MaxBlast feeling the LUV!

[fam62c]

You're obviously not an MCO Capt......

As a commuter, I need to fly blocks, and can't pickup the odd turn here and there to pad the TFP. I rarely bid on open time, and in the few times I have, have gotten exactly one POT trip.

I live and die by ELITT. This month, I started, as usual for these times, with a 87ish line with 4, 3 day pairings. I've been on ELITT dozens of times every day since the 25th and have 105 for 15 (5 frigging commutes) and that INCLUDES a POT move up, otherwise it would be 98 or so.

July and August were the same, but I gave up at 87 and 95 respectively.

Before this year, I'd bid 90ish TFP 12 day lines and have 100ish for 13 days in the first 20 minutes of ELITT on the 25th and often quite a bit more.

It's been this way most of this year and will only get worse as we are increasingly overmanned. At least there was "no harm".........

What do you suggest should be done with those extra pilots to reduce the overmanning problem?

 

[SWA Bubba]

What do you suggest should be done with those extra pilots to reduce the overmanning problem?

Maybe if we argue the same points with them often enough, they'll get so pissed off they'll go get a job elsewhere!



Uh, that's a joke, people.

It seems the company doesn't see itself as overmanned, if they're hiring 200 more pilots starting in January.

Bubba

 

[fam62c]

Maybe if we argue the same points with them often enough, they'll get so pissed off they'll go get a job elsewhere!



Uh, that's a joke, people.

It seems the company doesn't see itself as overmanned, if they're hiring 200 more pilots starting in January.

Bubba

It's likely to be a temporary situation although "temporary" could be a couple of years or more as the integration gets completed and retirements reduce the total head count over time. When everything is eventually stabilized there SHOULD be good pairing and line efficiency because there will be even more segments available to optimize pairings but who knows. At the end of the day the pay you can count on is your rate X your guarantee, that's all the company "owes" you under the contract. More credit is nice but it's not an entitlement.

 

[Tripower455]

What do you suggest should be done with those extra pilots to reduce the overmanning problem?

I have no suggestion, but keeping the 717s would've been a start. We're all just gonna have to suck it up until something changes for the better.


Thanks Gary!

 

[Ty Webb]

I have no suggestion, but keeping the 717s would've been a start. We're all just gonna have to suck it up until something changes for the better.


Thanks Gary!

AirTran HQ was near Disney, so every now and then a "Thanks for the %#@$%$# gumball, Mickey!" was appropriate.

:laugh:

 

[madjack]

There are some interesting threads on SWA pprune about a letter from SWA to FAA discussing the removal of the 717 from revenue service on 1/2015, and also a statement from GK outlining the purchase of 70+ 737-700s from Ryan and Air Berlin...that plus the SWA and AAI purchase options mean a lot of airplanes are being added(to replace the 717) , maybe not explosive growth but not bad news if true...

 

[fam62c]

There are some interesting threads on SWA pprune about a letter from SWA to FAA discussing the removal of the 717 from revenue service on 1/2015, and also a statement from GK outlining the purchase of 70+ 737-700s from Ryan and Air Berlin...that plus the SWA and AAI purchase options mean a lot of airplanes are being added(to replace the 717) , maybe not explosive growth but not bad news if true...

If they can get enough used NG's to replace the 717's that is a big step towards getting things back on track. It saves the deliveries for their original purpose, -300 replacement and growth. That would be great news if it's true. Probably going to need some more lift in TX pretty soon when things start to happen there

 

[meanstreak]

There are some interesting threads on SWA pprune about a letter from SWA to FAA discussing the removal of the 717 from revenue service on 1/2015, and also a statement from GK outlining the purchase of 70+ 737-700s from Ryan and Air Berlin...that plus the SWA and AAI purchase options mean a lot of airplanes are being added(to replace the 717) , maybe not explosive growth but not bad news if true...

Can anyone post the letter?

 

[FlyinGuy]

It is not a letter....just one post from some dude that herd it from some FAA type. Remember, it is all baloney until it is painted and in service.

 

[scoreboardII]

It is a letter from SWA to the FAA, cant link or copy as it's protected, needless to say, it spells out SWA will park any remaining 717's on 1 Jan 2015, so SWA is asking for relief to not have to have a SWA 717 training program previously approved by the FAA.

 

[DonVerita]

What we were talking about was you incessant bitching about how dicked up Southwest is in your eyes, and your juvenile whining about how the 717 with its "one push engine start" is such a better choice. BS. You don't have to be on the "cutting edge" in every aspect of technology to make money. And actually, I'm all for newer technology when it saves or makes money, but not just for your personal comfort. And "newer technology" (on the same par as the 717) already makes up the 4/5 of our fleet, with even higher technology on the way in the form of the -Max.

