Commute out of SDF?
 

Anyone doing it? Easiest commute to a domicile? Any domicile any regional. Thank you!

I don't know what the answer is, but I would guess ATL. That said, do NOT make the mistake of picking an airline, especially a regional, based on the perceived ease of the commute. Of the top 5 things to think about, that should be number 6.

Thank you!

i commuted IN to SDF for 2 plus years, but once my southwest flight disappeared or the times i didn't want to wait for 6 hours to go home this is what I learned. (You have UPS to fall back on, go where you want. They are great. Just check the schedule and list as early as you can.) Avoid ORD/MDW, tons of commuters. Delta flights I usually got a seat in back, even to ATL. LGA/JFK usually had seats.

I have commuted to MDT and to MSP. It's all dependent go to where you get the job and worry about the commute when you bid for a base. Every commute i did had good days and bad I tried to commute on days when conventions were not arriving in SDF as the majority of flights are rjs and fill up quick.

Thank you both! Very good information.

I'm shocked nobody has mentioned that Chautauqua has an SDF base. The current news is that they are modding the MX hangar there to work on the E170 fleet, but that doesn't necessarily mean that the crew base will continue in the long run. We DO like to close bases, but SDF has been pretty safe and if MX is there, that is likely to stick around.

That's an easy one...

1) CHQ Pilots have been waiting over a year now to get SDF and still can't hold it
2) Its shrinking
3) No more 145 hiring, so you can't even hire into the equipment based there
4) Doubtful to be a 170 base (but hey, stranger things have happened)

You have lots of cargo options to commute on aswell....ups and maybe of the charter cargo folks service sdf nightly.

PHL or ATL would probably be "easiest" given the combined frequency of pax and UPS flights. DFW and EWR probably secondary, as mentioned Chicago has a ton of commuters of all flavors.

Driving to IND (assuming RAH is hiring for IND) would probably be most "easiest", however.

SDF will without question be a 170 base. Only question is for which certificate.

Best advice out there. The best commute is the one you control. Driving to indy would be simplistic.

That is what I was thinking! Again you guys have been VERY helpful! Thank you!

Plus IND is generally easy to get.

Without lighting a wildfire on here, I can just about 100% refute this. SDF does not over night more than 1 170 per certificate, nor will they. Compass owns the delta routes from there. Also given BB's sermon from last week stating the codeshare partners want the reserves in the hubs I'm willing to bet some $$$ that SDF 145 is gone in 6 months when JFK route goes away, and IND/CMH and greatly shrunk to the point you need to be a lifer to hold it. GSO probably is about done as well.

I can 100% refute that. Ive seen up to 3 170s ron, which pretty much equals the 145 already. The word is compass is shifting ops out west and shuttle will start overnighting delta birds on top of the united ones. Shuttle sdf is coming. 145 sdf will be gone in the very near future.

You're correct, SDF 145 will be gone in the near future. However given I have a pretty good knowledge of how the crew resources department works not that GW retired I can tell you with a pretty strong confidence it's not happening. Compass has western flying, for AA. They also have MSP and DTW bases that aren't going anywhere. We may have 3 170's occasionally, but nothing solid or long term. I'm guessing you live in SDF and have tied your wagon to the hopes of never having to commute, but I'd wager a 6 pack (that's a lot on FO pay here) that there will be no crew base in SDF period by this time next year, IND and CMH will be roughly a 3rd the size they are now on all certificates. MIA and EWR will grow, ORD S5 shrinks a little and s5 start JFK flying as well.

When Outstation basing "worked" SDF had 8 over nighters on occasion, at one time 4 code shares. It ran closer to a hub. If we opened a 170 base there for 3 overnighters we would be looking at the GRR fail all over again, 20 pilots per seat, 15-19 lines. We do not need any bases like that, given our staffing problems our pieces have to be used as efficiently as possible. If we only operate in LGA, ORD, CLT, PHL, DCA, (PIT?), MIA AND EWR, I'd bet those are our bases here soon. Maybe they keep IND and CMH open as small MX bases, but no more outstations are coming.

I dont live in sdf, nor am I based there although I used to be. It will definitely be a base in some form this time next year.

no offense, but where do you base this opinion of yours? what facts? The past? If GW was still here and it were 2-3 years ago it probably would be a base by now. He's not here anymore. The GRR failure along with GSO already being called out should show you exactly how useless a small base would be. And no FO's currently on the 145 would likely get into a mythical SDF 170 base as they really do not want to hire onto that airframe again. Everything we've come to know about RAH has changed over the past 8 months. It's only going to continue to do so as well.

someone is trying to make a decision on where to go and you're throwing out an opinion. I'm telling you as someone who see's the numbers and talks to planning it's not in the cards. I think the 145 isn't long for this world here either, as it's our staffing agency for the 170 and eventually the Q. I'm not trying to rile up the guys who live in the outstations, but the facts are what they are. if its no longer efficient to staff our airline through SDF, GSO, IND and CMH, they won't do it. We're being exposed right now for that.

I find it funny you claim to he all knowing and then throw out that you "think" the 145 is going away. It has been formally announced the 145 is gone soon. There should be no "thinking" involved. Im not giving a blind opinion. Far from it actually. We'll revisit next summer. Unless I get to leave by then, in which case I will have forgotten all about this.

I'm not "all knowing", I'm just basing my opinions on the new reality that 117 gave us, vs the past. My "think" is that the 145 will be further accelerated vs what is announced right now.

Well Col...I mean slumav...MIA is a new base and it

1. Has only 2 RON aircraft
2. Isn't even a mx base.

I think SDF has just as good a chance of becoming a 170 base as any. For one they get a super good deal on the hangar which its a fact that they are retrofitting for the 170s. Also, one of the requirements of the tax breaks they get on the hangar require a certain amount of employees be based in SDF. And last they already have the crew room there and I'm guessing they get a super good deal on it or they wouldn't have been able to keep it for so long given its prime location and huge size.

Actually Delta is shifting compass's flying more to the west coast and Shuttle doing more east coast there is supposed to be 4-5 175's overnighting in SDF plus the 3-4 145's in SDF. I know people on the RAA board. It took awhile for the expansion of doors to the current hanger but, when it went for review Republic had to explain why the city should pay for these doors and this was their explanation.

The actual rumor has it that Compass is gone by the end of 2014 from the MX hanger and that will be all Shuttle. If that happens there would be the 2-3 United RON's plus the 4 Delta plus what ever 145's are flying around. I was also told by scheduling we aren't flying any more planes to the desert, I've tried to get to do some more since I enjoy the LAS overnight.

There are 4 more planes going to the desert after the 19th. No one outside a manager and a managers spouse can get that flight though. The company just renewed the contract with the city of louisville. Why go through the trouble for just a few extra months? Shuttle is 100% coming to sdf at some point in the near future. You are misinformed slumav.

I promise you, I'm not mis-informed. Outside of maybe one or two people im about as informed as you can be on this. I'll buy the first round if we ever get a 170 base in SDF. Not going to happen. We are already getting the hammer dropped on us for our basing by the code share partners. (read the last sermon?) the old way of doing business is over. Don't believe me, look at the bases we've opened since Wx-low left. (and the ones we've closed, and the displacements) As the staffing crunch gets bigger, our need to centralize will only get bigger as well. Also, did you see how many senior SDF captains just bid to Republic? If the numbers hold out and we are predominately an east coast airline, we'll have east coast bases. putting some planes to bed in SDF and sending crews to the hotel. (like pretty much everyone else does) Hopefully soon we'll have numbers to show people supporting each argument and people can decide for themselves.

The company opening and closing bases at hubs or not is far from a new thing. A hub is just as likely to close here as an outstation. Also the senior captains that bid out show literally nothing. A few of them are sim check airmen that bid sdf because sdf offered them the best sched to maximize their pay while driving the sim. Another was a long distance commuter. Add to that the fact the 145 has been announced to be leaving, and it should come as no surprise guys are bidding off. Dont want to be the last man standing at this company.

The bottom line is the company just renewed the contract with the city. Sdf will continue to be a crew base in some capacity for a good while. Next summer ill be waiting on that round.

Free drinks! Woooo hoo


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as will I, because there will be no additional crew base. no 170 base. SDF will close with the 145.

That's a lot of drinks!


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2-3? I can handle that either way

I'd like to bet to get free drinks too, but I'd be betting AGAINST SDF getting a 170 base. So Slum wouldn't be buying me a drink even if I was right, unless he's just super cool and wants to buy me one anyways........



Now can we get back on topic for the OP please?

Here is what ya do man. Go to jumpseatinfo.org and then use the menu to select UPS as the carrier. There is a link to a webpage listing the flights/times (Zulu) from SDF to 'insert regional base here'. Info on how to list is on there, and it's usually a sure thing. Parking is across the street from the guardhouse entrance and it's free. Good luck

Friday nights were always tight for me, other that it was very rare to see more than other other person on UPS.

Thank you! Great info!


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Sorry to revive this. I just want to know if slum has heard the podcast? If so, do you want to buy my beer now or wait until the physical opening of shuttle sdf 170?

Heh, don't think you need to be sorry, everyone likes to point out when they were right.

I'd just like to point out it's not "official". I just read the press releases and saw Bedford's notes, and there are more questions than answers at the moment. No mention of what flying (United or American) would be based there, he said specifically "E-Jet Flying for the future" there is no date yet and this would be new (ok TECHNICALLY different because the flying is current Delta out of SDF) flying without mentioning what hubs will be serviced yet.