Scoop on AirTran?

[Big Iron]

I've secured an interview next week and was looking for any updates that might be floating around out there. Done the all searches here on the forum so I'm good there, but I was not able to attend the job fair in Atlanta. Welcome any suggestions for success, pretty sure my ducks are aligned. Word from HR, interviews 21 Nov and every Thursday in Dec.
AirTran guys.....how long is the wait for a training class after Klaus calls and typically how long are folks waiting for that call?

Big Iron

 

[180ToTheMarker]

I think the call is any where from 4 days to 2 weeks after the interview. There were guys in my class that interviewed before I did yet got the call after me. Go figure. I think the next class is the 28th of Nov.

Good luck.

 

[Phaedrus]

Big Iron, sounds like you've done your homework. Relax, keep a CRM and Captain mindset and you'll be fine.
Congratulations and good luck!

 

[Falconjet]

And try not to say secure too often!

FJ

ps: Thanks for your service and best of luck in the interview.






















And that was tongue in cheek in case anybody didn't get it.

 

[AFcitrus]

When Klaus does call, be sure you are ready for interview type questions (i.e- why do you want to be here? and Why did you leave X airlines for your present job?). I have a buddy whose friend lost the job on that phone call. No reason to "ping" but it probably would be a good idea not drink too much while waiting for the phone call.

I think that with some people getting hired here and then leaving for Fedex and UPS, Klaus really wants to make sure you're going to stay.

Good Luck.

 

[Ty Webb]

No reason to "ping" but it probably would be a good idea not drink too much while waiting for the phone call.

Good Luck.

Isn't that why God invented caller ID? That and to hide out from Scheduling . . . . heh-heh.

 

[commuterpuke]

When Klaus does call, be sure you are ready for interview type questions (i.e- why do you want to be here? and Why did you leave X airlines for your present job?). I have a buddy whose friend lost the job on that phone call. No reason to "ping" but it probably would be a good idea not drink too much while waiting for the phone call.

I think that with some people getting hired here and then leaving for Fedex and UPS, Klaus really wants to make sure you're going to stay.

Good Luck.

Why would ANYONE leave airtran for FedEx or UPS? You'd get the impression on this board that airtran is the place to be.

 

[nwaredtail]

At the interview, be sure to be up on Airtran history. Do not bring up that it started with a bunch of EAL scabs (now that ALPA welcomes them) and certainly do not bring up Valujet.

I would talk about how Joe Leonard was a visionary when it comes to reducing maintenence cost while he was at American Airlines in the late 70's. Skipping the extra step of removing the engine and then the pylon really saved money. Of Course, while the Dc-10 was 300 feet in the air with 290 plus people about to die, I think they wish he wasn't such a pri"ck. Isn't a short memory a great thing.

Say hello to forklift Joe for me. And yes, I do have a direct tie to AA flt 191.

 

[Ty Webb]

Why would ANYONE leave airtran for FedEx or UPS? You'd get the impression on this board that airtran is the place to be.

Puh-lease. Is that the best flame you've got?

AirTran is a decent place to work. As a Captain in my fourth year with a pretty easy on-line commute, I enjoy the hell out of it.

If I were a newhire, though, who was fielding offers from Fedex, UPS and SWA, I would have to give very strong considerations to those carriers. One of the deciding factors for me would have to be the commute, if any, and the upgrade time. For me, AirTran is working just fine, thank you.

Best of luck to all . . . .

 

[jetdawg]

Not sure if Joe was the one that thought it was a good idea to save on the flap/slat actuator by only extending them when the pilots thought it may save their lives or the passengers they were carrying.

 

[320AV8R]

I'm not sure about Big Joe...but I did learn something about AirTran today.

My carrier's flights were weight restricted....no XCMs.

Delta was full.

Midwest wasn't too interested.

So, I thought I'd try AT. What a surprise. The gate agent was actually very nice and accomodating.......a 180 from my carrier. She gave me a boarding pass right away...and was friendly about it. I was in a mild state of shock.

The flight crew seemed happy to be at work.

The F/As were very nice also. The XM radio topped it off.

I had never ridden on AT before.....and didn't know what to expect. Their product, service and employees are TOP NOTCH.

Thanks AT guys and gals for the ride.....and keep up the good work.

320AV8R

 

[fletch717]

At the interview, be sure to be up on Airtran history. Do not bring up that it started with a bunch of EAL scabs (now that ALPA welcomes them) and certainly do not bring up Valujet.

I would talk about how Joe Leonard was a visionary when it comes to reducing maintenence cost while he was at American Airlines in the late 70's. Skipping the extra step of removing the engine and then the pylon really saved money. Of Course, while the Dc-10 was 300 feet in the air with 290 plus people about to die, I think they wish he wasn't such a pri"ck. Isn't a short memory a great thing.

Say hello to forklift Joe for me. And yes, I do have a direct tie to AA flt 191.

