Agreed, ripping on cadets for something they had no control over is a waste of air and just makes us look like jerks. It's kinda the same mentality of republic guys ripping on us for taking MIA, doesn't help anybody's case and just creates useless animosity for one another. If they signed a contract pre covid they are entitled to everything on it, and seeing how hiring is spooling up across the industry again I'm sure bonuses will be coming back for all new hires.

Now as far as them keeping their benefits while pilots are getting furloughed, sorry it made sense, their only job as a cadet is to build flight time to meet ATP mins which was something they were able to continue doing. Furloughing the cadets would mean they'd leave and go to other airlines which in the grand scheme would've been worse for the company after having already payed out bonuses to them, and now just over a year later needing them. In fact they've already onboarded new cadets, and are continuing interviewing for that program because it is a very successful recruiting method at every AA WO.

Wrong, the cadets are onboarded as "support staff" and are technically employees. They're not on property as Pilots but are still technically on property as cadets, they literally signed legal contracts. The program is incredibly cheap, especially because the greatest expense is the signing bonus which was already payed out hence why the bean counters kept them around.

”Support staff” providing ZERO support. Cadets produce nothing for the ‘voy, unlike pilots currently on the payroll.

I wonder if our pilots could apply for this support staff flying job? They have more experience than the cadets.

No?

Sounds like discriminatory hiring practices.

That’s a very narrow sighted view on this, their job is to get hours to become FO’s which they did all of this last year and are now ready to become FO’s. Plus once again why would the company cut them if they already gave the signing bonus and all these kids need to do is sit around and wait for a class date. Oh no they have flight benefits, cry me a river who cares. Getting rid of them would’ve been a stupid business decision and awful for recruitment moving forward.

Why, .........

Its actually not short-sided at all, it’s facts. Cadet pilots move ZERO passengers from point A to B. You’d think a company so desperate to save money during an economic downturn would see more value in providing benefits to employees with potential to produce revenue, rather than sink money into an unnecessary recruitment effort. And incase you forgot, there are hundreds of qualified pilots without jobs. The ‘Voy should have no trouble recruiting ATP qualified pilots for years.

You’re really missing the big picture here, they paid each of them $10,000 already, why would they kick that to the street if they knew they were going to use them. The company doesn’t care how many qualified pilots there are on the street, because the end result is a butt in the right seat. Look at how PSA is hiring, yea they’re picking up some ATP’s but also a lot of CFI’s.

RW would never get rid of the cadet program. It is his baby, and besides befriending the pilot group and making everyone think he is their best friend, it is his crowning achievement. THJKooj will also fight to the death for the cadets. They are the best aviators in the world and the crème de la crème of the piston airplane pilots.

Can one join the cadet program as an already employed CFI or is it only available for those in training? I saw there were three levels of cadet, but it’s unclear if you can jump in to the program at any of those levels.

I did not do my training through an Envoy partner school and my first CFI job was also not at a partner school. I was recently offered a position at a partner school though. I still have 600 hours to go until R-ATP mins and I was potentially interested the cadet program due to the MIA base that no other regional has.

Any info would be greatly appreciated!