I'm sorry you may have to "work" a little harder when on a -300 Don, but it's pretty clear that a 737 (including our -300s) makes more money than your beloved 717 can. Yours is a pretty plane, it's easier for the pilots, but it can't make enough money for us, no matter how many bells and whistles.
THAT'S what we were talking about.

Bubba

Actually, no. That's what YOU were talking about.

I never said anything about "one push engine start", as well as some of your other fictional quotes. Nor does my "personal comfort" have anything to do with technology. Technology makes for better task automation and situational awareness thereby resulting in a safer operation. If profit were the only consideration, I'm sure SWA could acquire any number of beat up old aircraft for pennies on the dollar and go crazy with them. But that wouldn't be such a hot idea when maintenance, reliability, customer response, etc. were factored in.

It's good that the MAX is on the way. I'm looking forward to seeing a cockpit that is reported to be similar to the 787. In a previous post someone mentioned a possible good size NG order from a couple of foreign carriers to get SWA back on track with their original plan of retiring the -300/500 series; hopefully sooner rather than later.

Beyond that who knows what's on the planning board. With any luck it will be a door wide open to a plethora of international destinations using new widebody aircraft. To that end, I think we both can agree.

 

[humveedriver]

If you look at some of the early release photos of the Max cockpit, it's appears to be a glamed up NG. Not full scale departure like the 717 was compared to a DC9. You still have the "6 pack" recall master caution/warning system, instead of a modern Synoptics page. Can't speak to to the overhead, but things like the hydraulic pressure gauge are stil around with its colorful little analog gauge, and the flap indicator looks analog but is digitally represented. How much of this is done intentionally to allow pilots to fly both the NG and the Max? I'm sure alot. The gear handle is smaller and more centrally located and the flat panels are larger. News planes are new planes though, I'll take it.

 

[CHQ Pilot]

When the SWA Training Center gets all excited about the MAX because the flight number will be displayed on the screen, that's a pretty good bet the overhead is going to look almost identical to the NG. I would also be shocked if the vertical plan view and brake temp indicators shown in the Boeing release actually make it onto a SWA aircraft. Even though SWA has made a transition to automation, I would say overall the understanding in how it works is about grade school level compared to how most other airlines operate in a graduate level. That problem lies with training I feel.

 

[humveedriver]

When the SWA Training Center gets all excited about the MAX because the flight number will be displayed on the screen, that's a pretty good bet the overhead is going to look almost identical to the NG. I would also be shocked if the vertical plan view and brake temp indicators shown in the Boeing release actually make it onto a SWA aircraft. Even though SWA has made a transition to automation, I would say overall the understanding in how it works is about grade school level compared to how most other airlines operate in a graduate level. That problem lies with training I feel.

Interesting blog;

http://theflyingengineer.com/flightdeck/boeings-max-southwests-737/

 

[canyonblue]

Interesting blog;

http://theflyingengineer.com/flightdeck/boeings-max-southwests-737/

Yet as someone with skin in the game my focus is more appropriately focused on the end of the article and the statement...

Since the day of its founding, 38 years ago, Southwest has continuously made a profit.

I could care less about the rest of the article.

 

[dicko]

Interesting blog;

http://theflyingengineer.com/flightdeck/boeings-max-southwests-737/

The section of that blog referring to the Max is a little dated. There will be fly by wire in the Max - Spoilers.:cartman:

In an earlier post you referred to the lack of a synoptic page; In the image of the new Max cockpit there's a rotary switch next to the Hyd Px gauge. It has 4 small buttons above it. I'm hoping that it's a selector for system synoptic pages. Or it could be a replacement for the display selector switches that have disappeared.

The electronic bleed system may be meaningless for us, or it may mean a more advanced temp controller and a quieter cockpit. Probably the former if 'lazy Boeing' runs true to form.

Still going to be noisy, uncomfortable and profitable.

 

[humveedriver]

It's a couple of years old. SWA decided against doing the GE avionics upgrades for the classics as well. I read recently where the "bump" for the longer nose gear has been eliminated. So improvements are being made. The blog addresses that the 737 has stayed fundementally the same on the flight deck, even though they could have made it similar to either the 757/767 or the 777. The 717 flight deck is almost a two engine MD-11. Southwest has had alot of influence over the cockpit design of the 737 through the years, and if keeping the cockpit the same has made them money or reduced training cost, you can't argue that. I'm all for a cleaner design and reducing the number of spare light bulbs carried over the FO's head, but hope to keep all pilots current on the NG/Max with differences training.

 

[SWA/FO]

Hopefully he was displaced. That would serve him right. Now he'll get to experience commuting to the west coast for less money.

Good thing for him "Its Not about the money!" he will do fine.

 

[redflyer65]

Yea, the arguement was funny. It was never about the money until they realized they weren't getting the money......then it suddenly became about the money!

 

[PCL_128]

Yea, the arguement was funny. It was never about the money until they realized they weren't getting the money......then it suddenly became about the money!

Some of us still don't care about the money.