NWA
Are you still upset with FORD over the pinto? how about setting the time machine to come back. I'm sure if it was'nt for the grooming standards you would wear that mullet, because you think it looks soo cool.

 

[AA717driver]

Fletch--If you knew someone on that flight, I think you'd hold a grudge too. A pretty shoddy operation caused those deaths and no one went to jail. JMO.TC

 

[twepilot]

Why do people blame Joe L. for the ORD accident? Blame should fall on the shift change and bleed down of hydraulic pressure on the forklift. Get the facts straight.

RV

 

[mnboyev]

Well.... wasnt it Continental who dreamed up the engine and pylon combination change ?

I guess the AA engineering department thought it was a good idea.... wrong. Mx decided not to use dynos at AA? Very sad and a lesson for all.

But... Those who live in glass houses... shouldnt throw stones....

It seems to me RedTail... I remember a certain 747 that was taking off in DTW into a Level 4.... Completely trashed the aircraft. It looked like an group of teamsters beat the living crap out of the entire bird.... shattered the windows, radome gone, bullets flattened...... amazing it made it back to the airport. Says alot for the 747 ....

Oh yeah... how bout that DC10 that just a bout ran out of gas, a few years back.... Known fuel procedure revised...

Oh yeah... heard a bout that little taxi problem in DTW.... 727 and a DC9

And then there was that Airbus in LGA... Oh... that was MX...

How bout that A320 in Vegas.... rolled away from its chocks... big damage.

How bout that A320 in DTW ... I think it was a tail strike due to ... well not sure just heard rumors.. Stab trim not set correctly.?..

RedTail.... Please be professional ..... shut your mouth dude. And we wont even bring up the other little MD 80 problems that occured in DTW.

It seems to me we should be looking 'always' to improve our safety record. This is what is most important to all of us. I can tell you we take it very serious at AirTran. We want our crew and passengers safe, comfortable, and happy. RedTail ... your comments are damaging to the profession and all pilots. Respectfully and Sincerly MNBOY

 

[Big Iron]

Get back on track

It's pretty amazing how these threads just take a tangent; it's obvious there's lots of folks with issues out there. I can certaintly understand that but I'd really like to get back to the original inquiry of AirTran today, not necessarily drudge up bad feelings for Value Jet or Joe L. I may not be totally aware of the source of these but I'd like to think we've turned the page. Anyways, thanks for the feedback so far and would welcome any other info everyone out there can offer.

Big Iron

 

[Ty Webb]

Redtail . . . as in baboon:

Welcome to the new Millenium, 5 years late.

The Earth has cooled, the dinosaurs came and went, and a new airline has come into being.

It has an enviable safety record, decent on-time performance, the newest all-Boeing fleet in the world, and delivers decent service, low prices, and makes a small, but reasonable profit.

That airline is called AirTran Airways, if you haven't guessed by now.

Yet you refuse to accept the above, and insist on living in the days when Valujet plyed the skies in aging DC9 aircraft. And, as we all know, a cargo fire caused Valujet Flight 592 to crash in the Florida everglades, as was repeatedly shown ad infitum on CNN for several years thereafter.

That was, however, 9 years ago . . . and a different company has emerged. The last Valujet airplane has been gone for several years. The management of this airline is not Valujet. The planes are not Valujet, and the vast majority of the employees were hired after the merger . . . in fact, well over half of us have been hired since 9/11.

If you want to keep living in the past, perhaps you should cart your stupid ass over to the history channel website and everyone will be happier.

 

[aa73]

Why do people blame Joe L. for the ORD accident? Blame should fall on the shift change and bleed down of hydraulic pressure on the forklift. Get the facts straight.

RV

The facts, TWEpilot, are that Joe L. signed off on a non-approved shortcut to an engine change, which made him personally responsible. Along with all the other people that followed his instructions. Bleed down of hydraulic pressure may have been a contributing cause, but not the main one. This is all old hat and well known in the industry, and came out in the accident report.

 

[mnboyev]

Big Iron.... Sorry for the rant. I was at recurrent bout a month back. Lots of blue suits standing around. Glad your ducks are in order.... You'll do fine.

I'm pretty sure they just want regular fellas that are down for flying at AirTran. It helps to have an internal rec. obviously. Be yourself and have fun. Be sincere. We just want folks that are gonna work hard, fly safe, and not bitch every leg of a four day trip. Relax, smile, and tell Steph you think she's hot.

What a bummer to fly with a fella like RedTail... Thank goodness we dont have many like that at AirTran.

It is a good place to work and getting better every week. Now... If we can just get this gate agent thing fixed in ATL.... a few are great.. the rest.. are in training.....

Good Luck with your interview BigIron.... see ya on the line after training.. You'll grit your teeth in training.. bear with it. Just keep smiling... have a cold one when training gets ya down....

We have a good mix of pilots... Military, Civilian, Freight, Ex Legacy, Commuter, Boys, Girls, Men, Women, Big one, small ones..... LOL...

Keepin it real in the ATL...

