Grumpyaviator

If you move to an FO ETOPS position, how long is the current wait to start training? TIA.

Smooth at FL450

depends. can be as quick as within a few weeks to the following month. They have reduced the tops training waste so it seems they are able to get guys in quicker lately.

Tenacvols

You’ll go to training the month before you rotate into the ETOPS bid group. You still have to do a route qual before you can fly an ETOPS trip though. Bid accordingly.

reid

I’m a new hire starting class in a few weeks and have a bunch of questions about the ETOPS program. I read that there are ETOPS qualified pilots at LAX, OAK, and LAS. I’m looking to get LA when I can.

1. It sounds like not everyone at each of those bases is ETOPS qualified. What is the rough number of ETOPS-qualified crews in LA?

2. Is it the most senior folks who tend to bid ETOPS?

3. Once you’re ETOPS-qualified, is that all you do or are you still flying throughout the rest of the system?

4. If you get ETOPS qualified as an FO, does that carry over after upgrade?

Thanks in advance for an insights.

hoover

LA is only ETOPS . If you bid this base as #1 you'll most likely get it.

IA Moose

LAS is the only one with an ETOPS bid group broken out, and yes it tends to go more senior. OAK/LAX are all ETOPS and it’s just a matter of time til LAS is made all ETOPS. Then once (if?) the Max 7s hit the line maybe DEN and/or PHX will get ETOPS groups followed by 100% ETOPS…or not, what do I know?

Once ETOPS qualified you can/will fly to anywhere on our map. I’ll go months sometimes between ETOPS trips, mostly cause I’m a dumb bidder.

You maintain your ETOPS qual as long as you stay up on it through recurrent training. They’ll tack an extra day to your annual training every third year I think it is, as long as you’re still in an ETOPS base. If you bid out of an ETOPS base they won’t add on the ETOPS recurrent training but until it expires you could technically still pick up ETOPS trips from those bases.

Welcome to SWA!

reid

Great info. Thank you!

Halon1211

You guys have an Instagram pilot that’s based out of PHX. And he talks about flying to Hawaii a lot. So I just figured that the Phoenix pilots are ETOPS too…maybe not

KelvinHelmholtz

PHX is not an ETOPS base

LAS, OAK, LAX only

Proximity

If it's who I'm thinking of, they are based in Phoenix now but earlier they were based elsewhere and got the ETOPS training. The qualification is good for three years so there are many pilots who have the qual and then bid out of an ETOPOS specific base but can still pickup ETOPS trips.