Sounds better than living and flying in the stan's which is what I'm doing. I'm ready! ;-)

Birdstrikes,

Once again your posts are excellent and serve to help, not confuse or chase away. Good on you.

Birdstrikes nailed it once again. If you're looking to boost your resume, especially if you want to fly for companies like, Emrites, Ethihad, ANA, Japan Air, Turkish,ect the 777 is the way to go. These companies only hire RJ/prob guys into the right seat. If at all. Even the 737 is better than an RJ or Prop time.

If you want to go to the majors, they are hiring with no Turbine PIC time. Having a 737 and or 777 type will set you apart. Also, as commented above, seat locks only apply to same seat changes. The way we are going through 737 guys you could prob upgrade in a year or less. Two PIC types in less than two years is not bad.

If you are looking for a place long term I would prob stay away. Southern is what it is. It's not for everybody. For me it works. I've talked it over with the boss (wife) and southern is going to be a stepping stone for us.

Wish you the best of luck, and hope to see you on line soon.

How long is Northern Air Cargo covering the CVG-STL-MCI run for?

What are Southern Air qualifications like? Do they want type ratings and time on type? Can a regional FO make the jump?

So my interview is next week, what to expect? I've sucked it up in the Army and spent 3 1/2 years total in the desert and 13 years away from America so this stepping stone sounds pretty freakin good to me. What is the current gouge that airline preps dont have? What does Southern want to here from a guy who wants to be there? Like me ;-)

Bird,

I'm frankly getting sick of your condescending tone and refusal to understand the complaints of those here who have a different experience at SAI than you do. First of all, everyone who flies at SAI contributes something to "improve our current conditions and working towards the next contract", if by nothing else simply paying union dues. That's all one needs to do to earn an equal voice. If one volunteers to do more, huzzah. If not that's ok too. SAI eats enough of our life as it is, I respect other people enough to understand that they are all different and have different abilities and needs and demands on their one immutable asset: time.

As for hiding behind keyboards, you are on an anonymous message board. You are no more transparent than anyone else, Mr. Soaper. And clearly you have been nothing but a giver and a builder since you sprang forth from the womb. Stop denigrating other people. You do not have that right just because you have four stripes on your shoulder. (As an aside to everyone considering coming to the 777, most of us were very apprehensive about switching fleets from the 747, because so many of the 777 Captains have reputations as monsters. Not all of them, but more than random chance should allow for.)

I have a great idea: why don't YOU quit? You seem to like the job well enough. Get out of the way and let someone else have a turn. Oh, did that sound unreasonable? Yeah. Yeah it did.

Don't $TFU. You have good information, and share an important perspective on SAI. Its a perspective that very few other people have. That does not make it less valid, but largely irrelevant to others. You ought to remember that your experience at SAI will NOT be the experience anyone else will ever have. No one hired today should ever expect to see the left seat of the 777. No one besides the next 25 guys on the seniority list, at best, will ever see a $200k paycheck. We are not going to grow, there are no plans beyond 777 #5. There are not that many guys who will retire in the next ten years to open up spots for all the former -400 captains, much less anyone else. And given the performance of our management, corporate survival beyond ten years is a bad, bad bet.

Fegel, Thanks for the sentiment, but that is just as destructive and divisive as Bird demeaning anyone who feels SAI isn't treating us well enough. We need to stop putting each other down.

And we need to stop using the excuse "Its Southern, you should have known better." Or "You don't like it, there's the door." That is Bull sheiße. We have all put in time here. We all deserve to be treated better, and compensated better. A 777 Captain at Southern is as much a master of his craft as any UA or EK Captain is. And deserves the same respect. A 777 FO at Southern has the same training as his Captain, he just has less opportunity to practice his skills, as well as having to deal with conflicting advice and expectations from every different Captain he flies with.

Southern is now flies exclusively for DHL. DHL is a direct competitor with UPS and FedEx. It is not outrageous to ask to be compensated on par with those carriers. Yes, yes, I know: whipsaws, subcontractors, alter-ego companies, legal history, difficult contract negotiations, bargaining chips, etc. That's all bull sheiße too. I fly a 777 carrying express parcels around the world. As does FedEx. Same job, same product for the consumer, at a similar cost to the consumer, providing similar revenues for the parent company. There is no legitimate reason I am not compensated on par with my peers at purple and brown.

Anything less than that is unacceptable.
Anyone saying its not is selling themselves, and all the rest of us, short.

The majority of us completely agree that we deserve much better at Southern.
Look at what The Atlas crews are doing to fight for a better contract.
I listen to the discussions at Atlas and ABX in CVG. We only need to get on the same page. Quit Retire or Fight for a better contract, accepting the status Quo
is unacceptable given the current environment.

Did you, the SAI pilots, agree to the lower pay rates for the 737? So the SAI pilots agreed to lower their pay to get work. BAD KARMA. Next, they will need to lower the 777 pay to hang onto the DHL contract or keep the planes on SAI's cert vs their new airline. Good luck.