Mesaba

[Nolife]

How long are Saab upgrades running these days and how are the schedules?

 

[DoinTime]

I just talked to a 10+ year captain on the Saab that was still on reserve.

 

[flyn96]

Upgrades are around 6.5 years but everyone on property will be a captain in less that two years with 53 jets coming our way. I expect to be in class for upgrade this summer but with the current rate of hiring and growth I'll probably have a line by the time I'm done. If you want a place to go Mesaba would be a good place to be right now with all the growth to come.

 

[SplitBar]

We have already added almost 100 pilots to our seniority list since March. I bet some of those guys will see the left seat very quickly. Just because the most junior Captain right now has 7-8 years seniority does not mean that it will take a new hire 7-8 years to upgrade. Mesaba will double in size over a short period of time.

:beer:

 

[Ridgeback]

As of last senority list, 630 pilots most junior captain 380

 

[WMUSIGPI]

yup upgrades were in the mid 600's before the bankruptcy. And we are set to be at that same size fleet in a little over a year. Unless we start loosing more Saabs these first couple new hire classes could see a shot at captain in less than 2 years.

 

[xjlifer]

Loose the Saab's?????? Are you crazy we have been told a zillion times that is our "Core" bidness. Jingle Pants said thanks for our hard work we have now "secured" our "Core" fleet of SF3's.

Besides were would they go.....hmm... Colgan...Big Sky...naaa they would never do that as we grow and get ready to set off some of them wage recovery triggers.....would they??

 

[The Transporter]

just had spongebob in rgs he said all crj200's to msp,6 crj900's msp,then ramp up dtw then 900's to mem by early 2008.. .insane amount of training going on by summer..newbies being told if u are on property now u upgrade within 18mths.. .1st time i've seen spongebob without body armor in years,hardly recognized him...still had those public speaking SKILLS though..what a tool

 

[DoinTime]

just had spongebob in rgs he said all crj200's to msp,

If all 15 CRJ-200's are going to be in MSP then why is PCL creating massive amounts of vacancies for MSP crews scheduled for late summer?

Not to mention the lack of vacancies in MEM for the same time period.

 

[Dumb Pilot]

why is PCL creating massive amounts of vacancies for MSP crews scheduled for late summer?

Not to mention the lack of vacancies in MEM for the same time period.

Maybe because folks are leaving by the truck loads

 

[XJohXJ]

And those 17 XJ CRJ's will not all be there this summer. We will have two going this summer, maybe a couple more by late summer, and I'd imagine the rest will trickle in later, like at 1-2 every month.

 

[Whataboutbob]

Any predictions on how junior vacancy 07-05 will go for SF340 CPTs? With both vacancies for CRJ and SF340 should be interesting. Factor in the rumor about the CRJ200's going to MSP. (Its all hoop dreams)

Any furlough returns care to respond on how long they had off between the sim and IOE. I know most of the guys to hit the line have been short course people but now the long course guys are getting finished with the Sim. Be nice to lay around for a week or so.

 

[WMUSIGPI]

Me and my sim partner were the last ones to get done. Checkride passed this morning. Loft and FMS training to go. We are finished on Wed then to MEM for green lines for June. Some of the guys that finished earlier this week are already scheduled for IOE. They are not giving anyone much time off.
The first newhire class will be in sim very soon, some are being sent to STL for sim.

 

[Groundskprwilly]

I did the short course and I didn't have any time off. A couple days here and there and then reserve.

 

[DoinTime]

Maybe because folks are leaving by the truck loads

Attrition is pretty even across all three domiciles with DTW edging out the other two. Its obvious that a crew rebalancing is being initiated via system bids at 9E. Considering 9E has a stranglehold on MEM feeder traffic I would be willing to bet that NWA is looking diversify their 50 seat lift out of that domicile especially with a possible pilot strike on the horizon.

The givebacks of the -200's coinicide exactly with the MEM staff reduction. Coincindence? Doubt it.

 

[SEVEN]

I did the short course and I didn't have any time off. A couple days here and there and then reserve.

I also did the Short Course but I had a week and a half off.

