attn spirit pilots

[Beetle007]

Im pretty sure they have thousands of applicants so I don't think they are hiring Riddle graduates out of necessity. I think it is out of desire. I know many people with thousands of hours who haven't gotten a call from Spirit. Would you rather hire a 5+ year disgruntled regional pilot or a bright eyed bushy tailed university graduate. Airlines in Europe/Asia/Middle East have started hiring pilots without any experience through their cadet programs.

 

[Gearthrower]

Then why hire the Riddle Grad's, if they have so many willing applicants. As for the 5 year regional guy, why not they most likely have a degree and a few thousand hours. long run it makes more sense, also a 5 year Regional pilot will also stand strong when it comes time to vote on a contract. I do not think a Riddle grad would do the same in their first aviation job.

 

[Beetle007]

Then why hire the Riddle Grad's, if they have so many willing applicants. As for the 5 year regional guy, why not they most likely have a degree and a few thousand hours. long run it makes more sense, also a 5 year Regional pilot will also stand strong when it comes time to vote on a contract. I do not think a Riddle grad would do the same in their first aviation job.

I think you answered your own question. Why hire an experienced pilot who will expect hire compensation and stand strong during contract negotions. And they are more likely to use Spirit as a quick stepping stone.

 

[Gearthrower]

Most of those you mention are leaving because of the base closure and not because there is a better deal out there. If retention is a problem then pay more money to attract those individuals just don't hire low time pilots. There is a lack of qualified pilot, just look at all the other airline they can not attract good people.

 

[enigma]

18 month upgrade you would more than likely see one of two things also in the same day that happend. Bigfoot walking in front of you as you drove past two piggly wiggly's across the street from one another. I have been here almost severn years and have heard this lie from more than one management group. Seeing that they are hiring 300 and 400 hrs wonders from Riddle because this is all they can attract their business plan does not seem to be working all that great. They can not train because they can not get enough sim time or enough instructors take you pick it seems to be running down hill and neutral with the brakeman on a smoke break. It will take a while for this place to un-screw itself, but it will be a ruff ride in the mean time.

As others on this thread have mentioned, Spirit is having no problem attracting plenty of qualified applicants. I wish that all we could attract were 300hour wonders, but it isn't so. If it were, we'd have a much easier time fighting for more money. I believe that management is looking for controllable employees and they're afraid that anyone who's been around a few blocks won't cooperate.

As for the upgrade, notice that I said "might" as I linked that to an ever changing business plan. The point is that Spirit could be good, but only for someone who has a huge tolerance for risk because the downside is also huge and getting bigger.

I'll start looking for a Piggly Wiggly and checking for Yeti's.

 

[Capn Lucky]

Does Spirit typically attend job fairs?

 

[FLYBOYMATTHEW]

I think you answered your own question. Why hire an experienced pilot who will expect hire compensation and stand strong during contract negotions. And they are more likely to use Spirit as a quick stepping stone.

I think Beetle makes a valid point. I have heard from numerous long time Spirit pilots that there was a period of time where Spirit hired pilots that had some strikes against them in their backgrounds. This presumably was done with the belief that these folks would have a longer tenure with Spirit because they may be undesirable to other airlines. I guess this is how Spirit earned the nickname of "Land of the Misfit Toys".

By hiring green pilots, management is most assuredly going to have those pilots for a minimum of 5 years, thereby reducing the training costs and staffing issues associated with attrition. If you look at where most of Spirit's attrition has come from lately, the overwhelming majority has been from relatively junior F.O.s. who have experience, options, and little invested in the company. I'm not saying I agree with the plan, but I think that these are some of the factors that management may have considered.

 

[castle bravo]

" The point is that Spirit could be good, but only for someone who has a huge tolerance for risk because the downside is also huge and getting bigger. "



Could you elaborate on what the perception of the risks is? Post IPO issues? Safety, especially with reference to low time new hires? Merger/buyout? Fuel cost? Business model? Which risk(s) is of major concern?

 

[Beetle007]

hire=higher.....opps

 

[hopalong]

Is Spirit closing detroit?

 

[That'sHowIRoll]

Is it gonna rain tommorrow?

 

[FLYBOYMATTHEW]

I shook the Magic 8-Ball, and it said...

"Concentrate and ask again"

So I did, and it said...

"Reply hazy, try again"

Then it said...

"Better not tell you now".

So, in summary...I'm not sure if DTW is closing, or if it is going to rain tomorrow. Probably a 30% chance for either.

 

[Bighorn]

Is Spirit closing detroit?

They announced on July 31st, or earlier depending on if you are buddies with someone in management, that they were going to close DTW on Oct 1 st. They came up with a plan to close it slowly displacing 30 crews, hence the name the "dirty thirty". They then displaced 10 more about a month later. Then the actually brought back 8 FO's to DTW for December. We have lost a lot of people because of this base closure and coupled with the fact that the majors are hiring. We have lost a few to ********************bus. We have lost a lot to Virgin America. I heard that February 1st they are going to close DTW for good. I actually commute and don't trip trade and work deals to get DTW trips. I will tell you that in my honest opinion that there is no way in hell people will be able to get to work if they due in fact close DTW. Every flight to FLL I am on there are people commuting as part of their line, there are FA's, IT people, Training Dept personel, and gate agents going to training.

Are they going to close DTW?
No one knows. I don't think management knows what to do. They want sat bases to get around the contract but, they can't. They ARE going to do something really bad after the holidays to try and ram perf bid and sat bases down are throats. JC will get his own way. He hates the four days off in row thing in our contract.

You will not be based in DTW as a new hire and there is not a good chance you will ever be able to hold DTW if you weren't hired here in the first three classes of 07.

I hope this helps

 

[hopalong]

Thanks for the reply. Very informative. The reason
I was asking is because my family and I fly spirit
all the time out of DTW and hope it doesn't close.
I work at NJA and plan on staying here for as long as they'll have me.

 

[yankee]

i get your point about the 18 month upgrade being a myth but is Spirit really hiring very low time pilots?
I thought that only happened in the regional world.
Or is that once again sarcasm!? seriously.