SO, what were the past practices of "winging" at CAL? PeoplExpress? "Apple"?
Seriously asking. NKS didn't have any...

The previous winging policy at Cal was that our CEO would hand out our wings, talk to the class and then do a Q&A. Current CEO is in Chicago can't/won't. While I still find this lacking, I think in the future it will be better and may include the spouse and dinner if all works out once merged. CA upgrade course will be really good at Den and spouse comes for several days. Again, if the budget is supported by higher.

It's just cheap take out. Who ever said it's advanced? I don't have a car in IAH, so I don't have much choice. The Marriott is not cheap.

I got my FO wings from the base chief pilot office. No ceremony anywhere. I got my CA wings from Smisek in a very hurried fashion because he had a plane to catch. A quick handshake and he was gone.

....for both new hire and captain upgrade. Captain winging included a few words by a someone-in-the-training-department guy who shook hands and said, I kid you not, "the cancellations are being caused by pilots calling in sick." Very inspirational. Then back to the train-yourself CBTs--kind of like Rosetta Stone, except for flying planes.

Yep. IAH SFO turns. Ten days, 78 hours, home every night. No customs, no sunsets.

To All:

Base discussions before the end of the year or before the contract is signed is problematic at best. TPA expires again at the end of the year.

The reason, UAL ALPA MEC has filed a grievance regarding "New" bases against the TPA. As far as I know, the grievance is still pending. If the new contract is approved it will probably make the grievance go away.

Premature to talk about bases until these are resolved.

My "winging" by Smisek was 10 times better than my CALALPA intro. A guy showed up and handed everyone a paper. We thought we were going to hear something from ALPA or get something like a pin or lanyard. The paper was our dues check off. He collected them and left. Welcome to ALPA. :rolleyes:

Well speaking from experience I got the first day of the last job you'll ever have speech. This was in 1997, Joe Swenson handed you your wings under the Jepp statue where you had your picture taken. And that afternoon we got told how our career was safe, with a no furlough clause and all and how our pensions couldn't ever be taken away and how we were the finest aviators to ever walk the planet and how we owned the company BLAH BLAH BLAH... So back then when you got hired you came up with your spouse on a space positive first class ticket and they spent the whole first day with you, then we did a nice dinner that night and they sent the spouses home on a first class ticket that next day. Day two was spent doing administrative stuff followed by a beer bust at Riata Reds which was conveniently located within easy walking distance from "Shotgun Willies" a local "center for the performing arts" where the party continued into the wee hours of the morning for those so inclined.

When I upgraded to captain in 2008 you had to go through a 5 day initial captain course at the end of which they had a little "ceremony" where they handed you your stripes and shook your hand there were no "command wings" at UAL at the time. When I was forcibly downgraded several years later, I don't seem to recall any ceremony, just a swift kick in the buttocks and a middle finger in my face in the form of being scheduled on for six days straight flying then starting my downgrade training on the 26th of December for an additional 5 days with no days off in between. So I worked from the 20th of Dec to the 1st without a day off that wonderful, lovely, fun filled holiday season. And I' d like to take this moment to thank and show appreciation to all of our lovely management staff for that lovely gesture of appreciation and understanding. You worthless slime ball, scum sucking pigs .!.. :)

And all of that most certainly occurred at UAL.

Winging