Wow. Dude seriously needs a hobby.


In honor of your looming upgrade, I'll repost this classic. Because you know more are coming, and you'll need to welcome them appropriately.... :D

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VN82J_X7J7A

"Your mother named you Ace?" 🤣

Simulator Instructor
 

You and RJ in cahoots now? [emoji1787]

I already took you to get BBQ. (Although that place was garbage compared to Hard 8. We need a do over next time you're in town)

I did run into a check airman today who insisted they were going to hire 1400 next year. I asked whether they could do that given the trouble they're having getting instructors and he said he thought so because check airmen were doing some of the MOs now.

https://media4.giphy.com/media/3orif...MMPm/giphy.gif

You had me at Hard 8! That place is incredible. Any restaurant that takes you through the "meat room" before you even get to your table is my kind of place.

Oh that was rich! Thanks.

Proof yet again that this forum needs a facepalm emoji.

I received an email to apply for this. I am no longer in aviation but seems like they would have a hard time hiring experienced quality pilots for the pay they are offering. Regionals and 135 you can make a good bit more and majors will be hiring a ton next year.

They aren’t going to bring many who left aviation back to do this either, people are making good money across most industries right now. Sounds like a retiree job mostly.

Also surprised Southwest pilots aren’t filling these positions. Even the regional I was at had line pilots or check airman doing all instruction. Why is instructing so often farmed out or looked at as a stepping stone at many airlines? Seems strange to me, during sim sessions I would want an instructor I could ask how certain things look or happen on the line.

Money. Decades ago SWAPA allowed non-seniority list instructors. There was never an issue finding instructors to work for less money than line pilots until this year.

SWAPA pilots are filling in on certain events. However, pilots are scoped from operating a full motion simulator unless they are a check airman...and a check airmen is big money and we don't have enough of those either.

We have over 600 cka now…supposedly more than we ever have before in history.

The Southwest Careers Team is looking for Employees to join our Flight Operations Department as a Flight Crew Training Instructor in Dallas.

An hour-long virtual information session will be hosted on Monday, December 6 from 1200-1300 CT.

Please let anyone know who might be interested.

I've heard all instructors are starting out at topped out pay. Not sure what that is.

I believe it's around 96K with a 10K signing bonus.

I've heard a few instructors will be starting ground school as a new hire pilot on 12/7 to get a seniority number and then returning to instruct until March

I hope this shortage of instructors and how the company is handling the holidays are the sign of things to come for the pilot group especially ours given our long upgrade times due to lack of variety of flying and no fleet diversity.

One could dream, right? :p

they are certainly feeling the pressure…

After the last 3 years of BS, we’re due a year or two without any garbage. Hopefully in ‘22 it’s not ourselves doing the damage by being unable to hire enough….

It does almost seem like someone in flight ops has realized that by going cheap in the short term, you are just hurting yourself long term. There is a difference between keeping costs low and paying your people what it takes to get them to show up and do a good job.

Part of the reason thanksgiving week went so well is because there were no major weather, tech, or other disruptions. The airline industry got extremely lucky that week. Had that happened, though, I think our recovery would have gone WAY better than it did in October. I think Christmas week will probably go fairly well, and it sounds like they are trying to unscrew the manning crisis at the schoolhouse. I have heard rumors of a new MOU for pilot instructors that is supposed to be a big improvement on the one that got voted down by the BOD.

I am hopeful, anyway. I will probably laugh at this post in a couple of months.

I'm hoping this may be a preview of the forthcoming Jordan Era. Our c-suite has been overweighted with bean-counters for the last 15 years, and it shows: fuel hedges (great, right up until they weren't); Redefining Excellence (aka massive Ground Ops cost-cutting); tech debt; stock buybacks; 5+ year labor negotiations, profits over people, 1221. I could go on...

BJ has a golden opportunity soon to mend a lot of fences that his predecessor wrecked. 2022 will be very telling.

I had training last weekend and the CPT was conducted by a MDW Captain and the MO was by a Check Airman. First time I’ve ever seen that.

