Freedom Airlines
 

I've heard people mention Freedom air A and B, almost like they are two different pilot groups. Can someone explain the difference?

Freedom A were all the pseudo-scabs that jumped over there for a fast upgrade while Mesa was in negotiations (allowing Orenstein to whipsaw Mesa pilots into that crappy, crappy contract in exchange for scope).

Freedom B were the pilots that went to Freedom after ALPA had brought Freedom back into the MAG fold.

Hmmm....

"Freedom A Group" (FAGs) They were pilots that voluntarily left the Mesa Air certificate to fly at the Freedom Air certificate (both managed by Mesa Air Group) in 2002-2004 to fly those shiny, new, CRJ-900s for America West in PHX. They went to the Freedom certificate during Mesa's contract negotiations knowing what they were doing (undermining ALPA & fellow pilots). The Mesa pilots were argueably forced to kill Freedom Airlines (real big scope threat) which cost them their contract. Mesa pilots blame these non-ALPA scum (not quite, but almost scabs) FAGs for the current contract. Freedom A was basically the "alpha" list of pilots that went to that certificate before our contract was settled.

Freedom B are the pilots that went to the Freedom Certificate (to fly the CR9 in PHX) after the contract negotiations. They did nothing wrong. However, they made sure everyone knew that they were "B" (pro-ALPA) list pilots that are NOT on the unofficial jumpseat denial list.

The current Freedom pilots are alltogether a completely different group. Mesa transfered all of the CRJ900s to the Mesa certificate and kept the Freedom certificate alive with one, yes one, beech 1900 on it. Mesa won the bid to fly for Delta in MCO in mid 2005. Due to Delta's scope clause, the Mesa operating certificate could not be used (because the CR9 has more than 70 seats on it). Thus, the ERJ's that were under the Mesa certificate flying for USAirways in CLT & PHL were transferred to Delta Connection and on to the Freedom Air certificate. These pilots were "junior assigned" (forced to go to MCO with the plane).

Hope this clears things up.

ZP

ZPilot is 100% correct. Since freedom A was disolved and absorbed back into mesa PRIOR to the delta-driven re-expansion of freedom B it is possible that a few A-listers might actually be at freedom B, but the only way to confirm that is to check the A-list...DO NOT discriminate against current freedom guys 99.9% of whom are regular people (maybe 100% for all I know).

My experience was that a lot of a-listers were in mesa/PHX, since that's where freedom A was created.

In retrospect, we should have required the company to also change the name on the freedom cert to avoid this kind of confusion (hint to TSA)

When it was announced that the delta flying would be on the freedom certificate. The union suggested to JO he change the name, so that the commuting pilots would actually make it to work on time. To which JO replied..................I like the name freedom airlines. (big surprise)

I figured it was something like that. :rolleyes:

To work at Freedom, you apply to Mesa? How does that work? I was interested a while back just because of the MCO base. Not becasue I have any desire to work for Mesa.

Like all Mesa domiciles MCO is only temporary 2-3 years, pack up move again. Don't apply if that is your motive, movement is painfully slow right now in the ERJ and you would most likely get ATL for your 1st year. As far as the app is concerned it's all the same Mesa/Freedom/Air Midwest. You find out which cert you will fly under once hired.

Thanks for the response. I won't be applying. I have a class date elsewhere, but that MCO base would be awesome. It sucks that there are hardley any regionals that have domiciles here, and for the ones that do it's way senior and you have no chance of geeting it. Seems like it would be the oppostie being such a touristy area.

my buddy at comair is about to get MCO and it took him about 8 months i think, cant remember exactly when he started