Yahtzee
Season Ticket Holder
- Joined
- Apr 21, 2002
- Posts
- 301
For SWA poolies
First of all, congratulations! I know many of you are very busy, but I was thinking is there anything I can do to make a poolies transition to SWA any easier. You probably know about the first few days of SWA training but here's some things you might not have considered.
If you get a chance, look at the SW flows prior to showing up if you can. The PTT (Part Task Trainer) will be packed starting in January with classes just two weeks apart.
My biggest piece of advice: Think long and hard before selling your house and moving unless you have a fool proof plan of where you are moving!
In case your wondering why I rambing about selling a house and moving, here's the dumbest thing I have ever done in my life. Just before SW called me for an interview, I had moved into a new home in a non-SWA city. Before going to Dallas, I got the "bright idea" to sell my house and move to a SWA city sometime after training. I listed my house about week 3 of training. My house sold in less than 24 hours of being listed and I had to move out days after my IOE. I have been homeless since mid August.
Moving back to my old neighborhood isn't an option as the prices literally skyrocketed after I closed on my house the first time. Yeah, I made a profit on the sell, but it can't offset the rise in prices in the area. Staying put would have been a much better option, and sometimes "doing nothing" makes a lot of sense.
IMOH don't complicate your life and add more stress (like becoming homeless) right after training. Another guy in my class tried to top my "stupid human trick". He was trying to get his family back to a SWA city where he and his family had lived just four years earlier. He and his family moved from the west coast to the east coast, before realizing it was too late in the year to find a house and get his kids in school before classes start. After a few months of trying to find an affordable house he ended up dragging his family back to the west coast to get his kids in school before the first bell rang. In both cases we thought we were making our lives better by trying to move near a pilot base. In the end we only made things more stressful and complicated than they needed to be. Please don't follow our examples of moving without a plan of moving in. Moving isn't a bad idea and I'm not telling you not to move. Just think about the timing of your move and possible ramifications if you don't get settled into a new place quickly.
On a more positive note here are some links and things you might want to consider either before you get to Dallas or soon after starting class.
1) www.fmcguide.com/books.html#fug
Look for the 737SW COCKPIT COMPANION (300-500-700 Southwest version) Great book to summarize systems. Easier to read than the Flight Reference Manauls (FRMs) Caveat: the company issued FRMs take precedence over this book.
2) www.scottleather.com/ For leather Pubs Bags
3) www.luggageworksonline.com/ For Overnight Bags
Lots of options here as pilots use a lot of different bags from various companies...the ones from Luggageworksonline.com are popular but very heavy compared to some of the other ones. DON'T FEEL COMPELLED TO BUY THIS STUFF BEFORE YOU GET TO DALLAS as a marketing rep from various companies will come to the Training Center every week. You'll get a chance to look at bags from Scott's Leather, Luggageworksonline, etc in the break room. You’ll have plenty of time to order overnight bags if you don’t already have a good one when you get to Dallas. IMHO having the pubs bag is nice starting on day one. They give you a lot of stuff early and you will be moving from one classroom to another every few days or so.
For the overnight bags, the 103NG Model Bag is 14" wide but the company can make a version without the side pockets which tend to snag on 300/500s. I have the 14" version w/ the side pockets but I leave the sides empty and the bag fits ok in a 300/500. I have to grab the bottom of it after reaching over the small jumpseat behind the Capt’s Side to pull it into the storage area. (Easily done, but I plan to get the pockets remove and use a loaner bag from my brother in the meantime.)
The 102 NG version is only 13" and fits nicer in the 300/500s, but several of my friends mention the zippers have broken on their bags. Unlike the 14" version, the zippers are on the edge of the bag, which tend to take some damage. These bags fit in 300/500 without any extra effort.
The Costco bag is another great bag with a lifetime warranty for $89. Tumi makes a bag with lifetime warranty but is more expensive.
4) http://landerwoodshirts.com/ The style #700 are tapered) These shirts run slightly large in my opinion...i.e., order your true size or even consider ordering a 1/2 size smaller
5) www.pilotshirts.com/ (Tapered Oxford Flap Short sleeve Style Code: TOFS) These shirts seem to run smaller therefore order a 1/2 size bigger (They even mention this on their website....see FAQs)
6) www.marvgolden.com Various Pilot Supplies
7) www.crewoutfitters.com Various Pilot Supplies
Not that you need to think about this just yet, but SWA requires you to purchase three pairs of pants and the Navy blue jacket from Cintas. You can get your shirts from any vendor. You'll need shirts prior to starting your IOE. The shirts can't have button down collars, or holes (for wings I assume). You can buy ties from the Training Center and at the crew bases (even the Dallas pilot base). The Flight Operations Manual specifies the kind of shoes that are allowed. Pretty much anything black within reason works. You see Ropers, captoes, etc. I recommend something comfortable which are "airport friendly"...ones that you don't have to take off for the TSA. www.zappos.com
Headsets vs the molded earpiece: I have both, the earpiece feels like something that doesn't belong in my ear. Tried it for about a month. Just didn't like it so I ordered a noise canceling Sennheiser HMEC 45-KAS (Stereo). This works much better for me.
Hope my rambling helps in some small way.
Congrats again to those waiting to start. And to those who didn't get picked up, please consider reapplying. There is no doubt SWA has turned downed some outstanding people and picked them up on their second, third and even fourth attempt.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Yahtz
P.S. Here are the pilot base links if you've never seem them.
www.bwipilotbase.com
www.dalpilotbase.com
www.houpilotbase.com
www.mcopilotbase.com
www.mdwpilotbase.com
www.oakpilotbase.com
www.phxpilotbase.com
First of all, congratulations! I know many of you are very busy, but I was thinking is there anything I can do to make a poolies transition to SWA any easier. You probably know about the first few days of SWA training but here's some things you might not have considered.
