CAL Assignment Question

[shadow95]

I am interested in finding out what would be the best aircraft to bid for at CAL in order to:

1. Fly CONUS only
2. Upgrade the quickest (Assuming EWR?)
3. Have most days off

Also, I have heard the upgrade time for CAL is about 2-3 years. Does anyone have any updated informtion?

Thanks for the inputs and help.

 

[mamba20]

If you want to stay domestic then you need to bid the 737. However, you will not fly just domestic. You will do lots of of flying south of the border and also the carribean.

Upgrade the quickest will be the 737 out of EWR but its probably not 2-3 years anymore. That was for the folks that were hired on at the very start of the current hiring boom. No idea what the upgrade is now.

Most days off, with PBS is a crap shoot but again that would probably be the 737.

I'm not on the 73 so I dont know for sure but I hear it can be very hard to commute the 73 on the same day. Lots of early starts and late finishes for trips. I'm sure there are plenty of other people that can chime in on that though.

 

[flygirlqt]

If you want to stay domestic then you need to bid the 737. However, you will not fly just domestic. You will do lots of of flying south of the border and also the carribean.

Upgrade the quickest will be the 737 out of EWR but its probably not 2-3 years anymore. That was for the folks that were hired on at the very start of the current hiring boom. No idea what the upgrade is now.

Most days off, with PBS is a crap shoot but again that would probably be the 737.

I'm not on the 73 so I dont know for sure but I hear it can be very hard to commute the 73 on the same day. Lots of early starts and late finishes for trips. I'm sure there are plenty of other people that can chime in on that though.

I would agree with everything said also.

 

[Patriot328]

I am interested in finding out what would be the best aircraft to bid for at CAL in order to:

1. Fly CONUS only
2. Upgrade the quickest (Assuming EWR?)
3. Have most days off

Also, I have heard the upgrade time for CAL is about 2-3 years. Does anyone have any updated informtion?

Thanks for the inputs and help.

Just for the record, it doesn't matter what a/c you start on if you want to upgrade to the 737 the quickest. You can put your bid in for 737CA and be awarded it no matter what airplane you are in at the time.

 

[mamba20]

Excellent point.

 

[SuperFLUF]

I am interested in finding out what would be the best aircraft to bid for at CAL in order to:

1. Fly CONUS only
2. Upgrade the quickest (Assuming EWR?)
3. Have most days off
.......

1. The 737 flies the majority of the domestic ops; however, quite a few trips are mixed domestic & international. As a line holder you may be able to avoid international ops by making some major compromises in days off, show times...etc. A senior line holder can certainly avoid international ops.

2. EWR 737

3. 777

 

[tmac3333]

1. CLE 737 is almost all domestic. EWR 737 can get mostly domestic too.
2. EWR 737
3. 777

 

[turbinej]

For 2008 new hires have been reduced according to a post on Cal Pilots message board. Looks like 130+-in the 737 and 50+- in the 756. Reducuction in hiring by 25 percent. Only approx 180 new pilot for 08.

 

[geshields]

For 2008 new hires have been reduced according to a post on Cal Pilots message board. Looks like 130+-in the 737 and 50+- in the 756. Reducuction in hiring by 25 percent. Only approx 180 new pilot for 08.

I don't see how you got that? We are reducing each class size to 12 from 16. That is a 25% reduction. 52 weeks of 12/week is 624 minus the traditional slowdown over summer will still be approx. 400+ for all of 2008.

Just found the post you were referring to and it says, "From Jan through the 13th of May 08, a total of 176 are planned to be hired with 138 going to the B737 and 38 going to the B756."

 

[Flopgut]

Actually...doesn't that make perfect sense?? This is CAL we're talking about...200+ less than [around] 400 IS 25% to them!! Especially when they're talking about pilots!!