ORF/PHF shutting down for good?

[JohnnyP]

I haven't seen the memo that was put out, but recieved a voicemail from a fellow PDT'er that ORF/PHF will be shut down by January. I suppose to do with air wisky moving in. Is there anyone more in the know than myself that can elaborate on this? I figured they would have gotten rid of CLT before they canned ORF.

 

[Twotter76]

Kinda off topic but do you guys know of any good crashpads in ORF or cheap crew hotels? Sorry about bumping you guys out - if its any consolation most of us don't want to go there...

 

[JohnnyP]

...

I just signed a lease in july, I guess now im not sure if i'll be staying there after the first of the year. Real nice place, great part of town (ghent), might possibly need to get rid of it, sublease, etc.

Twotter- I assume it has been finalized on your end for an ORF base, pretty much a done deal? All I can get out of people are rumors about when you guys are moving in, if/when we are moving out, etc.

 

[fret8]

down to one over night at the news in november, will start to go away in november, but they say january. Should be a couple of interesting months ahead, especially for us ORF/PHF

 

[pilotpayne]

Johnny.

I think we got a transition timeline and it said

Phl will open 09/01/05
orf will open 11/01/05
dca will open 11/01/05

I know there will be a mx base in orf as well.
I hope this all helps.
Just like otter says nobody here is happy to be making you guys move.

 

[JohnnyP]

..

Yea i understand, no hard feelings on my side towards any of yall. This is just one of those choices the higher-ups make that I guess ill never really be able to understand or wrap my head around. How many pilots are they planning on putting in ORF for you wisky guys?

 

[OPECJet]

Don't worry man, we're pretty much in the same boat down at CLT.

If it helps, I hear not much will change until Jan. At least that's what the CP has said about CLT. Then its anybody's guess since no one knows yet what mainline mgmt wants to do with us. My guess is its gonna be cold where we fly.....

 

[Twotter76]

The rumor running around the crewroom is 50-100 pilots based at ORF - however I don't know that we have seen an official number yet. As pilotpayne pointed out the sceduled date for ORF to open is Nov 1 but again is only an estimate.

 

[JohnnyP]

brrrr

Yea, im getting the feeling its gonna be even colder for us come the first of the year. I guess it will have to be, no where else south to send us. Being from atlanta, I dont think ill ever get used to cold weather. What was that dash operator down in the caribbean? Caribbean sun/star? Wonder if their hiring........?

 

[OPECJet]

From what I hear, it ain't worth the warm weather to go down there. Besides when the merger goes through, its anyone's guess as to what happens with us. Might have some VERY warm domiciles open up. Out West.

I know what you mean about being from the south and flying in freezing ass weather. Ended up walking to the steak house next to the SYR hotel in a snowstorm, single digit temp, below 0 windchill. For those of you who haven't been, its well worth the walk in any conditions short of a tornado.

 

[JohnnyP]

...

Yea, are you talking about that colorado mine company? Its a pretty decent place. I havent heard much about that caribbean operator, just little bits here and there. The last I heard was some fella went down a few years ago hoping for a quick upgrade, and still sitting right seat. Oh well, i guess thats the story for a lot of people. Its interesting to talk to other guys about what they think this America West merger will do for us. You have guys that say were all doomed, run for your lives (seems to be more common). Then on the other hand, some say give it 10-15 years and some of us will have A330's waiting for us to flow into. At anyrate, its all a game of chance and luck. No planning can be done, even to the best of our attempts. The best carrier right now will be in the dumper in 10 years.

Oh yea, on another thought. What did you PDT guys think of the new weight & balance stuff they are distributing? Did you ALG guys think it was a more efficient metheod? I hope the actual wheel is of better quality than that training thing they gave us in the package. None of my lines even lined up with the marks? I felt a little slow at it, but I suppose its like anything else, just do it and get used to it eventually.

 

[OPECJet]

Yep, the practice WHIZwheel was crap. I cracked open the packet in an airplane to do mine.

 

[Dash8]

for complaints about syr, one word 'meow'

the pdt whizwheel is very similar, although the entire system is somewhat more compicated...
that new book to do the numbers in is rediculously huge, and the variation in the kids weights (instead of just half) just makes it harder to do.
when we converted to the whizwheel we had maybe, a 10 page study guide, i can't believe the monstrosity of a package pdt put together, 90 some odd pages, and a cd???

oh, and get the van at the dubtree, to take you places in syr, go down to tully's (right near the onramp to the highway to the airport) good food, decent prices, its a sports bar type place, tons of tv's, you can walk it most of the time or if you have more time, see if they'll schlep ya down to armoury square, lotsa bars and restaurants near there (including the dinosaur) and the museum of science and technology (with a domed imax)

 

[OPECJet]

It's not the SYR weather. Its the day long, 3 leg commute. If you want to tell me to meow about that, well, go right on ahead. Its not what I, or any other CLT/PHF/ORF pilot signed up for.

That 90 page how to on the WHIZWheel is usual training dept stuff. I glanced through, broke open a packet in the cockpit (don't try it now that the company's pissed) and finished it up in about 10 min. No biggie, but doing it the first few times will take some getting used to. I doubt most of the PDT CA's will add up the weights, or spin the wheel. Gonna be all on the FO if I had to guess. Looks like we're going to be taking some delays for the first few days, but I like the idea of leaving fewer bags behind in the -100's.

Oh yeah......Quit leaving the inverter switches off....

 

[Dash8]

i never touch the inverters so stop turning the intercoms off

3leg commute where the hell are you coming from HNL? and why would you bid for that???
i would seriously recommend you go to lga then, that has to be an easier commute than syr i personally wouldn't pick a 3leg commute regardless of what my seniority would hold there... one leg was bad enough...
so yeah, commuting sucks...i'm well aware and feel your pain...