If you get a chance, look at the SW flows prior to showing up if you can. The PTT (Part Task Trainer) will be packed starting in January with classes just two weeks apart.
My biggest piece of advice: Think long and hard before selling your house and moving unless you have a fool proof plan of where you are moving!
In case your wondering why I rambing about selling a house and moving, here's the dumbest thing I have ever done in my life. Just before SW called me for an interview, I had moved into a new home in a non-SWA city. Before going to Dallas, I got the "bright idea" to sell my house and move to a SWA city sometime after training. I listed my house about week 3 of training. My house sold in less than 24 hours of being listed and I had to move out days after my IOE. I have been homeless since mid August.
Moving back to my old neighborhood isn't an option as the prices literally skyrocketed after I closed on my house the first time. Yeah, I made a profit on the sell, but it can't offset the rise in prices in the area. Staying put would have been a much better option, and sometimes "doing nothing" makes a lot of sense. IMOH don't complicate your life and add more stress (like becoming homeless) right after training. Another guy in my class tried to top my "stupid human trick". He was trying to get his family back to a SWA city where he and his family had lived just four years earlier. He and his family moved from the west coast to the east coast, before realizing it was too late in the year to find a house and get his kids in school before classes start. After a few months of trying to find an affordable house he ended up dragging his family back to the west coast to get his kids in school before the first bell rang. In both cases we thought we were making our lives better by trying to move near a pilot base. In the end we only made things more stressful and complicated than they needed to be. Please don't follow our examples of moving without a plan of moving in. Moving isn't a bad idea and I'm not telling you not to move. Just think about the timing of your move and possible ramifications if you don't get settled into a new place quickly.
On a more positive note here are some links and things you might want to consider either before you get to Dallas or soon after starting class.
1) www.fmcguide.com/books.html#fug
Look for the 737SW COCKPIT COMPANION (300-500-700 Southwest version) Great book to summarize systems. Easier to read than the Flight Reference Manauls (FRMs) Caveat: the company issued FRMs take precedence over this book.
2) www.scottleather.com/ For leather Pubs Bags
3) www.luggageworksonline.com/ For Overnight Bags
Lots of options here as pilots use a lot of different bags from various companies...the ones from Luggageworksonline.com are popular but very heavy compared to some of the other ones. DON'T FEEL COMPELLED TO BUY THIS STUFF BEFORE YOU GET TO DALLAS as a marketing rep from various companies will come to the Training Center every week. You'll get a chance to look at bags from Scott's Leather, Luggageworksonline, etc in the break room. You’ll have plenty of time to order overnight bags if you don’t already have a good one when you get to Dallas. IMHO having the pubs bag is nice starting on day one. They give you a lot of stuff early and you will be moving from one classroom to another every few days or so.
For the overnight bags, the 103NG Model Bag is 14" wide but the company can make a version without the side pockets which tend to snag on 300/500s. I have the 14" version w/ the side pockets but I leave the sides empty and the bag fits ok in a 300/500. I have to grab the bottom of it after reaching over the small jumpseat behind the Capt’s Side to pull it into the storage area. (Easily done, but I plan to get the pockets remove and use a loaner bag from my brother in the meantime.)
The 102 NG version is only 13" and fits nicer in the 300/500s, but several of my friends mention the zippers have broken on their bags. Unlike the 14" version, the zippers are on the edge of the bag, which tend to take some damage. These bags fit in 300/500 without any extra effort.
The Costco bag is another great bag with a lifetime warranty for $89. Tumi makes a bag with lifetime warranty but is more expensive.
4) http://landerwoodshirts.com/ The style #700 are tapered) These shirts run slightly large in my opinion...i.e., order your true size or even consider ordering a 1/2 size smaller
5) www.pilotshirts.com/ (Tapered Oxford Flap Short sleeve Style Code: TOFS) These shirts seem to run smaller therefore order a 1/2 size bigger (They even mention this on their website....see FAQs)
6) www.marvgolden.com Various Pilot Supplies
7) www.crewoutfitters.com Various Pilot Supplies
Not that you need to think about this just yet, but SWA requires you to purchase three pairs of pants and the Navy blue jacket from Cintas. You can get your shirts from any vendor. You'll need shirts prior to starting your IOE. The shirts can't have button down collars, or holes (for wings I assume). You can buy ties from the Training Center and at the crew bases (even the Dallas pilot base). The Flight Operations Manual specifies the kind of shoes that are allowed. Pretty much anything black within reason works. You see Ropers, captoes, etc. I recommend something comfortable which are "airport friendly"...ones that you don't have to take off for the TSA. www.zappos.com
Headsets vs the molded earpiece: I have both, the earpiece feels like something that doesn't belong in my ear. Tried it for about a month. Just didn't like it so I ordered a noise canceling Sennheiser HMEC 45-KAS (Stereo). This works much better for me.
Hope my rambling helps in some small way.
Congrats again to those waiting to start. And to those who didn't get picked up, please consider reapplying. There is no doubt SWA has turned downed some outstanding people and picked them up on their second, third and even fourth attempt.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Yahtz
P.S. Here are the pilot base links if you've never seem them.
www.bwipilotbase.com
www.dalpilotbase.com
www.houpilotbase.com
www.mcopilotbase.com
www.mdwpilotbase.com
www.oakpilotbase.com
www.phxpilotbase.com
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