The -400 EFBs are due to start being installed in about 2-3 weeks.

I JUST saw that Boeing is doing a retrofit for the 757/767 to modernize the cockpit.

When is the 747-400 cockpit modernization retrofit going to be announced???

cliff
GRB

What atpcliff said.... I remember feeling the same sense of vague you're probably feeling right now. Don't worry, it will all get worked out. Catch the 720 shuttle from the Courtyard Marriott, you'll be staying at the Residence Inn Marriott right next door to both the Courtyard and the main Marriott. (3 Marriott complex) The shuttle will deliver you where you need to go...

If anyone wants to rent a car for a bit there is a Hertz on property in the main Marriott. I think they are there from 8 or 9 til 4:30. Mary is usually the lady working. She's really nice and will make sure you get the same discount that the airport gives Atlas pilots (it's pretty decent) and that way you can just pick the car up here at the hotel and just leave it when you're done. You don't need a car but if you split it with four guys it'll pay dividends. I rented one for three weeks and it only cost me $350 all in.

Just left the training center and they are still going full bore on planning for new hires!

I got hired in 08 at 56 years old. At that time Atlas was going full steam ahead and upgrades looked like 3-6 yr range with all the planes on order. Got furloughed 6 months later....
Had a buddy that I helped get into the pool at age 60. timeing was bad for him as the economy tanked and he didnt get called from the pool for a few years. when they did start hireing again they didnt call him.
Timeing is everything...I've known pilots that have upgraded in one year and some have taken more then ten.

My training partner and I (during the 767 Transition and Upgrade course) rented a car from Enterprise (across from the Atlas Training Center)...$118 per week divided by 2 times about 6 weeks is what we paid.

If you are in the 767 program, it is well worth the cost because the wait for the Marriott vans can cost you about 1 hour per day (to and from the Boeing facility)...and that 1 hour per day is not something you can afford to give up during the course (especially the 3.5 weeks or so until you take the FAA Oral).

I did not have a car rental during the 744 Transition a few years earlier, and that worked out ok...but then, several of my classmates did have wheels that I borrowed to get supplies, etc.

Having a car does allow you to get groceries from nearby stores and since you have a kitchen(ette) at the Residence Inn, you can save more time by cooking simple meals, salads, etc at a time when time management is critical.

One other thing...don't get tempted to take road trips to the Keys, or South Beach, unless you are well caught up in the program, or better, save those until you finish the training and have a blowout in Key West!!

Good luck.

Another option to consider is drive down to Miami. Even though it was over 1,000 miles, I'm glad I decided to take the 2 day road trip. Half of our class drove their own cars, so it really made transportation simple. At the end of training, the company paid me the cost of gateway airfare back to the house which covered the gas. Worked out nicely. Just an idea...

Absolutely right about driving your own cars...I've heard of guys (new-hires, and not-so-new-hires) driving cars from as far away as Dallas, Chicago, Detroit, and many states in the Northeastern US.

It is nice to have your own transportation to take a small break from the Marriott campus to get a nice lunch and dinner from time to time, without being restricted to only the ones near the hotel.

Good luck.

I too drove my own car down from Indiana. They will pay the mileage to get you back home but it is limited to their cost for a one-way ticket. (Wait until a couple of days before driving home so that the airfare is higher!) They paid me over $400 to drive home which more than covered the cost of gas both ways.

Training pay is $1600/mo, but while away from home you also get about $1700/mo in tax-free per diem ($57.60/day). If you stay at the Courtyard you get free breakfast buffets (which most turn into a large brunch!). If you stay (or sneak into) the Residence Inn next door they have free dinners Mon - Tues - Wed. It's possible to live on the cheap in MIA, which i'm sure many of you are also pro's at!

Good luck, and welcome!

DHL and Atlas seem to keep getting closer and closer with their business relationship.



DHL opens new Shanghai Pudong hub | ATWOnline

Word is that DB told a poolie that there are about 40 swimming; and that all would be called up for classes in the near future! Hope this becomes a reality, and that the app window opens back up!

Welcome!

The true Atlas indoctrination has begun. This is how things work here, so just roll with it. It will make your time at the company much more enjoyable.

So, you stay at the Marriott Complex, as has been mentioned. There is a bus from the Airport to the Complex. It's the Marriott bus with a "Champions" and "Cane Fire Grill" adds on it.

I'll beat the dead horse with having a car. The Marriott complex is fine. The area around us, well, it's typical big-city-around-the-airport living. Plus on the rare "off" day, you can go somewhere out of the jail cell to study and maybe look at attractive folks in swimwear (if you're into that sort of thing). You can get to a mall. You can get to the Publix on 7th (Much better than the walkable grocery). Oh, it's not the best feeling standing outside the training center at 0100 on a Saturday and the van "is on the way". I personally use EZRentacar, as they always seem to come in cheapest on priceline, and you can add a 5% airline coupon and an additional 3% discount just for "liking" them on FB.

Your schedule down here will be full, will change and will make your mind melt. The initial -400 course, I think, is about 2 weeks longer than the pilot initial for the (RIP) Space Shuttle course. Bring your Zen, prayer beads or your yoga mat to preserve sanity. Cookouts only work until the end of ground school when you all split out your separate ways.

Weather's Hot, the Beer's cold, it's hurricane season; so come enjoy!