"No more simles and JO is smart", says AZ paper

[Relic01]

Wesb737fo,

Thanks for the support. We need more guys like yourself. For someone to discredit my knowledge on the subject because of my flight time is funny. I still would like to know how PHXFLYR got to where he is. I'm sure he never worked at some regional, dealing with many of the same things the pilot group is dealing with at Mesa, and many of the other regional out there. Or did he and he has a selective memory? Hey buddy, anyone can put down 18,500 hours on their profile. Hopefully, when I have that much time, I'll be in the left seat at a major and offering guys aspiring to be where I am, positive criticisms.

Its ironic that he blames Mesa for whats happening to air whiskey, however Skywest and GoJet are the ones picking up their flying. Where is the blame for management selling out their pilots? How can they invest $125 million in US but could not work something out with UA. They saw what happened to ACA but took no actions. Two of my best friends work at air whiskey and I feel for those guys and would never want to be in that position.

The industry is evolving and those who will remain are the ones who are financially disciplined, offer the lowest cost, and are able to react quickly to market changes. I was a management intern at US in the early 2000's and speak to any US pilot, they found ways to exploit that airline and work rules were written that were absurd. A pilot bids for vacation, if the first and the last days of vacation touch a trip, he gets paid vacation and for both trips. I knew guys who worked 2 weeks during the summer by bidding vacation, days off with sick time in between. There are many more examples. Management and labor are both to blame for the problems at airways. I don't blame southwest for having lower cost. That's what is all comes down to. The consumer wanting to pay less for more. How is walmart kicking everyone else around? If airways had the same cost as southwest in 2003, they would have been the most profitable airline ever. When i say cost, i'm just speaking of labor but everything else.

Back to Mesa, we have enough money to adequately compensate our employees, pay industry average on per diem, and honor our contract. These are the things alpa and our mec are going after. Also, there is a head start on the 2007 contract negotiations. I'm looking forward to this as are many of my co-workers. We have our issues and are working to rectify them but we can only be responsible for our own.

 

[Wesb737fo]

Hey there Relic,

No one is trying to discredit your knowledge of the subject based on your flight experience. As a matter of fact, I don't think pointing out that you haven't been around very long discredits you. It just means you have a few more years to become jaded. Come on ...laugh...it's funny.

(As far as PHXflyr is concerned...I can see that 18,500 hours with no jet types means that he might be fudging his times a little (lol)).

And as I pointed out in an earlier post, he sort of forgot who the enemy was. It is not the Mesa pilot group. I am very grateful for the opportunities Mesa gave me during my tenure there. However, after several years I began to realize that my loyalty to the company was not respected. I see no evidence that Mesa ever intends to invest heavily into their "People Dept."

So...good luck with your dealings with JO. Be careful, he is a worthy adversary. Hopefully, you will make CA one day and things will have changed for the better.

" The best liar is he who makes the smallest amount of lying go the longest way" Samuel Butler

 

[PHXFLYR]

Wes737fo;


Times aren't fudged.It just reflects 13 yrs in the regional airline industryat 750 hrs a year! No jet types. Who really cares. Need specific days off to spend with my wife and 2 kids. More control over my schedule as a senior F/O than jr. Capt.But I guess you think the jet type is more important than family . I don't.


PHXFLYR

 

[xanderman]

I was a management intern at US in the early 2000's and speak to any US pilot, they found ways to exploit that airline and work rules were written that were absurd. A pilot bids for vacation, if the first and the last days of vacation touch a trip, he gets paid vacation and for both trips. I knew guys who worked 2 weeks during the summer by bidding vacation, days off with sick time in between.

Sweet!

Actually Relic that is how it should be. If management signed off on the contract with that specific language then by all means every pilot at U should have taken advantage of it.

I always figured that CEO ****** is responsible for making the company money. I see myself as the CEO of my home and family. That means I try, just as they do, to make money any way I can for my "corporation."

Andy

P.S. Phxflyr is a good guy. Cut him some slack, he's been in the biz a lot longer...