Do you build any kind of seniority as an instructor? In other words if you hypothetically were able to become a line pilot a few years down the line would you start at year one pay and seniority?

yup. Difference cba’s, different job. Only thing you’d keep is your employee number and company seniority for things like profit sharing, etc.

If you complete three years as a sim instructor and then become a SWA FO, you will start at year 1 in terms of seniority. While performing the duties of sim instructor, seniority only affects vacation requests.

I believe you’d also be eligible for profit sharing as well…

Suppose you’re an instructor and you start class in February. You’ll get profit sharing for that year. Your fellow classmates won’t.

Should be eligible anyway as you’re still a current employee. PS eligibility isn’t tied to which job you hold, just that you’re employed. Would be fully vested sooner as well since they’ve already got longevity.

2 years of right seat for less experienced
 

Heard rumors that’s SW is putting those less experienced flight simulator instructor candidates on right seat as line pilots for 2 years before they are allowed to instruct?

how true is that?

I interviewed for the flight instructor position last week. There was no mention of less experienced instructors flying the line. Just a 737 type rating followed by instructor upgrade, about three months to complete the entire training process.

doesn’t make any sense. Something about instructing for a few years before getting interview for line pilot. And they make instructors jumpseat to see the line ops. Don’t know specifics.

Not true at all nor does the instructors contract even allow that . They wanted to take current line pilots and use for instructing.

Well, the company just stepped on its you know what by placing instructors on the pilot list. Scope is a big deal.

So it’s fake rumor then
 

Looks like it’s fake rumor that SW is placing instructor candidates on right seat for line flying for 2 years (case by case basis) due to lack of experience on type.

thank you everyone for clarifying :)

I’ve heard anecdotal stories in the past of FedEx calling applicants before offering an interview and confirming that they would be “interested” in HKG or CGN… seems like this would be a way better strategy if you’re really hurting for instructors. “Not saying we’re offering you an interview, just confirming that you’d be willing to do a three year instructor stretch if you were offered an interview.” Find applicants who want Southwest bad enough to instruct for three years and they build seniority the whole time without violating scope. Seems like a win for everybody.

Uh, why the hell would anyone want to come work as an instructor if they can potentially be a junior captain at DAL, UAL, AA, FedEx and potentially UPS by the time they hit the line as a junior SWA FO?

I’m referring to people who might not get the call otherwise. In other words if you’ve got those kind of options why go the sim instructor route in the first place?

SWAPA disagrees with you that this new worker class of dual role pilot/instructor isn't violating our contract. Not a risk I would be interested in taking.

Anyone have info or heard if…. We are getting the VSP Severance pay, will we be able to keep that going as well as what is paid for being a Flight training instructor?

Huh? Are you on VSP? That would be in the agreement you signed with the company. Doubt you'd lose it should you take a different position at a later date.

I don’t see why you wouldn’t. You’re getting VSP based on your service as a pilot. You retired.

VSP was separation from the company and an independent agreement. However, you are eligible for rehire for any position at SWA. You may keep your employee number and that's about it. You start from ground zero. If you apply for a pilot position, you start as a new hire just as you would a simulator instructor (they are under a different union/contract). You get to keep your VSP package is what I would say.

After speaking with someone in the training hiring department, I’ve found out a few things about the gig: Pay is $9,119/month. Confirmed space to and from DAL while you’re working. Hotel also provided while you’re working for the week. This was much better than I anticipated. Expect 10 days off per month. There is a “trade” system but mentioned it was not as easy as the line pilot TT system. Negotiations starting in January.

Just passing along what I was told directly.

Kap

Are you saying for sim instructors who commute a hotel is provided? I interviewed for this position and was led to believe if I commute I have to pay out of pocket for a place to live.

All I can tell you Captalpha is this is what I was told yesterday on a phone call. It sounds like things are changing somewhat quickly as well…. Just my hunch.

How long ago did you interview?

Kap