Airline Pilot Central Forums - Vacancy bid 14-07

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Quote:

Originally Posted by cadetdrivr (Post 1596605)

FWIW, it's actually a PTU (power transfer unit) that you are hearing. It connects the two main hyd systems (no fluid transfer) so one side can automatically power the other when differential system pressure exists. That's why it sounds like a chainsaw as it instantly cuts in/out repeatedly when one system has slightly less pressure as a result of an engine being shut down.

And yes, it seems many Airbus operators have different procedures to deal with it during single engine taxi or parking.

Correct. If one simply turns on and leaves the electric pump on until everything is shut down (or before taxi out single engine), the dogs won't be barking on that flight. Of course, you also have to remember to turn it off.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MPAdriver (Post 1596606)

Any updates on the training pipeline and how the this latest bid will or will not effect the new hires flowing thru?

Latest as of Feb 21st is no interviewing until perhaps the fall with just fewer than 200 in the pool. The last classes were:

Feb 4
New hires - 7
LOA guys - 5
Furloughs - 3

Feb 11
New hires - 3
LOA guys - 5
Furloughs - 1

Feb 18
New hires - 3
LOA guys - 2
Furloughs - 3

Pace is pretty slow for new hires, wish I had better news.

How long is musical chairs and the training logjam going to continue? I think they have enough in the pool and returning guys to cover the retirements for 13 & 14, but starting in 15 and on they are probably going to need a minimum of 500 a year new hires.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Toddnel (Post 1596643)

What is an LOA guy? Flow-thru from a regional, or what? Regardless, I wish for more hiring :(

LOA = leave of absence, my guess at least

Quote:

Originally Posted by flyboycpa (Post 1596659)

What is an LOA guy? Flow-thru from a regional, or what? Regardless, I wish for more hiring :(

LOA = Leave of absence. L-CAL called them COLA (Company Offered Leaves of Absence).

L-UAL didn't use COLA because that is a government acronym for Cost of Living Adjustment. COLA is the term that somehow survived.

Each legacy airline offered leaves to pilots to mitigate furloughs. As those leaves end, the company is not renewing them, so many pilots who took leaves anywhere from 1-6 years are now coming back.

Some of the pilots returning are going right back to where they were prior to their leave, hence the 777 FO that was in one of the "new hire" classes.

Another way to look at it is that these are combined "new hire/returning legacy pilot" classes. When all the "off the street" hires were going to the CAL side, L-UAL was having "Returning Pilot Classes" meaning pilots that had been gone for a few years were coming back. So that's how the L-UAL side staffed the attrition from 2010-2013.

For sure off the street hires are going to be slow for a while, but it will have to ramp up because we have retirements almost every day.

Quote:

Originally Posted by CALFO (Post 1596042)

What's a mid body? Is it a narrowbody airplane with big aspirations?

It is a narrow body with more than 43k thrust ratings

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrmak2 (Post 1596083)

They seem to be doing a lot of Florida stuff with the bus right now. And the are always breaking. JetBlue seems to get back and forth way more consistently.

Mechanics don't like seeing them down there, and apparently they don't have spare parts for them.

Also the airbus doesn't seem to have tvs. Don't think that'll work for a transcon

"Always Breaking"? Doubt that. No spare parts? Totally believable

Anyone hear the numbers for the 01 April class calls?

Quote:

Originally Posted by A320 (Post 1597397)

It is a narrow body with more than 43k thrust ratings

Wow, I'm a mid-body pilot and didn't even know it! How exciting!!