No More ATA At Capital

[nitefr8dog]

How can you be pissed off at a chief pilot who applied for a job and got it? You can be pissed off at a guy who was the lowest Captain on the 727 seniority list and went straight into the check airman position on the 757. He bypassed all those guys that were Senior to him...thats why I'm pissed. I also have no clue nor care who you are. If you think this is the correct thing what this guy did then your warped. The line check airman is whose balls I'm busting not the chief pilots. After getting off the telephone with some friends there here is the scoop. He cut his own deal..straight and simple and that is wrong and there will be some of our pilots that will pay for it.

Position on the seniority list has nothing to due with check airman position at ABX or most airlines for that matter. I t usually boils down to whoever applies for it, is willing to jump throuh the hoops (their a$$) and get jerked around. I have been a checkairman at 2 carriers and it was not for the money. I enjoy instructing. But you eat alot of crummy schedulings when you could just be flying the line you bid. I allways figured I was helpig the cause.

 

[CaptSeth]

It seems that Cappy needed pilots with extensive experience on the B757 in order to ramp up their operation, and management chose someone that fit that description. The FAA may even have mandated it. Check airman, in the best situations, are picked based on experience and skill, not on seniority necessarily.

At ATA, seniority was a minor factor in choosing a check airman. The means of chosing one was always a subject for debate, but my personal experience is that the check airman corps at ATA was outstanding on that fleet.

I don't see the problem here. Also, preferential hiring is usually a decision that management makes.

 

[Usedtobe]

Information

While I find this not funny at all, let me help you with some information from someone who "is here". It is my understanding that this is a temporary postion for this EW that you are speaking of to help them complete some training on the 757 as another contract check airman quite to take another job. Yes I am sure that he did "cut his own deal", but it is sort of like the prostitute--"someone had to ask". do not misunderstand this as defending this guy cause I aint. I personally think his attitude stinks in that he has acted like all here are beneath him. As for other ATA Pilots, I dont believe anyone in this group would hold that against any other person looking for a job. We just want qalified, good crewmembers, thats all.
I have not known them to "black ball" any group since i have been here and that has years.

 

[727flier]

“Usedtobe” great post and I could not agree more with you as for as past hiring, although, I fear it will not be that way in the future. Some of my best friends in the world flew for ATA and in the military/same squadron we have tilted amany a beer. I am more intricately involved in this program and this post than I care to be at this time, but facts are facts. This guy may have been given a choice or worked his own deal whatever, he took it. Bottom line is “ in my opinion, and not only mine but the 70 other people or so he went above ” HE CHOSE WRONG”. Since we are airing our laundry in public, here is a quote from the LOA that the company is not honoring….

Check Airmen

a. Check airmen for the B757 shall be selected by the Company from among crewmembers who are awarded and qualify for positions on such equipment, provided there are crewmembers who are acceptable to the Company and the FAA and are willing to serve in that capacity.

b. If the Company has selected a person other than a crewmember holding a B757 position as check airman on such equipment after application of paragraph A.8.a, that person’s B757 revenue flying will be limited to flying for personal proficiency and check airman-related


This, in my opinion means, he can not fly revenue service. If he does check airman duties and nothing else he is fine as far as I can see. Are they going to hold his Captain seat and not upgrade our F/O’s….YES. From what I hear there was several other company check airmen that wanted that job. They were senior to him and didn’t get the job. What would you have done as a check airman on the 727 if they got a 747? Would you have expected to have it over someone senior? Remember this is my opinion only, but, we live and die by our seniority in this business, and you have been doing this longer than I have. I do not know the answer but there has to be a better solution. I will give the floor to my elders and look for a better answer.

