Mesaba question

[Cargoboy]

thanks T-handle.
I thought it might be something like that.

 

[avrodriverj85]

Hey T-Handle

You mean we weren't "hand-picked"? That's what they told me in the interview. LOL Besides, we are normally doing Mach .73 when everyone else is blowing by us. But, who cares we get paid by the minute, right? At least I don't have Saab-ass at the end of a 4 day trip. LOL.

 

[T-handle]

yea Saab a$$ sucks after just one day.

 

[Rook]

Hey Mesaba bros and sistas,

We at Pinnacle are supporting you guys 100%. I walked with you guys in DTW and will walk again when the next picket comes. The whole whipsaw tactic sucks and I won't even get into the Big Sky debacle. But just know that we other 'Linkers are hoping you guys get what you deserve.

Rook(keeping the beer cold)
Pinnacle PR*CK
600' AGL
Autopilot on.
'WHEW!'

 

[Simon Says]

Sorry Mesaba 2425,

Its my turn to bash you for trying to entice a fight. For everyone that doesn't know, this guy is not a Mesaba Pilot. He is a union busting pawn for the company. His posts are usually Flame Bait.

The Mesaba Pilots are over 98% unified on a strike. We are not out to sink the company, but we are out for a fair contract. We conceeded a contract in 1998 to help the company to grow (which also helped us) and with the concessions we were told by the company that we would get an industry leading contract in 2002. Now is the time to reap our rewards for those concessions and the company doesn't know what we are talking about.

To enrage us more the company tells us that we need to save money anywhere we can, and then turns around and gives our CEO a 36% raise! Soon after that our holdings company goes out and buys Big Sky airlines to whipsaw us with. We used to be a a big family here at Mesaba, but it has turned into an us against them philosophy.

Mesaba 2425 you are dead wrong thinking that we will not strike.

 

[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?