Mesaba Airlines To Operate Crj900s

[xjhawk]

nice!

Well, that would only be the loss of 508 positions if the DC9 were to go away.

Are you saying you have any knowledge of this being thier plans with the feeders to be the DC9 replacement?

I keep seeing very evasive commitments (by both MEC and NWA) to future DC9 flying, with comments like "any attrition will be more than offset by new positions on the 787, 330, and 757" Uh-huh. Except if you are on the bottom that's where you will stay.

Still waiting for those 1000 geezers to take thier pension and run.

now that they have most of their pensions, they should leave!

 

[AvroGuy]

when NWA has mesaba how does this fit into the scope? we are now a nwa company, not a 3rd party. whats the cap for an nwa owned airlink? what about flow thru?

American has scope a clause that effects eagle. We are onwed by the same parent but still affected by the scope clause

 

[Mesabi Miner]

4.5 crew per airplane (9 pilots per plane) Probably only 93 of the current 220 furloughed will return. Hiring off the street by mid summer.

And, future FO's, if you know what's best for you, you will avoid working for any of the Red Tail careers. Stay away - and I'm serious.

A. Friend.

 

[whaleroast]

And, future FO's, if you know what's best for you, you will avoid working for any of the Red Tail careers. Stay away - and I'm serious.

A. Friend.

Amen.

 

[captain dad]

I was lazy / content to sit at XJ for years and hope my life was going to get better. Since 9/11 it never did. I made a big effort to get out and did. I am still flying. I started my new job at the equivalent to eight year Saab Captain pay, (that's starting). Also I will never regret cutting my ties with all the NWA SCUM.

I suggest you all look really hard at other companies. I wish you all luck but you need to get out.

This expansion is good but it will take a minimum of 3 years to get back to where xj was a couple of years ago.

The downward cycle is over. If you want to ride the next wave now is the time.

 

[Occam's Razor]

Well, that would only be the loss of 508 positions if the DC9 were to go away.

The DC-9 is not going away as a result of a new long-range plan at NWA. It's going away on the timeline NWA managment gave the pilot group in '99. They've stuck to that "parking" plan ever since. They adjusted the DC-9-10 parking schedule by 6-months...keeping those jets longer than they predicted they would. They did a weird "panic-park" in '02, which was reversed later that year. They lost 2 hulls to mishaps in '04 that weren't planned (fuel truck and the "ram jet"), but the annual totals have been +/- 4 for each year since '99.

The trigger is 104,000 cycles for each hull.

They've been adjusting the number of operational spares in the system since '02, but ALPA has been able to track the firm number of aircraft in the fleet via insurance. A "parked" airplane is not insured...a "ready spare" is.

Are you saying you have any knowledge of this being thier plans with the feeders to be the DC9 replacement?

You mean other than what they've made very obvious over the past 4-years? Not that I can post. If you remember the Roadshows for the new contract, it included two slides that addressed the staffing impact of the new terms overlaid on the nominal fleet plan. During the Q&A sessions at both Roadshows I attended, a question was asked about future of wide-body and narrow-body flying. The answers to those questions was the source of my prediction in the previous post.

I keep seeing very evasive commitments (by both MEC and NWA) to future DC9 flying, with comments like "any attrition will be more than offset by new positions on the 787, 330, and 757" Uh-huh. Except if you are on the bottom that's where you will stay.

What's to doubt? The DC-9 parking schedule was posted on the Council 1 bulletin board in June, 1999. It's held firm since then with only minor annual deviations.

And from a pure staffing standpoint, widebodies require more pilots to operate for a number of reasons...only one of which is daily utilization rate. Augmentation is a big driver. In addition, widebody pilots tend to be older and more senior...and senior pilots have more vacation, call in sick more often, and work in management jobs (but hold a bid position in the category).

Still waiting for those 1000 geezers to take thier pension and run.

You and me both, brother!

I think we'll see an uptick in pilots taking the PERP once NWA exits Chapter 11, and they break out their calculators. In the meantime I keep offering to buy all B747-400 captains deep-fried egg yolks with lard sauce!

 

[xjhawk]

I am at the bottom of the list of the non-furloughed pilots at XJ, I think i am somewhere in the 550 number range. That said, we are a bit over staffed right now, but have a high attrition. Now after some simple math, I think with 36 new aircraft, I might (might)be able to upgrade to a bad memphis saab line in a little over a year. yeah! I cannot wait to live thesame crappy life i am living then as I am now....commuting to a bad schedule all for some much wanted PIC time to get out of here. That means I will be a 6 year fo transitioning to a saab capt....whats that in dollars......maybe 50 grand a year? Great! Better than the 29 i am at now..........wait! We are getting shiny new jets........and I will be in the pink turbo prop still....why am I happy? Oh thats right, all the majors will be hiring....or in the next down swing when i get my 1000 pic.............late night ramblings.....

 

[Ridgeback]

Sounds like you need to quit

 

[Fly4hire]

Well, that would only be the loss of 508 positions if the DC9 were to go away.

Ooops ~1016 positions, that was just F/O's :bomb:

 

[redflyer65]

XJhawk,

Take a look at the fractionals. There is a thread recently on 50 grand first year at Netjets. I don't work at a fractional, but if I had it to do all over I really think that's the way I would go. Just a thought.