 

[FlyChicaga]

I was a management intern at US in the early 2000's and speak to any US pilot, they found ways to exploit that airline and work rules were written that were absurd. A pilot bids for vacation, if the first and the last days of vacation touch a trip, he gets paid vacation and for both trips.

That's how it is right now at ExpressJet. No explotation involved.

 

[PHXFLYR]

A USAir MANAGEMENT intern....AND a Mesa pilot ..Ohhhh, this just keeps getting better and better !!!!


PHXFLYR

 

[Relic01]

Hey there Relic,


So...good luck with your dealings with JO. Be careful, he is a worthy adversary. Hopefully, you will make CA one day and things will have changed for the better.

I agree and hopefully things improve. If things work out as planned, after upgrade it's on to the next and final stop. Buying my time and experience here.

PHXFLYR, what's wrong with an airways intern and mesa pilot. By the way, what regional did you fly with for 13 YEARS. I now understand the bitterness and anger from you. I don't blame you anymore. Thanks to the folks from AWA for helping a regional brethen out...Go CACTUS.

 

[PHXFLYR]

Re: ",,,... what regional did you fly with for 13 YEARS ?... "

Can guarentee you it ,wasn't Mesa!!! Anyway,what difference does it make ?
You seem to be hung up on my background and what regional I flew with.
I don't get it.....

PHXFLYR

 

[Beantown]

PHXFLYR, what's wrong with an airways intern and mesa pilot. By the way, what regional did you fly with for 13 YEARS.[/QUOT

With his anger and distane for Mesa pilots and a Dash type I'm guessing PDT or ALG. His attitude fits the bill over there. -Bean

 

[Relic01]

Re: ",,,... what regional did you fly with for 13 YEARS ?... "



Can guarentee you it ,wasn't Mesa!!! Anyway,what difference does it make ?

You seem to be hung up on my background and what regional I flew with.

I don't get it.....



PHXFLYR

Doesn't make a difference what regional you flew with, however you can say all kinds of things at folks at Mesa because they're below you. You same to love that line "What difference does it make" huh. It seems to make it into every two or three posts of yours. Well, it does make a difference pal.

 

[PHXFLYR]

In what way?

PHXFLYR

 

[CapnVegetto]

DHC-8 Type.....Allegheny? Or Piedmont? Or CCAir? ????? maybe??

 

[Wesb737fo]

Hey Phx,

Sorry...didn't mean to offend you. 13 Years at a regional. That would explain the the jet experience thing. You sir must be a dedicated family man. I respect that. I do think that spending time with family is important. As a matter of fact I may be spending more time with the fiancee than I had planned ( as I head back to the end of the seniority list).

Relic ( if I can judge human nature correctly), All Phxflyr wants is a little respect for the time he has put in this business. As a new guy, you are going to have some eye opening experiences in the next few years. I was amazed once I left Mesa and experienced how another airline treats their employees. You guys are gettind F**d and you don't have experience anywhere else to show just how bad you are getting F**d.

The "Sell them on Tomorrow" worked in 1997 and The "Freedom" strategy worked, in 2002. Now I shudder to think of what BS story he will try to sell you on next time. So put on your flak jackets, load up on frags and ammo, and (for God's sake) don't forget who your enemy is. That is all.

 

[Relic01]

Wesb737fo,

Thanks for the advise. I did work at Lakes for a short time before getting furloughed and Mesa was a world of change. However, it could and should be far better then it is but it is work in progress. I do look forward to moving on to someplace bigger and better in the coming years like yourself, but not before I upgrade and get my PIC time.

After finding out I would be furloughed, I emailed, faxed and mailed resumes to 22 companies. I had 9 scheduled interviews (Air Wisconsin, American Eagle, Chatauqua, Colgan, TranStates, Horizon, Pinnacle, PSA and Mesa) within a week. Fortunately, I had internal references at 5 of those companies. I interviewed at all 9 companies and talked to pilot mentors in the industry of my choices. I relentlessly researched each company, their balance sheet, length of time to upgrade, equipment, work rules, bases in my home area, and junior bases. Some companies had excellent work rules, compensation packages, balance sheets. Air whiskey and Horizon compensation were the best of the regionals I interviewed with but I still saw them as an intermediate stop along my journey. The length of upgrade at both were not appealing to me.

