Agreed . . . Switching gears, does anyone have any information on the recent lighting strike/diversion? Probably old news already, but you all know what the communication is like around here. I heard dual DC generator failures, and a bunch of other quirks. Kind of surprising the surge would travel to both sides of the DC system. Main bus tie tied maybe?

Took an unexpected "lightning strike" in the Dash early one morning enroute BUF-PIT. This was back in the day when the main bus tie was only used for battery starting the #1 engine. Even without the mains tied, we lost both DC gens, and the left main bus. Losing the left main bus takes out things like the #1 DADC (which feeds the CA Altimeter), RNAV, Wx Radar, TCAS, GPWS, illuminates a whole bunch of lights on the caution panel, and kills half of the lighting in the passenger cabin. Had to quickly transfer flying duties to the FO, call ATC to advise them of our "situation", and figure out how to use the red book to put the airplane back together.

I didn't want to deal with the essential power issues listed in the Dual DC Gen Failure checklist, so I stopped that checklist and chose not to turn off the battery switches. I treated it like a single DC gen failure instead, cycled one of the DC Gen switches at a time, and got one of the two DC gens back online. With an operating DC gen, the left main bus came back online too.

Contract MX in PIT couldn't find any exterior damage to the aircraft. They MEL'd the one DC Gen that would not reset, and sent us on our way to MDT and then on to PHL. An Air Whiskey crew was deadheading on our next flight out of PHL, and the pilots stopped up front to see how 1980's Bombardier/DeHavilland technology of a Dash 8-100 compares to the 1990's Bombardier/Canadair technology of the CRJ. When discussing the ruggedness and durability of the Dash, I mentioned to the Air Whiskey crew that "we had a lighning strike earlier today, and we're still on-time!"

Lost both DC generators to a lightning strike enroute to HHH. We were able to get both online after resetting one then the other. The dual DC GEN failure checklist was created for failures of an unknown cause or if you lost one with the opposite engine failed. Following a lightning strike we know what caused it. Now that we have a program manager, perhaps we can get a lightning strike checklist that would allow for resetting the generators without us having to assume the liability.

So another perm bid came out effective March 2 as well. At first I though it was just a revised bid to the last one that came out but it actually shows 8 more upgrades as well as 10 new hires. So they are trying to push 16 upgrades (I guess a mix of reupgrades and maybe a few new captains?) though for the beginning of March. It also showed 10 new FO's. Not sure if that's 10 new hires or the last of the furloughees. Anyhow, still alot of movement for one month. Although I've also heard they are not going to release the early retirees on March 1st as planned.

I heard the same thing about the retirees. I guess they don't want to lose captains to retirement since we're so short.

Has anybody gone to an interview yet that might have gotten some info.? Do they typically tell you whether or not you got the job before you leave the interview?

Also, does anybody know when the March class starts (I know they're doing an interview at least as late as Mar 2, so I was thinking maybe sometime during the week of the 21st?)

Thanks!

Yes, the tell you the day of if you got the job or not. There is a class starting March 1st with 10 people. Not sure if there is another March class scheduled. I heard there is an April class though.

I don't think they are telling people the day of the interview anymore, I was in training a week ago and they were telling them that they'll call them.

A friend of mine that is in the March 1st class got called two or three days after his interview.

Heard PDT was interviewing yesterday. Also heard that ALL USAirways regionals (owned and affiliate) are interviewing and hiring.

The pilot shortage is here!!