SWA in 2012.....?

[tredding@swa]

I found this little tid-bit @
http://www.southwest.com/careers/training_facility.html

•People Statistics: Currently, Southwest has 4117 pilots and projects that the pilot headcount will approach 10,000 by 2012 due to growth and attrition.

SO..... looks as if the future calls for the pool to drain after all?

CongRATs to all who have been called to school for April!

I had the opportunity this week to have beers & play golf with a couple of fellow Rats..... Crusier & Tailstall. If these 2 guys are any indication of what we will be working with @ SWA, I can't wait to get there!!!! Both are class acts!!

I hope that the future is bright and Spring 2003 is good to us all!

Regards - Tred

 

[boeingdriver213]

I hope that is accurate. Furlough sucks, but even if I get called back to U, I don't think that will stop me from accepting a class dat from SWA. I tend to think that I will get interviewed at SWA before There is any possibility of callback to U!

 

[Midnight Mike]

2012! Flying the 737 stretched to the size of a 747.....

 

[tredding@swa]

so what will it be....

a 737-1000???

 

[UGApilotDAWG]

Hey Tred-
I think SWA does a very good job picking their pilots by personalities as well as experience. Glad to hear you like some of the guys. I went to the Sugar Bowl down here in New Orleans with Yahtzee. He's not a poolie, but waiting and wanting for an interview - A definite class act - I'd write him a rec anyday!

Sounds like we'll be in good company.

Les

 

[OPIE01]

Seniority Rocks

Thanks for info Tread.

I had heard a rumor about this a few month back. I also heard that about 75% of SWA current pilots are age 50 and above.

If both of these are true, then not only will those of us in the pool will be in the top 50% for seniority due to expansion. We could easily be in the top 25% of seniority in the next 10 years due to retirements of 75% of the current pilots, plus expanion.

At no other airline could a middle aged person like myself have this oppertunity.

 

[bigred]

I can guarantee 75% of the pilots at SWA are not 50 and above. Between now and 2012 SWA will have roughly 850 retirements. I've taken the time to count on the seniority list. As far as 10,000 pilots, who knows, just two years ago UAL was going to have 16,000 pilots.

 

[Midnight Mike]

How many 737's is Southwest up to? What is the breakdown
for the various 737's?

Does Southwest still operate the 732?

 

[canyonblue]

I've taken the time to count on the seniority list.

I just used the "Seniority Projector" on the SWAPA website and it shows 1250 retirements between 2003-2012.

 

[bigred]

Canyonblue,
I've never seen the seniority projector on the SWAPA website. That makes my math a whole lot easier. Needless to say, 1250 pilots between now and 2012 is not 75% of the pilot force at SWA. To make up for my mistake here are the retirments at SWA between now and 2034.

As of today, 4 Apr 03, SWA has 4138 pilots.

 

[Yahtzee]

Thanks Les

Les,

Thanks for the vote of confidence and kind words. I would LUV to be junior to all you guys for the rest of my life. And to all the poolies and the folks at SWA, IMHO, the DB and interviewers made an outstanding choice in UGAPilotDawg! However, the jury is still out on that Aplus9 guy.


Tred,

Thanks for the encouraging post. With all the gloom in the airline industry it's great to look forward and see hope. I have faith the pool will drain, interviews will happen, and SWA will grow through expansion, and not just retirements. I'm just hoping the "If you build it, they will come" line from the movie Field of Dreams is true of Columbia, SC (CAE).

Yahtz

 

[tredding@swa]

Yahtz..

I would LUV to see CAE, I have family in CHS - sure would be nicee to have free flights back to SC!!

Tred

 

[CaptainBrazilia]

I'm with you, Yahtzee...

Keeping a positive attitude in today's day and age is difficult, believe me. I'm just happy to know that there's even the CHANCE that SWA will interview me in the coming months/years. It's that bright light at the end of my career tunnel that keeps me going right now.

I hope they call soon, though! I want to spend as much of the next 30 years there as I possibly can!

Here's to a speedy drip-dry of those in the pool (and the addition of some extra chlorine so the ones who are waiting to interview have clean water to look forward to)!

Da Capn'

 

[boeingdriver213]

I'm all for that! Besides, no telling what all those poolies have been doing in there all this time!

 

[StarrBuck]

Out of curiosity, looking at the retirement graph from the link above, anyone know what the reason is for the high numbers of retirements around 2022? just curious...

S.B>

 

[Falconjet]

retirements

That just happens to be the year a bunch of pilots hit age 60. I don't think its by design, they just hired a bunch of people over the years that hit 60 that year.

 

[atpcliff]

Hi!

I posted this somewherer, but AW&ST had an article in Dec '02 that estimated that SWA would be the largest US carrier by 2012, and JetBlue was forecast to pass Delta to be #3 in about 2015?

Cliff
GRB

PS-I would love to fly SWA. For a long time, I have always wanted to fly a 737. Why a 737? I'm not exactly sure. I do know I don't want to fly back and forth across an ocean regularly! I did that a few times, and it sucked!