Posted in Training: January - September 2011
Number hired: 84
Number No Show: 1
New-hire failure rate: 17.9% (15 pilots)

 

I wonder if that failure rate includes the new-hire "resignation" rate too.

 

new perment bid out looks like 5 capt upgrades

 

It seems to. 84 were hired. There are 61 on the current list. That would leave 8 unaccounted for but I know 4 that left after training and heard of two others. 1 went to Express Jet, 1 to Eagle, 1 to Republic (got furloughed) and 1 didn't like airline flying. Factor in the 1 no show that just leaves 1. So it would appear it does or at least comes close.

 

Newbies, how is training going?
Anyone had any issues on the line?

 

Jr upgrade award as posted today is a 06/06/07 DOH

 

As of today the word is the 200's are not coming. Anyone surprised? Was told they are not even close on prices for the lease.

 

One group of 200s yes another no.

 

Ah the myth of the 200's...This was dead the day it was started. The basic problem is PDT cannot simply go out to the market and bid on ready to fly (save minor mods to meet our op specs) aircraft. Why do you ask? Because Tempe will not sign off on the acquisition costs for market rate aircraft! Why is this such a mystery to some of you? So what is left? PDT management is left to find 2nd or 3rd rate aircraft, i.e. the old straight leg 300 that Turbojet flew up from S. America and Mesa's 200's thus presenting a new problem altogether. That being these 2nd and 3rd rate aircraft always need significant amounts of rehab work to bring up to PDT's op spces. Per AW the Mesa 200's needed 8 to 10 million $s worth of work to bring them online at PDT. The APU's were taken out and nobody seemed to know where they were, the UNS units were also removed and all of the engines are so close to a hot section TBO that it would be cheaper for us to have simply rented more engines (such as we do on the 100's vs. doing the work - YES that's right kiddies, PDT does not own a single engine in our fleet! Don't believe me? Ask any mechanic)...And that presented yet ANOTHER problem...no one currently rents 200 engines...DUHO!

So what has been going over the last several months is that PDT has been trying to convince the leasing company that currently owns the 200's to either do the rehab work themselves then lease the aircraft to us below market (roflmao) or lease them to us waaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyy below market and we would do the work - yet another roflmao. The leasing company's position is that Mesa should return the aircraft to them in the condition they were leased out. Anyone remember the recent bankruptcy now? Not gonna happen. So..where we are at now is the leasing company gave the final FU to PDT.."if you want em, then they lease at market rate AS IS...Ooooohhhhh the humanity!

This has all been a load of garbage since the day it leaked from the Panel Palace...Oh our wonderful mgt. team tries their darnedest to get us more old worn out crappy airplanes to replace the ones that are so crappy they are starting to reach their absolute cycle limit. But the roadblock that we always hit is the mightily puckered up pen of the Tempe checkbook...Listen people..mainline's fleet has as many antique airplanes as we do save a handful of flying french frogs they have been getting to send back the junk the crusty dustys are flying..Do ya'll really believe that PDT will get one single solitary airframe until mainline solves their own fleet issues? If you do PM me okay..I have cheap oceanfront property just outside Dayton, Ohio I'd like to sell ya....

 

Lets all face it PDT will die soon. PDT is like an uncurable cancer and with the 200's as the last hope the future at this worthless airline is bleak.