TMoney

As we are in negotiations for pay here at SkyWest, I'm hopeful that we can avoid another PSA type contract here and at every other regional as well. I'm a huge fan and advocate of the StopTheWhipsaw movement, as I hope everyone else is. With each quarter showing profits here at SkyWest ($26.4 million net for q3 2013) and at the majors in the 3rd quarter (1.37 billion for Delta, 692 million for United, 216 million for US Airways group, etc.), it seems to me to be absurd that any one of us should consider any form of a reduction in pay.

When our management says we need to stay "competitive" and take a concessionary contract to secure future flying, as I'm sure all pilots are being told by management, I want to be able to point my finger at real case scenarios to say that pilots are becoming harder to find. I have heard rumors about Republic not being able to staff the Q400s. I heard silver just started offering a $6000 signing bonus. Republic and Eagle already offer signing bonuses. Great Lakes is staffing flights with 2 captains.

I would like to hear from people who have real world experiences. Not rumors from what someone heard someone else say. Maybe there really isn't any evidence of the shortage. I don't know, which is why I'd like to hear from people interviewing, about to start training, going through training, and on reserve or out on the line, or in charge of hiring, etc. Is Republic having a hard time flying the Q400? Will Mesa be able to staff their E Jets?

I hope the evidence proves that it is getting harder to find pilots so that I, as well as you, can go tell our respective management teams that we don't need to take a pay cut to compete for flying. I hope that pilots looking for a job will decide that they are worth more than going to an airline with a PSA type contract. Pilots should choose to go to one like XJET or Eagle or SkyWest so we can tell management that we don't have to vote in a contract similar to the PSA one to compete with them. I hope prospective pilots see a 2 page ad put out by Republic and think, "wow, maybe I should decide to go work somewhere that will treat me better." This is not an attack on anyone who works at an airline with a low end contract. I understand that the past countless years have forced people to work at whatever airline would hire them. It's been a dismal regional pilot landscape for a while now. Airlines were going through bankruptcies and costly mergers and losses dominated the airline financial world. Times have changed now. Aside from US Air/American, the mergers are done and all the airlines (including US Air and American) are making money. We don't need to take concessions or jump at whatever job we can get. This is an attempt to turn the boat around as a collective group working together. Future pilots should be picky about going to work at an airline with a good paying contract with good work rules. Current pilots should be pushing for those contracts.

Lets spread the word with all our fellow pilots at the various regionals so we have proof and evidence and facts to show that we are in demand now. I look forward to hearing about what people have seen.

From my own perspective, SkyWest is still able to fill classes. We have over 500 applications on file. A lot of them don't meet the 1500 requirements though. I also know that the DEN and SLC bases are having to award lines of over 80 hours to cover all the flying in November. My seniority number has gone from 3024 at my date of hire (June 2011) to 2670 as of today roughly 2.5 years later. Our attrition has been at least 354 pilots over 2.5 years (I'm sure a few more beneath me have left). Is that similar to your experience at your airline?

I look forward to your responses. Please don't trash this thread by trashing any people or pilot groups.

Thanks!

rcfd13

The most recent new hire class didn't fill. I was in the training center the day it started and the ground instructors said they were 9 people short. They said it was the first class this year that they haven't been able to fill.

emb145

I am most interested in what's happening at Lakes. Passing through Denver recently on a sunny day, I noticed three Lakes flights cancelled. Don't know if it was because of crew but I have spoken with a Lakes pilot recently and their words were about 125 total line pilots left or so. He said a couple months ago there were roughly 150.

wmupilot85

In 8 months in 2011, I moved up approx 50 spots. In 2012, about 50 spots. So far in 2013, 70 spots with 13 being from last month alone. We are seeing lines being awarded in excess of 100 hours in November. There has been a few days where we have 0 people on reserve in 2 bases. I wouldn't say shortage, I was say transition though. People leaving with 2 weeks notice, but taking 3 months to get someone online.

flyingreasemnky

As of right now, Republic is deferring delivery of 4 Q's until at least the second quarter of next year. Its due to a combination of not having the ability to staff it and Mx issues. Overall the seniority list at Republic has gone from 2704 in July of 2012 to only 3016 as of a couple of days ago. From the month of October to November, Republic added 37 pilots but the overall seniority list decreased by 6 pilots. Almost all the pilots lost were Captains so more than likely it was due to hiring at the majors which has only been a trickle thus far. Frontier pilots were included in the numbers because I didn't feel like taking the time to subtract them (around 700 pilots).

So overall RAH is adding pilots like crazy but cannot keep up with attrition and I'm not really sure how they plan to staff in the future. BB recently announced the need to hire 500 pilots for 2014.

IDIOTPILOT

In terms of time line, now is not a good time to look at new hire classes. The ATP rule up until July prevented anyone with less than 500 XC and 1500 TT from going to a regional. This left a lot of pilots building time who didn't meet one of the strict ATP requirements. With the reduced ATP mins, a lot of the people who were close but not quite there, now found themselves qualified. For the next several months, classes won't be as empty as they were in July. For now, regionals are doing OK with the restricted ATP. But in terms of the hiring game, it can vary so much based on which month it is. Different majors and regionals are beginning to sign preferred hiring agreements with schools. Skywest is also in the works with several mainline partners. They're hoping this might attract some more also. Republic's Q400 classes might have problems, but their E170 classes are having wait lists. Give it a year and the staffing situation everywhere is gonna look bad. But if you want to try and play the shortage argument for negotiations, it's just not there yet to make them hear it.

block30

I believe Great Lakes is now 750 TT under their part 135 plan. I feel they will be able to staff under that model. Maybe a Laker can chime in.

n6149s

I heard there's been a pilot shortage since 1972.

But seriously, how many people are lined up from Erau, ATP, Und, etc...

flyingreasemnky

Lakes wasn't able to implement their 135 plan as the FAA wanted them to remove the seats and they only wanted to rope them off.

block30

Dang it...did I misunderstand something? I swear their hiring minimum was 750TT across the board now under their new plan.