AirTran Alaska merger

[Lear70]

Touche.

Now run on down to ops and let everyone know how sub-par they are compared to ALA pilots. Let me know how that works out for ya'. Then, when you head over to the training center to brown nose again, be sure to tell our training center instructors the same thing. That should secure that instructor position / check airman slot you've been angling for since you came on board.

mmmmkay?

 

[gt1900]

Touche.

Now run on down to ops and let everyone know how sub-par they are compared to ALA pilots. Let me know how that works out for ya'. Then, when you head over to the training center to brown nose again, be sure to tell our training center instructors the same thing. That should secure that instructor position / check airman slot you've been angling for since you came on board.

mmmmkay?

HAHA.. You make me laugh. Try to find one person in the training department who knows who I am. I have zero desire to be in our training department. But nice try at a really bad retort.. While your at it, go find my application that I MUST have submited into our training department because I really want it that bad. Ill save you time, it isn't there. Don't be mad because Im a regular line pilot whos willing to call B.S. when I see it.

Our pilots are sub-par compared to theirs. Its simple. ALA pilots fight the wind, snow, terrain, and relatively short runways in Alaska day in and day out during the winter. We don't. Heck, we rarely even have to deal with the huge thunderstorms of the midwest because we don't fly that much there. I have no inclination that I could do as good a job as those guys do. Not with the amount of winter flying that we do at AAI. Give me 6 months flying in Alaska and absolutely I could, but the fact is that we don't. Heck, Im not nearly the stick I was when I came from the commuters after spending 5 years hand flying full procedure VOR and NBD approaches into the Rocks. Why? Because we rarely hand fly anymore. If you think you could just jump into a 737 and do as good a job as those guys do then your fooling youself. Give it 6 months and you probably could. But you can't expect to be as good as those guys are when we aren't doing it day in and day out like they are! I made "maybe" 5 landings to runways with breaking action less then good last winter. I wonder how many the ALA guys made?

 

[Lear70]

HAHA.. You make me laugh. Try to find one person in the training department who knows who I am. I have zero desire to be in our training department. But nice try at a really bad retort.. While your at it, go find my application that I MUST have submited into our training department if I really wanted it that bad. Ill save you time, it isn't there.

We know who you are. Don't worry,,, that information got passed around a long time ago when you first got hired and were here on the boards spouting about things you had no real clue about. Took you about a year or so to "see the light". Try to down play it all you want, but those posts are available in the history if you *REALLY* want me to go drag them up.

Our pilots are sub-par compared to theirs.

Glad you think so. So when I get back on the line and finally run into you some day in ops and call you out on this in front of all our coworkers, don't act shocked.

Its simple. ALA pilots fight the wind, snow, terrain, and relatively short runways in Alaska day in and day out during the winter. We don't. Heck, we rarely even have to deal with the huge thunderstorms of the midwest because we don't fly that much there. I have no inclination that I could do as good a job as those guys do. Not with the amount of winter flying that we do at AAI. Give me 6 months flying in Alaska and absolutely I could, but the fact is that we don't. Heck, Im not nearly the stick I was when I came from the commuters after spending 5 years hand flying full procedure VOR and NBD approaches into the Rocks. Why? Because we rarely hand fly anymore. If you think you could just jump into a 737 and do as good a job as those guys do then your fooling youself. Give it 6 months and you probably could. But you can't expect to be as good as those guys are when we aren't doing it day in and day out like they are! I made "maybe" 5 landings to runways with breaking action less then good last winter. I wonder how many the ALA guys made?

Yes, I could. Because I'm doing it now, boy genius. Or did you miss that part where I mentioned it (three times I think to your replies specifically)?

It's sad that you rarely hand-fly anymore. When I was there I *STILL* hand-flew the departures up to cruise and the arrivals below 10,000' so I could keep my hand-flying skills sharp. More people need to be doing that so that when the crap hits the fan, you're still on your game.

But I'm sure all the other AAI pilots will be here to agree with you on how much they suck. You really are a dismal shame to this pilot group... Hopefully ALA will hire you and you can take your negativity with you. Anyone at ALA want to walk his stuff in?

 

[gt1900]

We know who you are. Don't worry,,, that information got passed around a long time ago when you first got hired and were here on the boards spouting about things you had no real clue about. Took you about a year or so to "see the light". Try to down play it all you want, but those posts are available in the history if you *REALLY* want me to go drag them up.


Glad you think so. So when I get back on the line and finally run into you some day in ops and call you out on this in front of all our coworkers, don't act shocked.


Yes, I could. Because I'm doing it now, boy genius. Or did you miss that part where I mentioned it (three times I think to your replies specifically)?

It's sad that you rarely hand-fly anymore. When I was there I *STILL* hand-flew the departures up to cruise and the arrivals below 10,000' so I could keep my hand-flying skills sharp. More people need to be doing that so that when the crap hits the fan, you're still on your game.

But I'm sure all the other AAI pilots will be here to agree with you on how much they suck. You really are a dismal shame to this pilot group... Hopefully ALA will hire you and you can take your negativity with you. Anyone at ALA want to walk his stuff in?

How the heck would you know. You were't even here when I got hired? Don't try to act like a big shot. Heck, It took Ty a while to figure out who I was, so don't try and act like you have known who I was for a long time. My name wasn't getting passed around when I first got hired! The simple fact is we don't fly in the same conditions as they do day in and day out, so of course we aren't going to be nearly as proficient and good as the ALA pilots. If you think you are, then I don't want my family flying on your flight. Theres a difference between being based in ANC and being based in the lower 48 and flying into Alaska.

