How many New Hires does your airline get?

[PA44Jockey]

Just curious to see how many regionals are actually getting new hires now. It seems that many get hired, but either fail to show up to the first day of INDOC or simply get sent home during IOE...

 

[John Pennekamp]

I'm told ASA is getting about half of those they sign up to show up.

 

[Vegaspilot99]

I've heard that SKW wants 60+ in the Nov 19th class and so far only has like 9.

 

[PositionandHold]

ASA isn't getting enough. about on average, about 25-28 a month.

Rumor has it we're going to start hiring guys with no experience and ASA will train them. Talk about desperate.

 

[siucavflight]

I heard that Mesa is getting all of the new guys.

 

[Flyer1015]

Pinnacle just had TWO new hire pilots start class on Monday (yesterday).

 

[PA44Jockey]

I have heard that Comair has actually cancelled a class.

 

[arthompson]

there may be something to the whole 0 to Airline pilot thing. I don't mean thru Jet U or some school like that. I mean internally. If it can be done in a manner that doesn't cost the airline a ton of money with instructors that are employees of the company. This way the company has knowledge of how well the person performs as a pilot. The European Carriers and many of the Asian carriers already do it.

 

[Tarzan]

From the guys that do training:

Last class scheduled 13 and 12 showed. They wanted 20 for it. They also shared that Comair had only one show for a class and it was canceled.

It will soon be a matter of time before the flying goes to whomever can staff an airline.

So far as the 0 to airline pilot things, the EU guys take a battery of tests for aptitude and ability. You don't just show up and do it. Problem there again, how do you get guys to buy into this sort of abuse and poor QOL for $19 an hour?

 

[flyf15]

Airlines that do the 0 to airline pilot thing spend a huge amount of time and money training their pilots to be GOOD pilots so that they are actually proficient and capable of being an airline pilot at 250 hours. They also then pay these pilots... who are the cream of the crop... more than twice as much for the same job than you'd get in the US.


Does anyone really think we can expect regionals in the US to train quality pilots in house? What kind of training contract would they require for them to pay for all of that? You can bet for sure they're going to make it enforceable. $150k if you leave before 8 years? I could see it.


Instead, they should take that $100,000 its going to take to train a new pilot from the start up (probably $150k+ when you consider those who fail out and all) and put it in the pilot pay instead. Thats an additional $30k/yr for a typical 5 year lifespan regional pilot. $55k/yr as an FO and $90k/yr as a CA. Thats a livable wage. If you did that, you would have your choice of all the new pilots in the country.... no other regional would get a single resume. Your staffing problem would be GONE. And not only that, but it'd be gone TOMORROW... not years from now when you get your program up and running. And, the best part, not only would your airline be staffed, but it'd be staffed with competent experienced pilots who are competing for the job. Not 200TT wonderboys who havent ever flown in a cloud before.

But, I guess I'm living in a dream world. Regional airline managements are reactionary with bandaids, not proactive with long term ideas that help everyone.

 

[OzBushWhacker]

Asa

Just as soon as they up the pay of new hires, i'd throw an app in. Might be others in same boat. Up the pay or give me a bonus to show up.

 

[ReverseSensing]

It will soon be a matter of time before the flying goes to whomever can staff an airline.

The problem is that airline management can't figure out what it takes to staff an airline.

Hint, hint:

Work rules.
Pay. (With time left over to enjoy it.)

 

[cynic]

It may be the case that if an airline pays well and charges that much more for tickets the business model doesn't work.

In other words, Americans only fly as much as we do because its as cheap as it is. Up the rate and the number of people buying tickets goes down.

 

[arthompson]

if you up the service along with the rates you will continue to attract the right kind of customer

 

[Vegaspilot99]

if you up the service along with the rates you will continue to attract the right kind of customer

Man, I miss the old days.

 

[info]

Airlines that do the 0 to airline pilot thing spend a huge amount of time and money training their pilots to be GOOD pilots so that they are actually proficient and capable of being an airline pilot at 250 hours. They also then pay these pilots... who are the cream of the crop... more than twice as much for the same job than you'd get in the US.


Does anyone really think we can expect regionals in the US to train quality pilots in house? What kind of training contract would they require for them to pay for all of that? You can bet for sure they're going to make it enforceable. $150k if you leave before 8 years? I could see it.


Instead, they should take that $100,000 its going to take to train a new pilot from the start up (probably $150k+ when you consider those who fail out and all) and put it in the pilot pay instead. Thats an additional $30k/yr for a typical 5 year lifespan regional pilot. $55k/yr as an FO and $90k/yr as a CA. Thats a livable wage. If you did that, you would have your choice of all the new pilots in the country.... no other regional would get a single resume. Your staffing problem would be GONE. And not only that, but it'd be gone TOMORROW... not years from now when you get your program up and running. And, the best part, not only would your airline be staffed, but it'd be staffed with competent experienced pilots who are competing for the job. Not 200TT wonderboys who havent ever flown in a cloud before.

But, I guess I'm living in a dream world. Regional airline managements are reactionary with bandaids, not proactive with long term ideas that help everyone.

Great post - and it wouldn't even take that much extra salary to attract new hires. There is no mystery about the difficulty in recruiting (and keeping) regional pilots (read the regional threads). You're so right that there is too much reaction and not enough thinking and planning in the regionals. I also hear about people leaving during training. Unless they're completely hopeless or downright dangerous, why not spend the extra money for a couple of sims to complete their training instead of coming up with an ab initio program?

 

[Salty Dog]

I agree w/ arthompson and Vegaspilot99.

What's worse, I envision the mgmt types deciding to cut services and race to the bottom of pay & benefits standing around the boardroom drinking Starbuck's while they're doing it.

Not 49 cent gas station coffee, mind you, but $3 extra worth of "service", "atmosphere", and all the other things they cut despite the evidence of their folly steaming in their hand.

 

[arthompson]

I agree. I had a friend bust out of training at a regional. Instead of training him in the areas they said he was lacking in they just kept repeating his phase check before his check ride.

 

[flap operator]

No problems filling classes at Mesaba. We have 2 saab classes and one class of CRJ200 and 900 each. 4-5% wash out rate as well. New hires coming in with time between about 300-3000 hours and everything in between. No relationship with places like Jet-U, All ATPs and the rest of those places.


FO

 

[Farfugnügen]

I have heard that Comair has actually cancelled a class.

Just heard another one got canned for either later this month or Dec.