Mesaba question

[WrightAvia]

whatever became of the 146 IP that

quit Mesaba for a confirmed class date at Northwest Airlines, only to have that class cancel post 9/11, leaving him jobless for a while? I heard from D*nny Ch*pm*n (an ex RJ85 fo)now over at FDX, that 146 instructor pilot got back in at Mesaba with some union finangling...I even saw him taxing as capt in one of the RJ85's last year at MEM. Was this IP able to get back in as an RJ85 captain with his OLD seniority number or did he have to take a seniority number at the bottom of the pile?

(sorry, it's a little off subject, but I had to ask)

 

[othello]

Mesaba2425,
I don't know where and whom you fly with but every single pilot that I have flown with over the last 3-4 month thinks we we'll have to strike to get what we where prommised in 96 and I feel we deserve. That is a contract on par with the other top regionals.

An AirWisconson RJ 85 2ed year FO is making 42$ an hr while a 2ed yr Mesaba FO on the same equipment flying in the same region of the country is payed 24$ hr to do the same job. It's time for things to change.

Pilots around here are angry and will do what ever it takes to get a new fair contract.

 

[Simon Says]

2425,

We will see won't we.

 

[avrodriver]

I posteds this elsewhere as well but was curious if anyone was going to challenge my reasoning:

I am not excited to be at the regional level right
now and to be moving to another brings absolutely no security. I think we
will have a new contract by year end. But I do not believe things will be
changing over night, if we get the jets.....anyone thinking things will move
quickly is dreaming. I am 266 numbers away from being the last guy on
reserve as a Saab Cpt.........that number is not getting smaller, it's
getting bigger. The first NW orders that have not been assigned to a
carrier can be delivered in late 2004/early 2005, even a very modest
delivery rate of two airplanes a month (what 5 cpt's an airplane) means
about 10 guys upgrading a month so about 2 years or so, and that's from
first delivery........and that's to be the last reserve captain on a
Saab. I am over 2 years deep already, the most optimistic thing that can happen (this is totally ignoring the fact that Big Sky may still be a player) is if jets start arriving a year and a half from now. Then we wait the two more years for our turn to upgrade and where are we??? A six year veteran with 10 days off (ok maybe 11 or 12 with a new contract), sitting last bottom bitch on reserve in a Saab in Memphis. That fact plus Big Sky is what is making me leave, they bought Big Sky
for a reason, I hope that reason doesn't end up screwing Mesaba pilots, but
it is a very real fact that no one has been able to offer me comfort about.
I think Mesaba will get jets, but who is to say it is going to be in the
near future. Big Sky could easily get the next batch while we continue NW's new mission for us which was already spelled out by making Express all jet, We will continue to be the home of all the Saabs until the day Northwest decides that they do not want them in their fleet, there is no rush to get rid of B models, but when they finally did want to, then they could give us the jets .......i could go all
day. I just wish things didn't have to be this hard. =)-AD

 

[Hollywood]

what do you care? Are you looking for a date? HA!

 

[Cargoboy]

Avrodriver

Very interesting. Go on and elaborate if you can. Me being in the position to move from 135 to 121, I often wonder if waiting another 6 months to a year wouldn't be the best thing to do. Heard if you don't have a letter of rec. from the airline you are trying to get into you can have a longer wait for that position. But like you said, The number you are at (which would be dead last for me if I were lucky enough to get an offer) is rather scary with all of the furloughs and who knows what is going on out there that is our economy right now. Currently I am the senior pilot and can pick my schedule. Is a risk at this time worth it? I could easily (with my luck) see my myself get the furlough and really hurt my family. Not to say that you shouldn't expect at least once in your life to get a furough but right now it seems a lot easier with all of the changes going on on the industry and contract negotiations.
Just weighing out my options and trying to make the smartest decision for me career wise and financial wise.
Thanks for the input there.
Hope I made sense here.

 

[Metropilot]

Remember, Mesaba Airlines is tied to Northwest only...by contract. Mesaba Airlines cant fly anything else.

Have you heard of the RJ bids coming from Mesaba for UAL routes during the restructure? HHHmmmmm Well it sure isnt going to be for Mesaba Air. Your hands are tied.

Remember the ALPA scope clause between NWA and Mesaba?
HHHmmmm. That is your union.

ALPA looks out for number one.

 

[SilentDave]

Big Sky

Latest rumors are that we will have Dash 8's as soon as possible and RJ's by years end if not sooner. No mention yet of retiring our beloved Metros

 

[Mayday911]

So, word is that Big Sky is going to be acquiring Dash 8s in the near future!!

Who is getting sold out so that Big Sky's pilots get to fly Dash 8s?Mesaba...no wait that already happenned. Enjoy the RJs.

Mayday.

 

[Simon Says]

Silent Dave,

My guess is that the Dash 8 your hearing could turn into Saabs. (that Mesaba is retiring.) Any truth to the rumor that A model Saabs showing up in Billings?

 

[ImbracableCrunk]

Union Buster or Pilot?

