CAL hiring slowing down for summer.

[imadumbpilot]

Well it appears the summer slowdown is begining. The class sizes in April have been smaller 12 and 8 respectivly, and they have cancelled one of the planned May classes.

The new schedule is:

4/17
4/24
5/8
6/5
7/10
8/7

Hopefully they will gear up again in the fall.

 

[The Regulator]

It should pick back up after the summer. A good friend of mine is the Manager of Training Standards in CAL's training dept. I was talking with him a few weeks ago and he indicated hiring will ramp back up starting in September.

Same as what happened last summer.

 

[FCNelson]

It should pick back up after the summer. A good friend of mine is the Manager of Training Standards in CAL's training dept. I was talking with him a few weeks ago and he indicated hiring will ramp back up starting in September.

Same as what happened last summer.

This is kind of surprising.

Everybody I know at CAL tells me they are very thinly staffed.
Even some of their operational problems in Feb/March were due to minimal reserve coverage.

fcn

 

[Hoghunter]

Interviewed recently.. They are hiring into September classes now. Summer slowdown has hit. Things will ramp back up afterwards.

 

[j3ben]

I was surprised as well. A friend finished class last month and they told him at the the training center that they would not be slowing down. As always, things change. Should be an interesting summer. Be ready for the splat!

 

[nimtz]

One thing I will never be in this situation is surprised that the logical action was not taken in regards to staffing. Look forward to a summer of overstuffed hubs, controller shortages in the Northeast, and for extra topping PBS solution constraints. Gonna Get UGLY IN HERE, IN HERE...

 

[Tomct]

Hog...who handed in your stuff? How long did it take to hear anything from them? Good Luck!

 

[Deerkiller]

FWIW...I have a very good source w/in the schoolhouse...24 per month during the summer...then the normal fall rampage. It would be stupid to stop for the summer with the a/c we are getting next year.

 

[johnsonrod]

What aircraft are newhires getting hired into over the summer/early fall? Is it always a mix of 737 and 757/767? If you get hired into the longhaul 757/767, what is the seat lock period for that type?

 

[CJCCapt]

What aircraft are newhires getting hired into over the summer/early fall? Is it always a mix of 737 and 757/767? If you get hired into the longhaul 757/767, what is the seat lock period for that type?

Generally yes. Two years.

 

[enigma]

let's see........... understaffed, slowing down hiring, hhmmm. Sounds like they need the instructors out flying to cover the understaffing. Isn't this a fun game?

 

[On Your Six]

Great idea to keep staffing levels low so that they are short of instructors in peak travel times.

Yeah, this summer should be great with the violent Wx (tornadoes and hurricanes), overcrowded skies swarming with VLJs and impatient LCC passengers...

 

[Captain X]

FWIW...I have a very good source w/in the schoolhouse...24 per month during the summer...then the normal fall rampage. It would be stupid to stop for the summer with the a/c we are getting next year.

I heard the same thing the very day this thread was started.....12 pilots every other week -- 24 per month. That info was 24 hours fresh straight from the hiring peeps.

 

[IAHERJ]

Just got a line check to Europe so I had several hours to shoot the breeeze with the check airman. He had notes from the last check airman meeting and stated that there were to be 24 per month through the summer. Things are fluid here and that could have changed but I thought the whole instructor need to help fly the schedule thing was bogus anyway. They need to churn out new hires so we can staff this place properly.

IAHERJ

 

[flatspin7]

Generally yes. Two years.

The seat lock only applies to moving down in pay grade... ie If you get the 737 you can bid the 756 or 777 right away, but if you get the 756 you can't bid the 737 for 2 years.

Thats why I normally advise folks to go for the 737--- if they dont like it they can move up.

 

[EMBpilot]

3 days ago before starting a trip saw a flight instructor in the Wx room, he said - no slow down for the summer "Too much junior manning!".
Flew w/ an assistant CP - we will slow down "we have to have instructors flying".
Saw another FI on a break - no slow down.
Flew next leg with a line check airmen - slow down.

Meanwhile we have 2-6 reserves on days with 27 min required, and 10-14 on the weekends when 40 required. I guess it make sence for instructors to go fly and keep the airline going.

 

[flatspin7]

All I have to say is---Thank god I am holding a line!
I just have to remember never to pick up a call from Houston!

 

[CJCCapt]

I checked with a couple of people today and also got mixed messages ("hiring is slowing", "no it's not"). Sounds to me like the decision has not been completely made for sure yet and there are still "lot's of conversations" going on.

 

[Deerkiller]

All I have to say is---Thank god I am holding a line!
I just have to remember never to pick up a call from Houston!

dont forget they have a couple of 800 numbers as well...i'd give them to you but i changed phones and lost them. so dont answer 800 numbers either.

 

[catIIIc]

Just don't answer the phone no matter what number it is. If it is not scheduling then the person will leave a message.