Starscream
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2006
- Posts
- 115
What happens after 4 weeks - is it 4 weeks regardless, or just the end of a phase of training?
Two to a room during indoc/systems (about 4 weeks on the jet, 3 on the turboprop), but when you go to the sim you get your own room because your sim schedule will probably be different than your roomates'. Hope this helps.
P.S. The company has just announced a sort-of solution to their inability to upgrade due to staffing. FOs who upgrade in same type will now only go to groundschool for like 4-5 days instead of 3 weeks. The company needs captains (he!! they NEED warm bodies -- all equipment, bases, and seats), but they haven't been upgrading because they claim they couldn't afford to take FOs off the line and put em in upgrade training for 2 months. But it looks like they're making an effort now at least, and this year inevitably there will be a ton of upgrades (rumor has it that in the not too distant future it will average 30-40 a month) due to flowbacks leaving. The last one could possibly be off the property at this time next year. And then there are 400 flowthru pilots with AA seniority numbers. Obviously they won't ALL go but a significant number of them still intend to flow, especially the ones in their early/mid 40s. AMR won't let them go? BS. They continue to whine about AE being "top-heavy," so if somebody on 18 year pay wants to leave, AMR will not stand in their way. And I'm sure we'll have some attrition due to DAL, CAL, FDX, SWA, JBU, UPS, and possibly UAL, NWA, and maybe, just maybe LCC hiring in 2007. What does this lead to? Upgrade to turboprop captain will be about 4 years in the future (hopefully less!). I've been here 2 1/2 years, and every time I do the math from every conceivable angle (monthly upgrade numbers, number of FOs senior to me, AA recall rates) I keep coming up with 2 more years in the right seat (meaning 4 1/2 year upgrade for me). I'd been thinking seriously about making a lateral move in the last several months (I was reeeal tempted by the 6 month upgrade at SKW, but wasn't really attracted to a commute across the continent), but for now I think I'm staying put because for me AE looks like the safest bet. If the bases/equipment etc. appeal to you, don't be afraid of that upgrade time. If that's all that's swaying you, it will come down. It won't be as quick as some of the others out there, but we will not be 7+ years, either. 4 years will probably be what we'll see this time next year, and maybe 3 years not long after.
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