Kitty Hawk

[countbat]

You guys at Kitty are still in business? Not too many news from you guys. Any growth? A lot of pilots in furlough? Not closing the doors, aren't you?

 

[727gm]

Still in business, out of BK, 727's and 737's, owned mostly by the (former)creditors, so consequently somewhat risk-averse, but doin' OK. Roughly 100(?) on furlough, but the last man back was from pretty far down the list....ALPA since 01Jan2004...5 nights a week thru Wayne's World (FWA hub) to as far afield as San Juan. KHK on American Stock Exch.

 

[Midnight Flyer]

How's the 737 working out for you guys. You don't see 737 freighters too often. How many positions can you carry in that thing.

Midnight

 

[classof75]

Kitty Hawk emerged from BK in Oct of 01. The 737-300 are working well as they have the ability to carry 8 1/2 pstns from Fort Wayne to anywhere in the country with impressive fuel savings. Kitty Hawk management is conservative. The majority of the remaining pilots on furlough were furloughed prior to 9/11 and so where able to. At the end of 5 years of furlough any remaining pilots (on furlough) drop off the list. My best guess is that there will be hiring in 2007 as that is when the flood gates start to tricke due to age 60 retirements.

 

[countbat]

Thanks for the infos. Nice to hear KHA is still around. Should I understand that the furloughed guys after 5 years are ou of the system? Does that mean if the company will start hire again can get anybody off the street without recalling its own people first? That must be tough on those poor bas$%ds!

 

[classof75]

Yes,after 5 years furloughed pilots have no right to be recalled at Kitty Hawk. However, most of those pilots who are still on furlough were hired after Kitty Hawk entered Chptr 11 in may of 2000. the last class was notified that they would be furloughed UPON finishing of their FE type rating which Kitty Hawk was paying for. So, these pilots knew they were being hired by a company that was already in chapter 11 and they were allowed to Finish their FE type training before being furloughed...with five year recall rights.
Most of those still on furlough went to work for the regionals or the fractionals and the majority are still there and will not be coming back to Kitty Hawk anyway. Many of the 100 still on furlough have had the opportunity to come back but have passed on the opporunity.

 

[countbat]

Actualy I recall to have meet one KHA guy - kind of funny about whole deal - saying that how they were promised at hiring date upgrade within 6 month, Captain within 1 year, 757 within 2 years.

 

[classof75]

At the peak of the kitty hawk hiring alot of people upgraded from FE to FO within 6 months( circa 1999/early2000). Within the space of a year kitty hawk went from aprox. 150 pilots to 350 pilots. Those hired in 98 were able to make captain in 2000. Many captains were hired off the street to fill the slots. I recall the 757 talk from mgmt as a possible future airplane but for now the (back in 2000) the future would be the 727 as oil was 27$/barrell.

 

[countbat]

What is your first year pay? I have heard 60$/hr with 40 hours guarantee per Bid period. 14 Bid periods. Is that so?

 

[classof75]

www.airlinepilotpay.com has all the kitty hawk rates. Yes, the min. guarantee is 40 hours however you have the ability to be bid and be awarded open time prior to the bid period starting. As an example, pilot A is going on vacation for the first week of the next bid period. Pilot A was scheduled to fly in that first week...now that he is going on vacation his week of flying (say 25 hours) goes on the open time board....pilot B bids on the open time and is awarded same. The open time award is now added to Pilot B's basic award of 45 hours....45+25=70 hours. Pilot B's new gaurantee is now 70 hours....even if he only flies 50 hours he still gets paid for the 70 hours no matter what. We also get 100% of our hourly rate for jumpseating on our own aircraft on company assignment. We get airline tickets to and from work in most cases...we work a basic two on two off....and the average two week line is 45 hours (see above example).

I checked with scheduling today and I was told that we have 30 pilots on the street with recall rights. There is a rumor floating around (as of this week) that we will be recalling 11 more pilots in the new year (take it for what is worth). My guess is that the 30 still on the street will not be coming back to fill any slots as they have jobs elsewhere.