During the interview I was told that upgrade would be 6 to 8, possibly 9 years (Air Whiskey). Eagles route structure and ties to American was attractive but my private and intrument instructor had been there for 6 years and he was still an FO, warning me of the AA flowback still in effect. PSA had gone through a recent furlough and I just wasn't touching that after being furloughed in the first place. Pinnacle did not pay you in training, did not take care of the hotel charge so they were out, and I'd have to commute from Philly. Colgan had their own work rule issues but the 6 month upgrade for me was tempting, I also wanted something above the 25,000 lbs requirement of some carriers and they offered me a position in the B1900 since I had the experience. Horizon had offered me a class date but I had to wait until Dec 2005 when they would be having a class for Dash 8's. I'd have to commute to the pacific northwest plus sit around for about 8 months before starting class. No way. Transtates, I just did not have a good feeling, you know that gut feeling. Plus, I did not want to commute to St. Louis. Finally, it came down to Chatuaqua and Mesa. They both offered quick upgrade (2-4 years), had bases in Philly, were diversified in their code share agreements, offered some of the lowest cost in the regional industry (job security I was hoping), had great balance sheets and they were hiring like crazy(seniority). I was offered a class date on the same day for both companies and it came down to a friend at Chatauqua calling me and telling me of the imminent base closure in Philly. Another thing was I wanted to fly the CRJ, I just thought they looked sexy. The buddy from Chatuaqua has just upgraded and he's been there for 2 years. Great guy and he emails me constantly about when I'm coming to Chatuaqua (LOL) ...yeah and give up my seniority.

For obvious reasons, people hate being based in philly. Anyone who flies into Philly knows what I talking about. However, philly in one of Mesa's most junior bases. I live in the area, and I have improve tremendously in seniority due to all our hiring. Out of 95 lines, i can hold within the top 40. Lines 82 thru 95 are captain only lines though so for FO's there are 81 lines.Another thing is our bid is for only 28 days. On the latest bid, lines 1-5 have 15 days off, 6-43 have 14 days off, 44-76 have 13 days off, 77 & 78 have 12 days off, 79 & 80 have 10 days offand 81 has 9 days off. Believe it or not I got my second choice. A line in the top five. After integration, I'll have 16days off this bid which includes every single weekend & credited for 90 hours. That's 16 out of 28 days.

Now, not all is fine and dandy. I've had bids from late last year where I had serious issues with compensation after a maintenance cancellation. I've had crew scheduling not call and tell me flights were cancelled before my 530 am show, been junior assigned eventhough I was a line holder, and a number of other issues. Per diem being far below the government average.

However, I speak to people from other airline including the majors who have had those problems so it is not only Mesa. In fact, I had a mainline jumpseater the other day, great guy by the way who was explaining the problems they were having now and it was an eye opener. Constant junior assignment, company does not pay protect you so if after junior assigning you, you're illegal for a trip you had on your line, they don't pay you; max pay of 95 hours so if you fly more it is all a donation to airways.

Well enough babble for now, hope I don't bore you too much but for me atleast, the ride to that dream job someday via Mesa has not been so bad, them again as you stated the honeymoon may be coming to an end soon. I'll continue to fight the little battles I can win and hope that when contract negotiation comes around, things would be corrected. I personally don't ever want Mesa to be the highest compensated airline out there because we'll be shooting ourselves in the foot. I want a fair and livable compensation package, atleast meet government standards on per diem, improve work rules, 100%enforcement of the contract as is written, and better management/employee relations. I fact, maybe southwest should start a bootcamp for other airline execs to visit but that would be helping the competitor.

well, that's all folks. See you on the rebound.

Antonio