I would say one FO and one CA would be fine.

TWO FO's NOT FINE!

If you want the benefit of line experience you need the perspective of our experienced Captains.

if you want the perspective of new folks in the industry then an FO is what you need.

management is doing this purely because a new hire FO is "cheap" in order to staff the class with an "instructor/facilitator."

No other reason.....

Do you think a junior flight attendant has the credibility to make a scripted PA announcement that's been vetted by Sr Managment? What's the difference?

I hear ya MoP.

Yeah we had a new FO teaching our class, he only spent 20 years in the Air Force! What does he know about leadership! There were three new regional guys in my class, they only had a combined 20k flight hours. I tell ya, we're scraping the bottom of the barrel! :)

Maybe the use of First Officers was intentional...

Hey! I'm your First Officer: almost off probation.

I haven't mentioned it yet to anyone I've flown with at United, but since you made it a thing: I was a Captain for over a decade prior to this, and an LCA for 7 years during that time. We averaged 6 legs a day out of ORD, teaching guys to fly a jet in 121 operations who had previously flown a GA light twin.

I am over the moon happy to be here, and I sure as hell understand and respect the chain of command, but respect is a two-way street.

Sincerely,

Your F.O., next week.

Well said! I've only flown with one captain here at United (I was hired in 2000) who didn't give a crap about his FOs opinions/concerns... He's on the 756 out of IAD. We have ability here to block flying with captains like him.

BOOM !!

More importantly- your halfwing will be retired soon - GRAB as MANY "benefits" as you can while you can - and congrats brutha ! :)

Yes, ORD doesn't wig you out. The Expressway visual 31 and River Visual 19 are a mere afterthought. You've seen it all all and if you don't speak up I'd be more than disappointed. Everyone needs to speak up whether they thinks it's big or small. I'm glad you guys are here. You truly are a breath of fresh air listening to your experiences.

Equally important to speaking up is listening. When I hear guys laughing about a previous Captain complaining about a certain issue I tend to bite my lip. Sometimes it's better to be a sponge. Remember, in the end it's all business. What you have was negotiated for you, and if they can, they'd take it away in a heartbeat. The Captain that was laughed about probably has seen the worst.

I had two "junior" FO's facilitating my LEAP class and I found them to be outstanding. I've been a Captain here for a long time but they taught me a lot in that class.

My personal impression of LEAP was that it all comes down to the effectiveness of the facilitators. If they are good, class will be very valuable. If they tank, it's a waste of money. Fortunately the two that taught my class were exceptional.

Exactly. Are we arguing about the message or who delivers the message? It's concerning if one doesn't walk away from leap without a little bit of introspection.

Well stated. Manage your own attitude, but be cautious in judging someone else's. Don't get caught up in the negativity, but younger guys and post-merger hires (like myself) do better when they educate themselves on the history that is the backdrop for many of the more tenured pilots' frustrations. Having a positive outlook is not an excuse for being ignorant of the past or disinterested in protecting the future of the profession. I can't speak to anyone else's experience, but I thought the facilitators that led our class did a good job presenting that message.