Farmer,

Not sure were you collected your data points from but you are not correct. Almost all 05-07 hires were CA at COEX. I was in a 07 hire class and all COEX guys were CA. I was military with over 3000 hrs and 1900 PIC/instructor. You need to check your data and don't post without it. We hardly compare to UA of the 90s.

 

Angelo?????

 

Flybynuts,

I never said the majority of CAL newhires in the 2007 timeframe were inexperienced... I said there were many! For example, I had an FO with longer than standard hair with no Captain experience ever, except a c172, get hired at CAL. This pilot was an accident waiting to happen. I had another FO with no turbine PIC get hired at CAL during the same timeframe, he was a damned good pilot with experience as a freight dog under his belt and happened to be a minority. The point was, both airlines have had times where lesser experienced pilots have been hired. Most are good pilots... Some are not. I know these may not be enough "data points" to satisfy you but I am only privy to my personal experiences while at COEX from 2000-2008.

 

How many started class today? What was the drop?

 

I will concur with Farmer. Some former CAL interns were hired at CAL from the right seat at Express. Not going to knock them either way as timing and preferential hiring categories were to their advantage back then.

 

Kinda like "Stank's" past intern from EGL??

You know, the "Junior Man Winner" on the B756 outta EWR who always happens upon MANY of the HKG MX Flts, Military Charters, and all the Open Time that he can swallow??

He's a shining example of your above summary.

 

The same thing happens at every airline. I fly with mostly 05-07 hires at CAL and will tell you they all do just fine within the normal variance, whether they came from fighters, heavies, commuter PIC, commuter no PIC, furloughed from a major, or any combination thereof. Yes, hiring at CAL has occasionally dipped deeper into the bucket than most, but it's been a couple of decades since that was prevalent, and by and large, those groups have done fine, too. Ironically, the only "EEOC hires" I personally know at UAL were Navy fighter pilots who were top 10% all the way through flight school, top 10 landing grades on the boat, NFWS (Topgun) grads, and combinations thereof. Pilots on both sides are well qualified... let's drop it.

 

No problem. I understand your point. I think the original poster might have been referring to a time when UAL had 12,000 qualified applicants with what Nancy Stuke quantified as about a third of that being exceptionally qualified in their eyes. Pretty tough competition back then.

For the new guys I saw in the 2007 time frame. They were all competent and well qualified, there just wasn't that huge pool of applicants to pull from like in the heyday. Hence the change in atmosphere of the interview referenced in another thread.

A fact that doesn't denigrate the quality of the applicants, but rather, the lower quality of the airline.

UAL in the nineties was the place to go. In my new hire class we had a 50/50 split of both military and civilian. All rose above the other 12,000 apps. All survived the interview. And for the folks interested, we had folks leave SWA, FDX, DAL, etc., to come to UAL.

I'm sure those guys are wondering what they were thinking reflecting back. But, it was a sound decision in many ways at that time. Heck, I declined SWA and DAL to go UAL......what was I thinking????

Frats,
Lee

 

I'm not commenting on the merits or personal decisions of some of these individuals. Just confirming what was stated earlier. If it was to their advantage to do an internship and get hired preferentially than fine. Others had their resumes walked in or moved to the top of the interview pile with help from others working for the company. I don't think anyone would seriously turn down any advantage to get hired (short of crossing a picket line for the majority of us) as quickly as possible. What those people do once they get here is a different matter.

 

All very charming lads but any news on Jan bid at CAL and if it may entail further new hires? Anybody chatted with CN in IAH or AC in ORD with the latest scuttlebutt?

Vet UAL 400 guy just back from TK says they are gearing up for summer classes as the big if is what happens sick time next year. FWIW.