 

[xjhawk]

i have heard a story at xj where they will not be as liberal with out of base reserve since some idiot complained to the union and then the union went to the scheduling manager to complain. This idiot complained they were not doing out of base reserve in seniority order, up til now its been first come first serve. You ask for it, if its needed, they assign it to you. This idiot saw a junior guy get it because he asked, he called said he wanted it too, well guess what, there was no longer a need since the other guy got it. The think i heard from scheduling is that its sort of like doing a nice deed to a pilot to give it to him, since they could just call a reserve a couple hours in advance or make a flight late, or ctake someone else on the line and adjust everyones schedules accordingly. well now, they will not award someone out of base reserve for days at a time. it will be for day trips, never getting you home. Thanks you idiot.

 

[SEVEN]

i have heard a story at xj where they will not be as liberal with out of base reserve since some idiot complained to the union and then the union went to the scheduling manager to complain. This idiot complained they were not doing out of base reserve in seniority order, up til now its been first come first serve. You ask for it, if its needed, they assign it to you. This idiot saw a junior guy get it because he asked, he called said he wanted it too, well guess what, there was no longer a need since the other guy got it. The think i heard from scheduling is that its sort of like doing a nice deed to a pilot to give it to him, since they could just call a reserve a couple hours in advance or make a flight late, or ctake someone else on the line and adjust everyones schedules accordingly. well now, they will not award someone out of base reserve for days at a time. it will be for day trips, never getting you home. Thanks you idiot.

I agree. "Fly Safe and Fly the Contract" is great but please use common sense. Don't screw up something for everyone based on a technicallity.
These are what I refer to as "Union Nazzis."

 

[Yudso]

I remember volunteering for out of base reserve there. 3 days at the Best Western DTW. They never called me once. Got min day plus per diem. It's too bad someone had to go f'it up.

 

[naglasair1]

Is that the standard now? ...I asked for out of base reserve on Thursday for my Saturday - Wednesday shift and they gave it to me, no problem.

 

[barrelroll]

Spoke with XJ crew planning today. Here was the current breakdown on aircraft placements (all subject to change at anytime, of course)

17 CRJ200s to MSP
12 CRJ900s to MSP
18 CRJ900s to DTW
6 CRJ900s to MEM

 

[IHateMgmt]

Anyone happen to know what the Saab breakdown per base is?

 

[IamGumbyDammit]

Spoke with XJ crew planning today. Here was the current breakdown on aircraft placements (all subject to change at anytime, of course)

17 CRJ200s to MSP
12 CRJ900s to MSP
18 CRJ900s to DTW
6 CRJ900s to MEM

Eventually less CRJ900s in MSP when Compass gets all 36 175s, no need for that many 76 seaters in one base.

 

[IHateMgmt]

no need for that many 76 seaters in one base.

I wish you were right...

 

[Crizz]

Eventually less CRJ900s in MSP when Compass gets all 36 175s, no need for that many 76 seaters in one base.

I wonder how many DC9's NWA has in one base?

:laugh:

 

[IHateMgmt]

Exactly.

 

[IamGumbyDammit]

I'm sure they're spread out somewhat evenly b/t the three bases.

 

[submachXJ]

Any predictions on how junior vacancy 07-05 will go for SF340 CPTs? With both vacancies for CRJ and SF340 should be interesting. Factor in the rumor about the CRJ200's going to MSP. (Its all hoop dreams)

7-06 is out today any guess how low it will go. And for those curious about the last one the most junior MEM captain was in the 440's hired in jan 2001.

About thirty more numbers and it skips to 2003 and there are only low 600's seniority numbers on property. Including may newhires.

 

[skychicken]

what are the saab schedules like at mesaba? How many legs/pay credit/ days off. Are they mostly 1,2,3,4 day trips?? also, How commutable are the trips?

 

[Mesabi Miner]

Mesaba Stats

Numbers reported are correct:

Most junior Captain already awarded requal to CA from downgraded position:

Seniority 444 (Re)Upgrades at: 6 yrs, 4mos

Here's what going deeper on the list reveals and how upgrade times fall...
If upgraded today:

Seniority: Upgrades at:
477 3 yrs, 10 mos
517 3 yrs, 1 mo
554 2 yrs, 2 mos
577 0 yrs, 1 mo

New hires with lots of quality total time may be in a really nice spot for a quick upgrade. Lot's of people still seem to be bypassing... Waiting for the CRJ Captain positions I guess.

MM