Mesaba2425,

Your views don't seem like any I've heard on the line. You could be that part of the 2% that won't want a strike. In any case, it doesn't take a unanimous decision for a strike, so I think you're wrong.

I'm willing to give you the benefit of the doubt as to whether you're a line pilot or not - if you can answer a few simple questions an XJ SAAB FO would know.

Which plane is easier to taxi: A model or B model?

When preflighting the, FO will often find two breakers popped or collared. Which ones and why?

I think all SAAB FOs would know these questions. And if you're not an XJ pilot, don't forget to bill Mesaba for the time you spend hunting down the answers.

 

[Iced Up]

Flyn96 made a comment about Mesaba going all jet, if..."those a$$ wipers at Big Sky don't do it for us."

Remind me, who bought who here?? Big Sky pilots didn't go to Mesaba pleading to be bought so that they can turn around and screw Mesabab pilots. If you want to blame somebody, blame management at Mesaba. It's their tactics.

 

[SilentDave]

Supposedly the Saabs are no longer being considered because of the performance hit they would take at our higher altitudes. I've never flown the Saab so I have no idea if it's true or not.

 

[Simon Says]

Silent Dave,

Yeah the A's don't particularly perform all that well above 10. How high do get those Metros above the peaks in Montana and around?

P.S. Don't take anything to heart from Mesaba 2425. He is some screwball playing games.

On another note, how did you guys feel about the ad ALPA put out in the Billings Gazette? Just curious? Personally, I felt it was a bit confrentational.

 

[SilentDave]

Most of the airports (term used very loosely) we operate at are in the 3500' - 6000' range and we are usually filed between 19,000' and 24,000'. The Metros aren't exactly powerhorses either, but with the alcohol/water injection we at least get them off the ground. Kind of a hokey system.

Thanks for the positive words, but in this business you quickly grow a thick skin. Particularly since the Mesaba deal. We were astounded that anybody would want to aquire us. We're a nobody in the middle of nowhere quietly minding our own business for the last 20 something years. I personally didn't vote for the contract for several reasons that don't really mater now. I am sorry for the way yall have been treated, and if the situation was reversed I would certainly be pi55ed as well.

The whole ALPA thing was really surreal. They don't say anything until after the vote was already done, and then they throw a fit and expect some sort of revote. The next thing we know there's a whole group of them in Billings. That actually worked out quite well because they came to the local brew pub and bought all of our food and beer. It's a good thing I had the next day off. You know what's really funny. About 4-5 years ago we tried to join ALPA and they said we didn't meet their requirements. How's that for ironic. The ad in the paper was pretty silly. We thought it was hysterical that they would waste money like that.

Well, good luck to yall. Things might work out great for you guys. You never know, Mesaba could easily pull the plug on us and let us go out of business like we were in the first place.

 

[othello]

SilentDave:

Thanks for speaking up and giving us all an insight to the BigSky side of this whole ordeal.

hopefully we can all hang on these rough times and come out bigger and better paid in the end.

Ya ALPA really F#*ked up when they didn't let BigSky join 4 years ago. It makes me wonder how many other small airlines have been turn away in the past.

 

[CWASaab]

SF340 questions

The ability to answer those questions about the saab doesn't really mean squat. Most Mechanics could answer those questions.

On to bigger things; And while I am not a union insider, I am pretty sure that ALPA was miffed because Big Sky's UTU leaders were lying to us about when the vote was to take place. ALPA went out there expecting to talk to BSA pilots before the vote took place, based on what BSA was telling them, only to find out that the vote had already happened. I would be vexed as well.

I guess some would say ALPA got what it deserved, based on turning down BSA pilots years before. I don't agree with that, but I do agree that ALPA is missing an opportunity to truly create "ONE VOICE".

And back to some of the original thread items, I think that most pilots here are willing to stirke. However, in my experience the closer you get to the top of the seniority list, the support evaporates and most of those guys seem to think that if we do strike management will fold it up. Considering that those folks are closest to the management types in terms of seniority and personal relationships, this may be something to expect.

CWASaab

 

[Simon Says]

yeah ALPA is known for buying the beer and food just to hold a meeting. Sometimes it makes the turn out much stronger. LOL

 

[OakRBust]

Nobady at mesaba should be mad at any Big Sky pilot. All the negative Karma should be focused towards PF and Holdings. For all of us that have been here since 97, this situation should seem all to familiar, except we are on the short side now. Now, Big Sky is getting the opportunity of growing at our expense the same way we did from Expresses loss. It wasn't our fault with the express flying, and it surely isn't Big Sky's fault now. So give those kids a break. I wish them the best. I also hope that Mesaba gets rewarded for all their hard work over the past 6 years.


OAK

 

[ImbracableCrunk]

SAAB Questions

CWA,

I know he can find them out, but I get some joy from some "consultant" having to scratch his head and make some calls.

So, questions mean squat to you; giving "the man" something to worry about equals big fun for me. Try it, you'll like it.

C'ya!