 CRJ class.

Did you accept either?