9e Upgrade Mins.

[-9Capt]

After 1500 hours, total time has very little impact on a pilot’s ability to act as Captain.

That's both funny and scary at the same time.

 

[YourPilotFriend]

I guess your to good to fly small jets huh? That is exactly the attitude that created this whole scope mess.

No I never said that, however, management said we could fly the 76 seaters at mainline for a larger pay and work rules cut.

 

[DoinTime]

No I never said that, however, management said we could fly the 76 seaters at mainline for a larger pay and work rules cut.

Are you under the impression that NW management is going to place the 36 CRJ-900's and 36 E-175's at mainline? Wow....you are an optimist.

 

[kmox29]

I'm not going to discuss the capabilities of the training department in this thread but I'll share some of the experiences that I have lived while training here at PCL. The attitudes of the individuals that are coming through is horrible, lets talk about that for a second. People feel that this whole regional industry is something that they have to give a minimal effort to before they get their call from SWA, FDX or whatever.
People are NOT putting the effort that an upgrade class deserves because this whole aviation gig has being too easy for them, their idea of "roughing it" was reserve on the RJ and I heard somebody in ops the other day talking about the SAAB being "Old School" because it has partial glass. The command authority, basic instrument skills, crew management and people skills are basically non existent. I'm sure I've read somewhere that those are requirements for command.
I've had F/O's during OE asking me how junior the latest captain award went. "It will be nice if we get your approaches stabilized and your landings under control from the right seat before you start sending resumes to FedEx" I told him.
The simple truth is that the next generation of pilots that is going to the aviation schools that the regionals have become have no idea of what being a professional is all about. The last job they had before they became F/O's here envolved "Do you want fries with that order?" And that lack of overall experience about life in general, reflects in their attitudes of the industry owing them something, their attitudes of having paid my dues because I have flown a couple of thousand hours since my daddy paid for my training and their attitudes about all I'm here for is my thousand PIC.
More than the training being deficient, I would argue that their lack of overall respect and dedication for this profession is a major contributor to the high upgrade failure rate.

Some people have 3000 hours, others have 1 hour repeated 3000 times. I'm done with the "low time" discussion because for me 5000/1000 PIC. should be the minimums for upgrade.

With that post, I believe your FlightInfo ID is a misnomer. Bravo.

 

[YourPilotFriend]

Are you under the impression that NW management is going to place the 36 CRJ-900's and 36 E-175's at mainline? Wow....you are an optimist.

No, in contract negotiations more pay was given up to keep scope at 77 rather than 110. A bigger paycut would have kept it at 55.

 

[PCL_128]

Come on guys, your going to board and catch that flight home, on xmas eve, even if the captain has only 2500TT.

I haven't done it on Xmas eve (I'll bid all the way down to reserve to avoid working a holiday), but I've certainly waited for another flight to avoid certain Captains. When I used to commute to CAK from DTW there was a mix of PCL and XJ flights. I would always check to see who the PCL crew was to see whether I would take the flight. On more than one occassion, I skipped taking a PCL flight home and waited for a few hours to take the XJ flight after seeing who the PCL Captain was. Lots of other guys have done the same. Getting home a few hours earlier just isn't worth it sometimes.

 

[NuGuy]

Nu, good post. Difficult to tell, I don't understand the late-teen / early 20-something crowd anymore either. That's one of the reasons I like the idea of a college degree being a requirement; not just because they're smarter or better, although certainly more educated, but simply because having to go to college AND get your ratings AND get your flight experience makes you a more well-rounded and mature person (partly because of age) once you GET to that great job.

Certainly makes for a better month on the line with someone like that versus the spiky-hair, ipod-wearing, marginally-engaged 22 year old pilot who might have good stick skills but has no interest in that beautiful sunset, the incredible aurora borealis display further south than you normally ever see, or any other of the numerous joys of aviation that are the REASON I chose this profession.

Heyas Lear,

Back in the day, when I'd hear an old crusty dude talk about not understanding kids these days, I'd laugh. Today, I understand exactly what they mean.

What we've done is raise a generation of short attention span people that are VERY good at figuring out how to game the system with minimum effort and zero emotional investiment. The same kind of 'tards that will invite you to lunch, then sit there chatting on their cell phone, and then don't understand when you call them on their rudeness. I mean these people have NO social graces.

Oh well...

Nu

 

[Lear70]

The disengaged spiky-hair F.O. is the collage grad. Glad your not the one doing the interviews.

I beg to disagree.

The applicant who has been through 4 years of college as well as having the required flight time will, more often than not, realize that type of attitude / appearance is unprofessional and unacceptable in any kind of professional position in the public eye.

They may look or act like that on their days off, but you sure as H*LL don't see it on the line.

Just my experience of 5 years seeing these guys come and go at PCL. Funny how no one at FDX, DAL, or even AAI sports that kind of crap, and there are MANY early- to mid-twenty something pilots here at AAI. Guess the recruiters are catching it after all.

FP or Coach would bounce your butt right into a week off for showing up like that.

Hope you grow up before you get the interview.

 

[sinkrate]

After 1500 hours, total time has very little impact on a pilot’s ability to act as Captain.

If you work in the southeast/midwest doing short hops you need 4 or 5 winter/spring flying seasons under your belt before you have the experience to deal with that violent weather. I've put more time and effort on my own into learning convective weather/radar use than most of these new FO's have on their entire aviation education. And then they demand I 'show them' how to use it in a few short hours.

Other regionals airlines have upgraded pilots to CA with just ATP mins. In the late 90's I off line jumpseated with such a crew. The CA had 1800 hours and the FO had 500 hours. I sat in the JS amazed as they simply accepted without question a vector into a level 4 thunderstorm. When we got out of that they accepted a vector into what turned out to be a level 6 with a text book bounded weak echo region on the southwest side. I asked them if I could demonstrate something to them with the radar. I showed them how to determine what they were getting ready to fly into and the hazards of it. After some resitance they asked ATC for a deviation. I have not set foot on one of their airplanes again.

And further more - what 'Dumb Pilot' and 'Lear 70" said.

 

[timmay]

I beg to disagree.

The applicant who has been through 4 years of college as well as having the required flight time will, more often than not, realize that type of attitude / appearance is unprofessional and unacceptable in any kind of professional position in the public eye.

They may look or act like that on their days off, but you sure as H*LL don't see it on the line.

Just my experience of 5 years seeing these guys come and go at PCL. Funny how no one at FDX, DAL, or even AAI sports that kind of crap, and there are MANY early- to mid-twenty something pilots here at AAI. Guess the recruiters are catching it after all.

FP or Coach would bounce your butt right into a week off for showing up like that.

Hope you grow up before you get the interview.

Lear, while I do agree with most of what you said even AAI isn't free of these types. I recently flew AT to LAS, while we are at the gate waiting to deplane a deadheading FO was on is cell phone talking to a buddy. In a full on scream. I especially liked it when he said "yea dude im getting paid to ride around in the back." Keep in mind I was 6-7 rows in front of him and EVERYONE around me was shaking there heads in disbelief. So dont think its just at the regional level.