 

[mittro]

We have about 20 airports throughout the state of Alaska that are approved for
a 15 knot tailwind. ADQ being one of them!!!

 

[igneousy2]

You don't have a 10 Knot tailwind limitation?????

Like many other rules we have exemptions. They don't always make sense either. Our tailwind limit for 25R at LAX is 10 knots (over 12,0000 feet) but just about every airport in Alaska we have at least one runway that we have an exemption to go to 15 knots and they are not all long runways.

The other major one is that in the state of Alaska we do our performance in such a way that we must touchdown in the first 1,000 feet of runway as opposed to the 3,000 feet you (including Alaska Airlines) normally have in the lower 48.

Sorry Lear 70...I get your point and I agree, it definitely shouldn't matter as far as seniority list integration goes that we fly to the Arctic and Southeast. It's just a little bit of a sour point with me because I think that pilots in general have contributed to the mess we (all pilots) are in by being modest and saying how easy and safe it is to fly...not just Juneau and Sitka but SFO and JFK to. When riding in the back...I've been asked by many passengers over the years "how long will it be before there are no pilots in the front of the airplanes?"

They think they are on the F**king Disney Land Monorail....and we have only ourselves to blame.

 

[Ih8AFYesmen]

I just don't get all the hype of "how much more difficult it is flying at xx airlines". Listen, airline flying is to go from point A to point B; that's all! It ain't rocket science. Southeast flying ain't all that difficult. Different-yes but difficult-no. It's just like anything else; you get good at it with some training and experience. We've got arctic eagles here who think that they are special. Reminds me of some juvenille high school jocks.

 

[Lear70]

Sorry Lear 70...I get your point and I agree, it definitely shouldn't matter as far as seniority list integration goes that we fly to the Arctic and Southeast. It's just a little bit of a sour point with me because I think that pilots in general have contributed to the mess we (all pilots) are in by being modest and saying how easy and safe it is to fly...not just Juneau and Sitka but SFO and JFK to. When riding in the back...I've been asked by many passengers over the years "how long will it be before there are no pilots in the front of the airplanes?"

They think they are on the F**king Disney Land Monorail....and we have only ourselves to blame.

And management and the media.

I understand what you're saying, and I agree to a point. This job is not that difficult as long as nothing is going wrong and the weather is nice. However, when things go sideways, no one tends to complain about the money a pilot makes (and we're worth every last penny), and they're simply grateful for our knowledge, experience, and capabilities. That and the time we spend away from home, in my book, are why we are worth being compensated appropriately.

The next time someone asks you how long it will be until there are no pilots in the front of the planes, you could always answer, "Not too long, it's become so poorly compensated and such a large time away from home that very few people want to become pilots anymore and eventually planes will get parked for lack of pilots". See if that shuts 'em up.

 

[Old School 737]

Just for fun and to throw some more gas on this really long and off topic thread. We are currently landing on 75 foot width X 6000 feet long in PSG. Do it just about every summer in S.E. Alaska.. How bout that for my dad is better than your dad!!

 

[Kharma Police]

Just for fun and to throw some more gas on this really long and off topic thread. We are currently landing on 75 foot width X 6000 feet long in PSG. Do it just about every summer in S.E. Alaska.. How bout that for my dad is better than your dad!!

I'm impressed, just like I'm sure you are impressed that we fly to Key West, (4800'x100'). Got any more gas?!?!

 

[Ty Webb]

Just for fun and to throw some more gas on this really long and off topic thread. We are currently landing on 75 foot width X 6000 feet long in PSG. Do it just about every summer in S.E. Alaska.. How bout that for my dad is better than your dad!!

Is that Gustavus?

 

[wscrj]

Petersburg.

 

[Dash8don]

This thread is totally lame. I've done the Arctic, I've done SE, I've done ETOPS, I've done ORD, SFO, DCA, Mexico, whatever...point is I'm no more or less capable, better or worse than most of the pilots I have flown with. At one time I had never flown a 737, much less into JNU or SIT, but with proper training and direction I learned. With more experience, while still challenging, it becomes less of an "eye-opening" event. If we were to merge with Amerideltatranways, I'm quite sure those pilots who wanted to could be trained for flying into SE just like I once was and I'm sure I could be trained to fly into Key West or Tegucigalpa or wherever. The guys at AS who don't want to fly into SE or ORD or wherever, bid away from it. Most of the LAX pilots want nothing to to with SE and a lot of the ANC guys hate ORD. Just the way it is, doesn't make them any better or worse pilots.

 

[ATLplt]

Will somebody please delete this thread! It's almost as gay as watching Airways East vs West drivel. Nothing to see here folks...move along.

 

[Lear70]

Can't... doesn't violate the ToS in any way, so it stays... for better or worse.

 

[ATLplt]

Can't... doesn't violate the ToS in any way, so it stays... for better or worse.

Grrrrr...stupid rules. So, when are you coming back to the salt mines? Arbitrator ruling soon, or is that still in a holding pattern?

 

[Lear70]

Grrrrr...stupid rules. So, when are you coming back to the salt mines? Arbitrator ruling soon, or is that still in a holding pattern?

Arbitrator is *supposed* to rule within 60 days of final briefs being submitted.

That would be a week from today.

Of course, it's been known to take 6 months, regardless of the "time limits" that are in our contract. So it could be Monday, could be Friday, could be December 25th for a Christmas present this year... who knows. Just trying to patiently wait. Nothing like having your whole life in one person's hands...

 

[ATLplt]

Just trying to patiently wait. Nothing like having your whole life in one person's hands...

I couldn't even imagine it. Good luck to you. Hope you're back on property soon. :beer: