Great Lakes Hiring Run Finally Ends...Newhires Sent Home

[Cardinal]

So much for the ZK bandwagon. After continuous classes since mid-2004, Lakes announced last week that they have stopped hiring for an indefinite period of time. And just Thursday the newhire class in progress got visited and sent home.

Discussion is of more furloughs to cut into the line pilot ranks, but nothing official yet. Many of those sent home, and many at the bottom of the list are already furloughed from somewhere else.

Good luck to all.

 

[mynameisjim]

Why do places always hire right up until they furlough?

 

[Trogdor]

Because the idea of planning ahead doesn't enter into the minds of airline execs.

 

[i'mbatman]

If they stopped classes proactively you'd all complain that there is no reason to stop classes and furlough......its just GLA....go work at McDonalds and make twice as much.

 

[NachoMamma]

...go work at McDonalds and make twice as much.

And have 10 times more dignity.

 

[Skippy]

Ding fries are done, Dong fries are done...

do u want and apple pie with that? do you want an apple pie with that?

SKIPPY

 

[Crossky]

And have 10 times more dignity.

take it back!

That's a low blow Nacho, and I think you know it. After dodging summer TCU's, riding the bronco a DEN arrival can be from the west, and landing in a max gusty xw, a GLA pilot, even an FO, has plenty of dignity firmly intact and respect pax as well. And that's just during the summer. Sure, the pay sucks, it always has. You don't have to have the right pay to maintain your dignity, earn respect from pax, and to maintain your professionalism flying fellow humans around.

 

[CX880]

Is that what you tell yourselves when you retire under the bridges of Denver every night?

 

[Crossky]

Is that what you tell yourselves when you retire under the bridges of Denver every night?

No, downtown DEN is much too far, silly! Besides, GLA pilots only share cars, most don't have them. Everyone has a bicycle though, GLA gives them to us, I've still got mine. GLA pilots in DEN all live a dozen at a time in slummy apartments and mobile homes within 5 miles of DEN International.

Me though, I graduated years ago, if you would look at my avatar.

 

[Flyerdan]

take it back!

That's a low blow Nacho, and I think you know it. After dodging summer TCU's, riding the bronco a DEN arrival can be from the west, and landing in a max gusty xw, a GLA pilot, even an FO, has plenty of dignity firmly intact and respect pax as well. And that's just during the summer. Sure, the pay sucks, it always has. You don't have to have the right pay to maintain your dignity, earn respect from pax, and to maintain your professionalism flying fellow humans around.

You are absolutely correct!

The rest of you that are focused on the money are not very bright. There are plenty of professions that pay more and if you are all about the money (and Smart) you should be doing one of those. If you ARE A PILOT instead of just working as one then GLA provides some of the best flying around.

 

[bob_sakamano]

No, downtown DEN is much too far, silly! Besides, GLA pilots only share cars, most don't have them. Everyone has a bicycle though, GLA gives them to us, I've still got mine. GLA pilots in DEN all live a dozen at a time in slummy apartments and mobile homes within 5 miles of DEN International.

Me though, I graduated years ago, if you would look at my avatar.

It looks to me like your avatar shows an Arik Air CRJ-900. Graduated to Lagos? Charlie charlie

If it isn't Arik, please excuse the intrusion :beer:

 

[Captain Morgan]

Seriously, I wonder what all you candya$$es would do back when the airlines flew primarily airmail and pilots had to sleep under the wings and repair their own wings with the shirt on their back.

 

[Browntothebone]

Seriously, I wonder what all you candya$$es would do back when the airlines flew primarily airmail and pilots had to sleep under the wings and repair their own wings with the shirt on their back.

Yeah!

 

[Fly2Scuba]

Seriously, I wonder what all you candya$$es would do back when the airlines flew primarily airmail and pilots had to sleep under the wings and repair their own wings with the shirt on their back.

Listen cheap rum, those guys also formed the first unions back in the day to prevent that kind of crap from happening in the future. That is until shiny jet syndrome, Golly gee - I'd fly for free, and I'm just here to get my time and then I'm off to the majors became far too widespread.

 

[ROSWELL41]

What was the start date of the class that was sent home?

 

[Can8dn]

About half of the March class and the entire April. Anyone who had not completed their check ride in the March class was sent home.

 

[AceCrackshot]

And I'd guess that ZK STILL isn't adequately staffed.

 

[Trogdor]

As far as CAs are concerned, you're correct. Too many FOs who are afraid to upgrade.

 

[Knob]

afraid or just don't have enough time?

 

[ePilot22]

afraid or just don't have enough time?

Haven't seen you on here for a loooong time. How are things going for you?








eP.

 

[ratherbeflyen]

Why do places always hire right up until they furlough?

I think crew planning should officially be changed to crew guessing. None of them ever seem to have any idea how many pilots they need.

 

[DUATS]

Seriously, I wonder what all you candya$$es would do back when the airlines flew primarily airmail and pilots had to sleep under the wings and repair their own wings with the shirt on their back.

I remember that movie! Jimmy Stewart playing Chuck Lindbergh, right?

 

[Trogdor]

afraid or just don't have enough time?

Afraid. The training department at GLA, term used very loosely, makes upgrade notoriously difficult.

 

[flythere]

Afraid. The training department at GLA, term used very loosely, makes upgrade notoriously difficult.

You've got it all wrong! It's not a training department, it's a check-ride department. Capt upgrade was more or less a self study course. If I can remember right ground school lasted approx 6 days, including the final exam, with 4 sims and a check-ride! Was like standing under Niagra-Falls trying to take a drink!!

 

[Browntothebone]

What's the QOL like?

 

[Crossky]

Nope, only N Amerika flying for me so far . . .

 

[Andy Neill]

I remember that movie! Jimmy Stewart playing Chuck Lindbergh, right?

Yeah...and it was really said when he crashed with his buddy Wiley Post while looking for Amelia Wright.

 

[Metro752]

I thought Jimmy Stewart played Chuck Colgan Sr. ?

 

[Minimaniac]

You've got it all wrong! It's not a training department, it's a check-ride department. Capt upgrade was more or less a self study course. If I can remember right ground school lasted approx 6 days, including the final exam, with 4 sims and a check-ride! Was like standing under Niagra-Falls trying to take a drink!!

I am just curious as to what you think is an appropriate amount of training for an upgrade on the same piece of equipment that you have been flying? The systems don't change. The limitations don't change. The manuals don't change. The process for flying approaches does not change.

An upgrade candidate on the same aircraft type has had a likely minimum of 6 months in the airplane. That is plenty of time to learn the systems, the SOP, the Ops manual. When an upgrade becomes imminent, any FO should be able to learn the new flows and the other half of the memory items in a few weeks. There is no reason to fear the checkride.

Now, not feeling ready to be a captain after less than year (or less than 3 years, whatever) is different. I can understand not feeling as though you have seen enough to know how to run the show on your own. I can understand not wanting to make the diversion decision for the first time having never watched a captain do it. But if you were able to pass the initial checkride, you should be able to pass the upgrade ride. Just stop forgetting what you already learned!

 

[staylow]

Funny...this happened back in early 2001, before 9/11. Class finished Indoc and Systems ground school and they were told they would be called for their sim dates...never happened. Some finally got called back in July or August of 2002. Then Lakes furloughed again every summer for the next couple of years.