Loa 46
 

I noticed something a little interesting when updating my iPad yesterday. I saw that LOA 46 was signed on May 16th. It outlines the qualifications for junior pilots that are awarded a Captain bid. It stipulates that a junior captain must (obviously) meet ATP requirements, have at least 500 hours of flight time at United, and complete probation.

Why would our NC use time and whatever negotiating capital to sign something like this? The most junior captain is about 3500-4000 numbers away from the most junior pilot at United.

It is to prevent a new hire from finishing training, going on Mil Leave. And staying out till he can hold Captain. It didn't cost the union a thing...they said it was mutually beneficial to the company and the union. So chances are, we got something out of it.

That's a good point! Thanks!

My stick partner for 777 school was furloughed in 2002 and had been on mil leave until returning in 2016. He's not that far from being able to bid left seat, but I doubt he has the 500 hrs at the lazy U.

Never say never on a junior Captain and how junior a Captain may go. Look on the 1709V thread and DAL junior captains. For abut the last year their captains have been going extremely junior, 4 months on property junior. Go from probation pay to in excess of $200/hr because year one Captain doesn't have a probation pay. Now enters the next problem. And I had this explained to me by someone at DAL, so correct me if I am wrong. Several junior people on probation get awarded Captain, time to upgrade but they don't have the hours for ATP. Etc. Thus, stay in right seat and get paid Captain Pay All the while on probation. Their massive bid that just closed corrected this issue but I believe some of this language change may be to prevent some of this.

Junior Capt on the Shuttle back in the 90's was under 2 years.

Why? Likely the company came to the union. But, I don't think our union would give up any negotiating capital for something like this.

Likely, there is a forecasted need for this down the road, not in the immediate picture, but what will this career look like in the next 10 years in terms of pilot recruitment?

remember the guy who left CAL in 1983 as a 727 plumber during the strike and then came back 22 years later as a B756 Captain? That was a long combination of COLA's and MLLV.

Yes, and he almost immediately became MEC Chair. Snake was it?

There are other types of leaves that have been abused in the same way, pretty much forever. I have flown with a few that bragged about having done it, or bragged they were going to do it.