RF

 

[saabservant]

How bout some cheese with the whine?

xj hawk,
You whine about no chance to upgrade, yet you won't bite the bullet and go elsewhere where it is possible because of family, or something else.
You accuse your mec of screwing the fo's out of the claim, yet you have absolutely NO IDEA of how allocation is formulated (and even if an Avro pilot is still getting avro pay, it is 5.5% less than before Dec. 1. And, the claim is for concessions going FORWARD from Dec. 1. Being stuck as fo is irrelevant to the claim.) Check your email for claim road show dates, and how about reading the updates?
You, like the rest of us are a sap for hoping for something better at a red-tail regional. Maybe it's time for a career change...

Finally, a personal shot, which I can't restrain anymore.
Are you an educated, professional pilot, or a high school dropout?
Your writing skills suggest the latter.

 

[xjhawk]

thanks....

XJhawk,

Take a look at the fractionals. There is a thread recently on 50 grand first year at Netjets. I don't work at a fractional, but if I had it to do all over I really think that's the way I would go. Just a thought.

RF

I have thought about that, and I do not want to move to columbus, or where ever.....I heard really good things about them though....cannot leave minneapolis, i waited 7 years while in the army to get a dog, i am not giving her up now over a job when I am making my mortgage (barely) besides, I made a decision to ride the XJ/redtail wave while i wait for pic. Jumping ship right now might mean giving up too much

 

[SplitBar]

I was lazy / content to sit at XJ for years and hope my life was going to get better. Since 9/11 it never did. I made a big effort to get out and did. I am still flying. I started my new job at the equivalent to eight year Saab Captain pay, (that's starting). Also I will never regret cutting my ties with all the NWA SCUM.

I suggest you all look really hard at other companies. I wish you all luck but you need to get out.

This expansion is good but it will take a minimum of 3 years to get back to where xj was a couple of years ago.

The downward cycle is over. If you want to ride the next wave now is the time.

FedEx or SWA or Corporate?

 

[xjhawk]

You sir are funny

xj hawk,
You whine about no chance to upgrade, yet you won't bite the bullet and go elsewhere where it is possible because of family, or something else.
You accuse your mec of screwing the fo's out of the claim, yet you have absolutely NO IDEA of how allocation is formulated (and even if an Avro pilot is still getting avro pay, it is 5.5% less than before Dec. 1. And, the claim is for concessions going FORWARD from Dec. 1. Being stuck as fo is irrelevant to the claim.) Check your email for claim road show dates, and how about reading the updates?
You, like the rest of us are a sap for hoping for something better at a red-tail regional. Maybe it's time for a career change...

I made my choices, how I write on a message board, is a lot different from when I do it professionally. Now as for education, lets compare. Where did you go>? I bet it was not a big ten university like mine????? was it St cloud? could you not get into the U of Mn? I bet you could not. Or was it a state school in N dakota? My GPA was very above average, how was yours.....if you even graduated from a school. Now as for a career change, yes I thought about it, but i like flying too much so I made a decision to stick it out. Oh and by the way, I like the people at mesaba, so I will not take this too personally. I just know there are some idiots out there, you sir are one of them.

Oh and about the union screwing the FO's. Look around at all the other MEC's out there, ours is just following the tracks laid by them. Using attorneys to justify who gets what money (claim) is like using statistics to prove a point. Since you do not get that, I will explain. You can use about any information and twist it until the end outcome suits your (senior captains) needs. I know I will be a captain at XJ sooner rather than later, but my point is that this entire situation sucks, its just the FO's must pay their dues a little longer than those who got here before them...and were lucky enough to upgrade in a year.....boohoo you have had a tough life and deserve more money than I

Finally, a personal shot, which I can't restrain anymore.
Are you an educated, professional pilot, or a high school dropout?
Your writing skills suggest the latter.

i laff att these, pleeze right moore

 

[saabservant]

Ah, you mixed your response with my quote. Your computer skills suck, too.
See yaaa

 

[wmudriver]

Glad to hear my old buddies at XJ got a break!

Before the slap on the back and towel whipping begins...just remember those aren't growth airplanes. Those are Avro replacements...there were 13 (or 11, can't remember) Saabs parked too. Hopefully you'll get more growth not only to get people called back but to trigger snap backs.

When was the last time good news came out on a friday?

 

[XJohXJ]

I think they choose Friday to give a few days to cover up NWA ALPA's objections to the deal! It's not good news until they are on property, and XJ guys are flying them.

 

[xjhawk]

yes my computer skills suck, so does my typing, and i give a crap about grammar here on the hanger. Anyways I would like to add that Our MEC is making a decision or announcing a decision on Monday. I will say that they have a hard job, since they have to piss everyone off, since most will think its fair to allocate the bulk of the cash towards them. I just hope its not too heavily slanted towards the senior guys. Oh and I will be there on thursday to see the road show. But I know this, using number or statistics to prove the right way to distribute the cash can be manipulated. Oh, did I mention the A I got in statistics in college? ha ha see you at the road show, hope they are serving beer instead of coolaid