 

[fletch717]

AAdriver and others, This was a thread about an interview that got hijacked. if you want to bash AirTran, just start your own thread. How would you respond if I suggested to someone with an interview at AA that they could get hired if they tell the interview board that they already know the correct wake turbulence recovery proceedure? If you want to defend nwa redidiot you need to get out of the glass house.

 

[Airtran Fanatic]

What is wrong with that guy?

Well Big Iron, my name says it all. I've been here just a little while and I couldnt be happier, great crews, great airplanes, great company! Airtran will be around or a long long time and were growing like crazy! Just be yourself at the interview and show them how much you want to work for Aitran, they will see your dedication and welcome you aboard. Its really that simple.

On flightinfo you wont be able to talk about any airline in a positive light without someone bringing up something negative. Southwest is doing well but youll always hear about the airplane that went off the end of the runway into a gas station or how you have to pay for your type, Jetblue is doing well but someone will bring up the low pay and no union or the nosegear thing. American.... little rock, Talk about Continentals success and they will bring up the scabs that work there.... Talk about Airtran and they will bring up scabs, or Valujet. Sometimes it stinks to be successful (tongue in cheek). I'll tell you what, we may not be the best LCC but we are well on our way and to tell you the truth, I dont think I want to be the best because once you are #1 there is only one place to go and thats down, you become everyones target and besides nothing lasts forever. Im perfectly happy with being second best

AF

 

[twepilot]

aa73,

Please do some research and quit your spoutin' off of misleading information. The facts are.. it was an approved procedure...there was a mechanics shift change during the time that the forklift had support of the engine and its weight during the time that the engine was being secured to the engine mounting surfaces/pylon...during this shift change the hydraulic pressure bled down to the point that the forklift was unable to continue supporting the weight of the engine. Consequently, as the forklift hydraulic cylinders slowly collapsed, undue stress was exerted upon critical attach points within the wing mounting pylon structure. This attach point later failed during takeoff causing the engine itself to pivot about its remaining attach points...and so on...

RV

 

[aa73]

aa73,

Please do some research and quit your spoutin' off of misleading information. The facts are.. it was an approved procedure...there was a mechanics shift change during the time that the forklift had support of the engine and its weight during the time that the engine was being secured to the engine mounting surfaces/pylon...during this shift change the hydraulic pressure bled down to the point that the forklift was unable to continue supporting the weight of the engine. Consequently, as the forklift hydraulic cylinders slowly collapsed, undue stress was exerted upon critical attach points within the wing mounting pylon structure. This attach point later failed during takeoff causing the engine itself to pivot about its remaining attach points...and so on...

RV

I would suggest you do YOUR research sir, before you accuse others of doing theirs!

It was NOT an approved procedure, that's what caused the big stink during the investigation. Everything else you said is accurate, except for that. Check out the accident report:

The NTSB Investigation

The resulting investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) was released on December 21 1979. It revealed the probable cause to be attributable to damage to the left wing engine pylon that occurred during an earlier engine change at American's aircraft overhaul facility in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The pylon was damaged due to an incorrectly executed engine removal procedure. The correct procedure called for removal of the engine prior to the removal of the engine pylon. To save time and costs, American Airlines instructed its mechanics to remove the engine together with the pylon all at one time. A large fork lift was used to hold the engine up while it was detached from the wing. During the procedure a crew shift change occurred, leaving the fork lift unmonitored for a period of time. A problem in the fork lift's hydraulic system caused it to tilt the engine while still under the wing. This exerted enough pressure on the engine pylon to create a large indentation and a serious fracture in its body. The fracture went unnoticed for several flights, getting worse with each flight that the plane had taken. During flight 191's takeoff, enough force was generated to finally cause the pylon to fail. With the failure of the rear pylon, the left engine detached from under the wing and tore away. With the loss of the engine and the position of the slats, the plane was destined for disaster. The NTSB concluded that given the circumstances of the situation, the pilots were not in any way to blame for the resulting accident.
http://forums.flightinfo.com/

 

[Capt. X]

Question about application

Maybe someone can help me with this one. I filled out the online app and there are 2 boxes you need to check off to agree not to carry weapons and agree to drug testing. I save it and log out. Everytime I log in again both boxes are unchecked. Does anyone else get this or is it just me. I haven't been called for an interview with lots of time in a B737-700, no felonies, pass all PC rides etc...I keep seeing Airtran advertisments looking for pilots. Could this box issue be screwing me or is a recommendation required?

Thanks guys

 

[Wesb737fo]

Hi Captain X,

I noticed that about the on-line app. as well. I asked about it and was told that you would fill out an updated form during an interview, so I don't think that would keep you from getting called, but maybe Mr. Webb can answer that.

As far as I can tell, an internal rec. is a big plus. Another big plus is attending a job fair. I just attended a job fair in ATL and met with fine folks at AirTran. Very nice people.

Good luck

 

[Capt. X]

Thanks WesB,

I appreciate the info. Since I don't know anybody on that side of the country I should try a Job Fair. Thanks