PIT Base Question
 

Hi All,
10/15 Indoc Class, given PIT as my initial base. Currently live in Chicago and long term want to stay in Chicago, but debating my options. Options I'm currently considering: (1) Move to PIT for a year and then (I'd imagine) I can hold a line at ORD so I move back, or (2) Commute to PIT, try and get ORD as quickly as possible.

Anyone have thoughts as to whats likely my best course of action? Any other options I hadn't considered? Anyone know what reserve time is looking like at those bases?

Looks like it’s taking about 8 months to hold a line at each base. If you live near ORD I’d personally get that base as soon as possible and wait out reserve as opposed to commuting to PIT. Most junior ORD FO is 5/18 DOH.

ORD CA will take a while to hold if the company doesn’t change how that base is staffed. It just recently went one year more senior. Junior CA is 1/13 DOH.

Possibly stupid question from a recent new hire. Where do I find this info? Flica?

The final schedule awards can be found in Flica. From there you can see what each person got. Then find their name or seniority number in the monthly seniority list (download it via Comply) to see their DOH. The seniority lists are also in Flica.

Thanks for the information. I also feel happy because I understand your username! Thanks SOP!

Put in a standing bid for ORD and you will get it within a few months. In the meantime commute to PIT which isn't a bad commute from ORD, a lot of flights per day. FO at ORD is just as good if not better then most other bases. Different story with CA though unless things change.

"ORD CA will take a while to hold if the company doesn’t change how that base is staffed. It just recently went one year more senior. Junior CA is 1/13 DOH."

1/13 DOH CA is an outlier. next guy up on the list is somewhere in the 2007-2008 range.

You should be able to get ORD within 6 months as FO. I wouldn’t expect to ever upgrade into ORD. Two junior captains have swapped in, but the from bottom is a 2008 hire. Maybe look into IND

Since I’ve been around I also haven’t seen a single ORD CA vacancy or backfill award. If some were to be offered they’ll go senior because of a significant backlog of denied bids. But I agree 07-08 is a more typical DOH for junior ORD CA, and they’re on reserve.

The last vacancy award for ORD CA was 8/2016. There have been a couple that have been able to sneak in on a base trade. There have been plenty that have left ORD as CAs to other bases and a ton that were FOs (raises hand) that upgraded into a junior base as a commuter that can’t get back.

The most junior captain in ORD is a 2/2013 hire. He is also a management pilot. The guy senior to him got in on a base swap from MIA. The third from bottom of the list in ORD is a 2/2008 hire.

Crew planning is very open about staffing of ORD base. They do not plan on back filling ORD. Yes very senior captains have left, but the company did not fill their spot, they let the base shrink. ORD is still a bigger base the IAH, MCI, and PHL, with around 78 Captains though, so probably safe for now.

PIT Base Question
 

Thanks? I guess...

I’m not sure where in the post you quoted you thought I didn’t know the makeup of the base or that the base is no where near closing.

As a side note, it must be nice to be a management pilot and pick whatever base you want when if you weren’t in that position you would never be based in ORD. (Not directed at you, of course)


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Sorry I misunderstood your post. Thought you were saying 8/2016 could hold ORD left seat.


Yeah no idea how the ACP got into ORD. It doesn’t show up on any awards, so who knows.
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Oh ok. I can see how my post may be taken that way.


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Its expensive to involuntarily displace a base. They did the same thing to GSO a few years back.

Interesting, thanks for that background info.

Good point! I thought GSO was very small though, like 25-30 each seat. Displacing all the pilots in ORD would be expensive though.