Respectfully

 

[Usedtobe]

727Flier...I appreciate your position and after doing some research(should have done more to begin with) I agree with you that this was handled wrong. I also agree that that individual could have handled this a lot better. I believe that a check airman no matter what equipment, must be a person that individuals can respect what they say and do not just because he/she is a check airman, but because they respect the check airman as a flier first, someone who has experience second and third who has been down the same road that most others are trying to travel. That being to be a good crewmember, both in and out of the airplane. Having said all that, I agree with you 100% that this never should have happened and what I had hoped to say in my last post was that this action should not be held against any other person or group, just because this individual came from that particular group. I also know a lot of people from ATA that are great crewmembers and I would fly with them anywhere, anytime. Finally, I agree that the First Officers here should never be passed over for upgrade. The only exception would be when the individual elects to not try for the upgrade.

The rest of you guys/gals out there from ATA keep sending your resumes.

 

[Usedtobe]

727flier--By the way, liked your quote at the bottom of your post. One that I have adopted over the years:

Every chance I get, I feel the need to grab the flag and charge up the hill, only to find myself running back down the hill with that flag shoved up my a$$. I have made that trip many times and I am at a loss for why.

 

[HalinTexas]

A question:

In reference to:

Check airmen for the B757 shall be selected by the Company from among crewmembers who are awarded and qualify for positions on such equipment, provided there are crewmembers who are acceptable to the Company and the FAA and are willing to serve in that capacity.

How many crewmembers at Capital are 1. "Awarded and qualified" on the B757, 2. Current on the B757, 3. are acceptable to the Co. and FAA?

If there are some (one) then you have a case. If not, then you don't need people that are "in-house" creating a program for you that have never flown the airplane. ATA did that both with the B757, although there were some that had flown it, but weren't interested, and the B737, where no one at ATA had flown the NG. The programs were messed up for quite a while until they worked out all the kinks.

Whoever is appointed to this position still won't get any super-seniority.

Good luck with the airplane, you'll love it! <done here>

 

[Tired in KTol]

727flier--By the way, liked your quote at the bottom of your post. One that I have adopted over the years:

Every chance I get, I feel the need to grab the flag and charge up the hill, only to find myself running back down the hill with that flag shoved up my a$$. I have made that trip many times and I am at a loss for why.

Forget the flag, next time use a belt fed weapon

 

[727Niteflyer]

ok heres the real deal.

Capital hired a contract guy with lots of 75 experience to get the program up and running. He got one of the other captains approved as a check airman and then he quit.

That left us with 1 check airman and a lot of people that needed to be trained. This is another setback in an already troubled program. Management screwed the certification up from the beginning and are despretly(sorry bout the spelling for you einsteins), trying to get the aircraft flying full time.

So the option was either hire another contractor or EW was current and qualified on the 75 and could be run through a short course. The FAA of course would approve him as checkairman because of his experience.

For another Capital guy to get into a checkairman position would take not only a long course but a lot more time in the aircraft on LOE. Getting a contractor would require a short course but they would have to do basic indoc and jump through all those hoops. EW was the quickest way.

When I spoke to EW last week he told me that he was told that this would only be temporary because they would have to put the position up for bid and properly fill it. This was only to get the aircraft flying.

So last night on the bus I asked our mec president about it. And he told me that things have changed.

It seems that management lied to EW telling him that the position and circumstances were worked out with the union. They werent. He didnt know. So as of yesterday he called or vp of ops and said if things were not worked out with the union he would not be coming to work on monday.

So Im sure things will be worked out. The union stance is its ok to put EW in the position as long as it is temperary and filled properly in the future.

The program has had some major setbacks and this is another.

Bottom line EW is a good guy, did the right thing just trusted a management that continuously lies to employees. JB is a good guy, the union will work with the company to resolve this, and nobody from ATA is being black listed.

I hope that we have more ATA people on our flight decks, seems like a great group of people.

 

[727Niteflyer]

Theyve burned alot of bridges with the FAA. Its not the model company with the FAA that it once was.

They have owned this 75 for over a year. Its still not up and running full speed yet. FAA is watching us like a hawk.