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Last night I was thinking about all of these numbers, and I really think that there will be more than 180 people trained this year. It does not make sense that if there are 165 folks in the pool, that they would be interviewing as aggressively as they are to come up with an additional 15 pilots. I am wondering if they are "really sure" they need 180 guys, but still keeping quiet about many more that they may need?

Anyway, just some more thoughts...

From the bottom of the pool, StarrBuck out.
 
Talked to Jennifer today, and, surprisingly enough, she was much less cryptic than usual :p

She told me that I was "most likely" going to class in April (interviewed mid-June, selected late-July, typed early-Sept, so you don't have to go look it up) ;) She indicated that I would be in the early April class if stop-loss is still in effect, and the later one if the military guys are released (from which you could infer that the number of stop-loss-affected guys in the pool is about one class or so--I guess).

She said they were now planning at least one class in MAY. Wouldn't guess as to classes after that, or total numbers for the year, but she did say that there was a possibility that the class size would go up (26 vice the 20 they do now). She said they typically forecast by quarters, and in the past, they (the People Dept) would be given about a 3/4 year forecast, but they were being "more cautious" now so they weren't looking more than about one quarter ahead (so maybe in March or so, more news about May-July?)

As for stop-loss, I have no "inside info," other than a third-hand account from someone at AMC HQ that they probably wouldn't even consider lifting it before the Spring, BUT I do have some buddies still flying active duty airlift, and their squadrons are basically starting to see a lot of extra tasking now. What's happening is that the Guard and Reserve are being called on to do a lot of the "homeland defense" and support thereof. This takes them out of their "normal" pre-9/11 routine, part of which was to take some of the pressure off of the active units on their overseas commitments. SO....as the Guard/Reserve get more work to do over HERE, they and the active duty guys get spread pretty thin over THERE, and end up having to work at a higher "opstempo," with a higher frequency of overseas deployments for the active duty guys. That would seem to suggest that the head cheeses will have a "good excuse" to keep the stop-loss in effect, whether it's really "justifiable" by the actual war situation or not. But that's just my opinion...
 
Herc..

What ever it is ..Keep doing it as long as she keeps talking..

Nice post.

MLBWINGBORN
 
Hello poolies!
Jennifer called yesterday and asked if i was still available with a two weeks notice. I said of "yes" (of course). She said "as of now I was to be slotted for the Feb 21 class". The only thing that could change that would be a bunch of stop loss guys getting released, which would move me to the first march class. So its time to blow the dust off the books. So you don't have to look it up:

Applied Aug of 2000, no type.
Got the call for an interview letter in Jan 2001.
Interviewed March 19,2001.
Notified to get a type on May 6,2001
Typed AUG 7, 2001.
Put in pool Aug 8,2001.
Pre Sept 11 class date was an "expect Nov 2001."
Post Sept 11 class date is expect 21 Feb 2002.
 
SWA Swim Team Update

Hello All,

Jennifer called today and told me to expect the Mar 7 class, dependent upon the stop loss.

My info:
Interviewed May 14
Typed Aug 16 (slight typo on the Pool List)

"LUV to see ya in Dallas"

spife
 
From a recent SWA Newsletter:

We took delivery of two new –700 aircraft on the 2nd and 7th of January. These replaced N60SW and N63SW which have been returned to the owner. Two more aircraft will be delivered in late January/early February for planned service increases on the East Coast.

Our first new hire class began on January 3rd and the second will start on January 17th. Currently, we plan one class in February, two in March and April, one in May, and one in August. Class size will be twenty each.

We continue to get good quality Pilot applications on a daily basis and we will interview every month in the foreseeable future. The military’s “Stop Loss” program has affected many of our applicants’ availability, but they plan to update their manning requirements in the next thirty to sixty days. There are some very minor changes to both the application requirement and procedures the information is available on the Southwest Airlines website (southwest.com)

Currently, we have thirty-five of our pilots on long term (1yr. or longer) military leave.

Hope this info sheds some glimmers of hope. This recently went out to the whole Flight Dept so I'd assume it's real good gouge.
 
Hang in there guys

Hang in there guys.... Its a great place to be. You guys will be here sooner then you think. I have heard all the above stories and believe that 500 + will be the number of pilots this year.
 

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