AA Recalls

[aa73]

hi guys... as TC mentioned, it's the double red-eye that sux big time. JFK-GIG leaves at 2135 and arrives around 0830 with 10hrs flying time and only a couple hours time change - a true all-nighter. Have the whole day and next day off, then leave GIG around 2000 and arrive JFK around 0600. Another red eye. This is esp. hard on the relief pilot, he gets first break and it's hard to sleep during first break (cabin lights on, dinner service, loud.) Then you have to be up for the rest of the flight. Nothing against Rio, I love Brazil but it's too hard on the body! Europe is much better... leave around 1700-1800 form JFK and land around 0700-0800 in Europe which is midnight, body time.

 

[aa73]

I think the newhire classes will be 50% off the street and 50% non-flowthrough Eagle pilots (up to 800 something). Anyone confirm this?

TC

TC... 1 AE pilot for every 2 new hires, up to a maximum of 20 AE pilots per class.

Stow those boards! :laugh:

 

[HA25]

TC... 1 AE pilot for every 2 new hires, up to a maximum of 20 AE pilots per class.

Stow those boards! :laugh:

wow, not bad for those AE guys.... any guess as to how many years on the property those AE guys will typically have who qualify for this flow? Is it a foregone deal that all will take it?

 

[Mama's Boy]

What's life like for a junior guy commuting to reserve on the DC9-80 or B737? I think I know the answer. Can you pull any reserve from home (long call)?

 

[aa73]

Reserve at AA blows. Most regionals have better reserve rules than us. Long call is 12hr call out, so in most cases you can pull it from home. Short call is defined as "reasonably available by ground surface transportation." Most consider that to be between 2-4hrs call out, but there is no time defined. Reserve lines have 11-12 days off and is based on a leveling system - if you fly a trip, you're in the next higher block and someone with less hours gets called out on the next trip before you.

 

[Mr Hat]

That just sounds like reserve to me....and we have a pretty good contract at SureJet. In fact, ours says we have 2 hours to be at the airport and in the NY area, that can get dicey depending on when you get called. Reserve sucks no matter what I suppose.

 

[AA717driver]

Stow those boards! :laugh:

I was just entertaining your kid.

TC

P.S.--Thanks for stirring up a $h!tstorm on C&R and driving me over here...

 

[XTW]

If AA continues hiring for three years and one day, that person will have to make a decision. (Are you listening XTW? )

TC

snore, fart, hiccup, uhhh, did someone say something.........

 

[C-150ETOPS]

May I ask why you don't like the deep south trips? Just curious if it had anything to do with the flying? or not your favorite overnight?

Thanks

I'll add from the perspective of 15 years of exposure to them. I avoided them and generally took the few dollars less to fly daytime 757. I'd guess that the majority of guys doing them are commuters since the odd dep/arr times make it easy. Some guys have girlfriends south or are just stuck in stagnation hell and need every last 767 dime. (It might be $50 leg more than flying the 757).

If you fly MIA-GIG (RIO) and you're not chasing chicas, you might leave Monday night at 11:20pm, land about 8 hours later. Monday night is off, and can be fun if your single or single south of the equator :laugh:. Tuesday night you fly 8+ back to MIA arriving around 4:15 am. That isn't too bad, the worse deep south arrivals are near sun up. The drive home blows. Unless you live in Hialeah and speak Cuban (not spanish), you're looking at a 1-2 hour drive to America. I've done it ok since falling asleep one morning on the Turnpike northbound. Woke up 20' in the left grass. Those who know the drive know that 75% of the road is bordered by concrete bridge abutments and 20' deep canals. What is the term "sheer terror"?
There is a quiet room in ops, tried that a few times. The problem is I could never sleep postflight because the body tells you, "you're in an airport on your own dime, what are you thinking?". After staring at the ceiling for 2 hours, another sleep drive attempt.

