AS Recalls?

[QCappy]

The rush is the March Bay Area-Hawaii flights that they don't have enough ETOPS pilots for. They need to figure out what they are going to do, put out a position bid for it, and train the appropriate number of guys for ETOPS. This takes time. Time that they are running out of to get it all done by mid March.

I have from a good source that a SEA ETOPS base is not going to be a push-over.

 

[igneousy2]

The rush is the March Bay Area-Hawaii flights that they don't have enough ETOPS pilots for. They need to figure out what they are going to do, put out a position bid for it, and train the appropriate number of guys for ETOPS. This takes time. Time that they are running out of to get it all done by mid March.

I have from a good source that a SEA ETOPS base is not going to be a push-over.

Like I said...

It seems to me that management has the "tightening time frame"...not us.

Or as someone else once said..."improper planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part"

I have no doubt we will get something for the ETOPS base...I just hope it helps those of us on the street.

Merry Christmas

 

[QCappy]

Like I said...

It seems to me that management has the "tightening time frame"...not us.

Or as someone else once said..."improper planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part"

I have no doubt we will get something for the ETOPS base...I just hope it helps those of us on the street.

Merry Christmas

100% agree!

Merry Christmas.

 

[AKMD80GUY]

If you take the number of ETOPS trained pilots between the ANC and LAX bases, there is enough to cover the expanded Hawaii flying. The problem then lies in how they staff the other flying. The company will most definitely save money and resources by having a SEA ETOPS base. You could also make the case of opening a PDX base (co terminal) with the SEA base to staff the HI flying out of PDX. That leaves only OAK and SMF as the only two that can't be staffed in base.

I believe that unless the company intends to grow, ,the SEA ETOPS base is nothing more than a grab by the company. If we want to see pilots recalled, it will only come with growth. I heard a new bid will be coming out but I think there are enough former SEA pilots that bid LAX or ANC that are currently ETOPS trained and will just re-bid to SEA. Any promise by the company to recall based on this ETOPS base I think is a stretch. They do need to recall now based on block hours alone but they want to attach it to the HI flying so they don't have to look bad for furloughing too many pilots to begin with.

 

[Chief Pilot]

How is it that we have a "tightening time frame" why are we allowing management to dictate the time frame? It seems to me that management has the "tightening time frame"...not us.

This "tightening time frame" is another way for management to attempt to get what they want by pitting the three existing bases against each other.

If YOU (MEC) don't give us (management) what we want, we will leave ANC as a shell of its former self, we won't grow LAX, and we will reduce SEA flying to staff PDX. YOU better give us SEA ETOPS with SEA super reserves...etc...or you will be sorry.

The MEC sees through this and knows that management's time frame is just that, management's time frame. They made their bed, now they have to sleep in it. I don't think they realize that there are a lot of pilots who would love to see a PDX base, all bluff and bluster aside. I certainly would and feel that it not only gives the company more flexibility, but would result in the most recalls.

CP.

 

[CesnaCaptn]

I don't think they realize that there are a lot of pilots who would love to see a PDX base...

I disagree. I think management knows that it could be mutually beneficial.

 

[Going2Baja]

ANC & LAX - "Just Say NO!" Keep the ETOPS in base and build our respective bases. If we give in to SEA then we're just stupid.

Baja.

 

[Green Banana]

ANC & LAX - "Just Say NO!" Keep the ETOPS in base and build our respective bases. If we give in to SEA then we're just stupid.

Baja.

I don't think you are going to get much support for this one. To do this, the company will have to displace pilots out of SEA. Nobody wants to commute.

 

[igneousy2]

...The MEC sees through this and knows that management's time frame is just that, management's time frame. They made their bed, now they have to sleep in it. I don't think they realize that there are a lot of pilots who would love to see a PDX base, all bluff and bluster aside. I certainly would and feel that it not only gives the company more flexibility, but would result in the most recalls.

CP.

I hope you are right, however, I am not so sure.

In the Negotiators Notepad our negotiators made the following statement..." Due to the now-tightening time frame, it does not appear that we will have time to conduct full-scale polling on this subject. "

This does not sound like the kind of statement that would come from negotiators that was immune to the artificial time pressures the company was placing on them.

 

[Green Banana]

They know what they are doing. The last two times they let the pilot group vote, I got $crewed. I have more faith in my MEC to do the right thing than this pilot group.

 

[turbodriver]

Whatever gets us recalled the fastest.........

Flying junky airplanes in & out of the ice is starting to get old.

 

[Going2Baja]

I don't think you are going to get much support for this one. To do this, the company will have to displace pilots out of SEA. Nobody wants to commute.

Or what Banana? Let them have ETOPS in SEA and watch the flying leave LAX & ANC? I think NOT! Watch this thing play out...you're gonna see stalling on the pilot side to the point where the Co will have to grow LAX & ANC or open PDX. SEA will most likely get the ETOPS some day, but not by Mar/Apr. Thank Goodness for local LEC's - It's nice to have someone watching our backs!

Baja.

 

[QCappy]

This does not sound like the kind of statement that would come from negotiators that was immune to the artificial time pressures the company was placing on them.

It is not an artificial time pressure. See my post above. They are actually running out of time.

Now, who is to blame? Well the schedules are run by marketing, period. So they decide when and where the airline goes. After that, flight ops runs around with thier head cut off for a while, trying to figure out how they are going to staff what marketing decides. I don't think there is much communication between the two prior to deciding new routes...at least it never appears that way. So in the end they run out of time if all the stars don't magically align. In this case they already furloughed too many. So now they are caught with their shorts around their ankles wondering how in the world they are going to staff 950 new hours of flying per month by June.

I'm pretty sure the Union is not caving in easy on this one. I actually have a lot more confidence than usual on this one.

 

[Green Banana]

enough confidence to make it double or nothing?

 

[ImbracableCrunk]

Well the schedules are run by marketing, period. So they decide when and where the airline goes. After that, flight ops runs around with thier head cut off for a while, trying to figure out how they are going to staff what marketing decides. I don't think there is much communication between the two prior to deciding new routes...at least it never appears that way.

You missed the step where marketing calls scheduling and asks, "Do you think enough people will VSA to cover all of this flying?"

I don't think there are any steps that really involve FLTOPS.

Oh, wait there's the part where FLTOPS sends emails to everyone and says, "Gee, guys, it'd be real swell if you'd pick up extra flying."