Latest SWA rumors..

[MLBWINGBORN]

Hello fellow poolies and others..

A few fresh bits of poop straight from "Dumbo".

The latest planned classes per month are as follows..

January-2
Febuary-1
March-2
April-2
June-1
August-1

These are for a total of 180 slots thru the month of August..
This is subject to change and from what i hear an increase in class size is likely..

The latest rumor about the total number in the pool is 165..We now have 66 on the list so we need to work harder at getting more poolies to join us on the list..

There has been a change in the hiring process..In the past you could go to the DB with some records/paperwork outstanding..Not no more..

All paperwork and background checks must be completed before your package will be sent to the DB..

The old rule of thumb of not getting a "no thank you"letter within two weeks or so of your interview being good news may no longer apply..

As always..Everything is subject to change..

I want to thank you all that have worked so hard at getting the pool info..The poolie list is only as good as its members and all of you have been great..

MLBWINGBORN

 

[Magic]

Jennifer told me there was a class tentatively scheduled in early May also. Nothing about June or August yet but they are hopeful. They are interviewing in Feb (i.e. adding to the pool) so they must know something......

 

[MLBWINGBORN]

The class dates were as a result of Bob Dumbowskis comments to an interview group in Dallas.

I too have heard the story about May but Bob made no mention of anything about a class in May..

I cant help but think with all the interviewing going on that the and size and rate of classes will increase over that which is being reported..

MLBWINGBORN

 

[xhercdriver]

Ken Gile on the Avcareer TV interview thingy last week said they were hiring 180 pilots for the year...

So much conflicting info. A buddy on IOE told me the training dept had been told to gear up for as many as 3 classes per month and 650 pilots.

I guess you know something when they call ya

 

[StarrBuck]

MLBWINGBORN,

Just curious, what means have you used to arrive at the 165 number for "pool depth"? When I did my type rating about a month ago at K&S, the school owner told us there were about 100 guys in the pool.. Not sure that info was accurate... A week or so before that I think that I read that there were 250 guys? Anyones guess I suppose.

S.B.

 

[MLBWINGBORN]

No real math or science goes into that number..

As i stated at the top of the post..The "rumored" number is 165...The source of the rumor was inside the company in Dallas..

I have heard numbers thrown around as low as 100 and a high of 250..I tend to stay away from what i hear from the boards and only post info that has come from within the company in some way..

But..Like the man said..Until you get the call its all a little better than a W.A.G and a whole lot better than what you can get out of JM.

MLBWINGBORN

 

[RJones]

How does the Air Force "stop loss" affect that number, basically, of that number what percernt are "stop loss." Also, how can one gage where one is in the pool. This may give us some idea of when we may get the call.

Thanks

 

[MLBWINGBORN]

RJones

First..I notice that you havnt been put on the pool list..
If you want to be added to the list send your info to the e-mail address at the top of the list..

The number that is or may be effected by stop loss is a closely guarded secret..I have heard the percentage is less than ten percent of the total pool..The other rumor is that there was to have been some change in the stop loss people in the first part of Jan..

As far as stop loss and its effect on the pool...It depends on where you are and how many are above you in the pool..If your time for a class date comes up and the stop loss folks havnt been released..Then you go to class..

If you are close to a date and they release some stop loss folks then you get pushed back alittle if they should have gone before you..

As far as a way to figure out where you are..Im not sure that is possible beyond having all the people in the pool on the list..

The People Dept wont tell you where you are or how many are above you..

So ..I guess the closest thing to a guess is the poolie list..

If you know someone thats in the pool but not on the list..tell them to join this great board or ask them for their info and i will post it for them..The more on the poolie list the better picture of the pool we have..

Hang in there..See ya in Dallas..

MLBWINGBORN

 

[McC]

MLBWINGBORN,

Thanks for the update! Us swimmers appreciate any words we can get, and all your hard work on the poolie list!

You mention there are currently about 165 in the pool. Any idea if that includes those already starting/soon to start in January, or is this number after those that have been notified with a class date?

Slowly swimming towards Dallas...

McC

 

[MLBWINGBORN]

McC

Its my understanding that the 165 number is as of this week..

While i have no way of knowing for sure..My guess is the Jan 3rd class wouldnt be included in that number..

MLBWINGBORN

 

[StarrBuck]

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.

 

[xhercdriver]

Talked to Jennifer today, and, surprisingly enough, she was much less cryptic than usual

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...

 

[MLBWINGBORN]

Herc..

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

Nice post.

MLBWINGBORN

 

[N1atMax]

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.

 

[spife]

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

 

[vx9.tc]

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.

 

[SWA/FO]

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.