The best way I found to deal with the trips is to just get on a late schedule of staying up until 3-4 and sleeping until Noon. Figure that one out with small kids. (That's not Daddy, he's just playing his John Wayne Gacy act)

So now after you've arrived back home on Thurs am from Rio, you sleep that day if you can avoid fixing the house and picking up kids, the next day is shot because you still feel like crap. Saturday you feel a little better, Sunday you sleep great and are back on schedule, but Monday you're back trying to scarf an afternoon nap and trying to avoid putting on the JW Gacy clown suit beacause of the noisy kids. Repeat 4-5 times a month.

 

[aa73]

P.S.--Thanks for stirring up a $h!tstorm on C&R and driving me over here...

Man, no kidding! I really just wanted the details... So who's gonna win Round 5, Scott or Pete?

 

[AA717driver]

Man, no kidding! I really just wanted the details... So who's gonna win Round 5, Scott or Pete?

I'm out. I deposited my turd in the punchbowl and left.

C150--great synopsis and thanks for dissuading me from EVER wanting to do deep south.

TC

 

[C-150ETOPS]

Me tinks I screwed it up a little.

Example trip would dep Mon night, return Thurs am, Tuesday night no flying.

 

[laxsf3ca]

824

thats the magic number of eagle pilots coming over, to bad for aa pilots military buddys coming over!!!!

 

[magrs]

Tim,

try working 9-5, RIO will seem like the best gig going. I understand the hesitance, but those coming back ACTUALLY dealt with the real world and would be ecstatic to except the lesser assigmment of dealing with RIO. Try a windowless building for six years!


Anyhow, look forward to getting back into the mix, meeting both AA73 and AA717 DRIVER and making the most of my once beaten career. By the way, I have spent the past ten years cursing AA, the airlines and everyone in between but still think it is better than dealing with the 9-5 crowd. GOD I want the days where me and the boys would actually "watch" these folks walk around the lake that surrounded our house! How I long for those days once again...cue the Barry Manilow, it is going to get "misty!"

It is NOT always greener, no matter which side you are on! I've had a good career both in aviation and the federal Gov....I'd choose aviation everyday till Tuesday!

 

[lionflyer]

Tim,

try working 9-5, RIO will seem like the best gig going. I understand the hesitance, but those coming back ACTUALLY dealt with the real world and would be ecstatic to except the lesser assigmment of dealing with RIO. Try a windowless building for six years!


Anyhow, look forward to getting back into the mix, meeting both AA73 and AA717 DRIVER and making the most of my once beaten career. By the way, I have spent the past ten years cursing AA, the airlines and everyone in between but still think it is better than dealing with the 9-5 crowd. GOD I want the days where me and the boys would actually "watch" these folks walk around the lake that surrounded our house! How I long for those days once again...cue the Barry Manilow, it is going to get "misty!"

It is NOT always greener, no matter which side you are on! I've had a good career both in aviation and the federal Gov....I'd choose aviation everyday till Tuesday!

Shhh!! Don't tell mgmt that!

 

[magrs]

At this point, I don't care! The grass is NOT always grenner, the pasture less fertile than expected and career dreams are squashed just like they were before getting out of aviation!

My goal, collect lawsuit money, fly for fun and F*CK managemnt! I'd like to make a living at it, but at this point, I just wanna have fun (Cue the Cyndi Lauper Tunes!)

I'm sick and tired of doing the 9-5 thing to break even, when flying, at least offers a change of scenery every once in a while, whilst making a decent living. I won't go back before a decent contract at AA, but will be seriously tempted based on "assumptions" of the possible outcome.

 

[Long-Gonner]

Sorry if this has been requested on some other thread, but would someone mind posting the APA projected pilot retirements at AA starting in 2013?

 

[aa73]

Magrs - look forward to it as well! Be glad to treat you to several rounds.

 

[satpak77]

magrs just curious what gig you had/have prior to being recalled. You seem pretty excited to be leaving it.....!

 

[smails]

Speaking of a decent contract at AA. Any idea of what is going on? I am in that same boat of having an ok corporate gig, and waiting to see what the contract will be.