SWA - No classes yet

[SentryIP]

Extension

Hey Poolies,

Based on my update with the People Department this month, I extended my retirement out another four months. I may have to extend more later on. I know I run the risk of another STOP LOSS, especially with the news concerning Iraq. However, I stay current and receive a steady income. I'm very thankful to be in my current situation where I can provide for the family because I know a lot of my fellow pilots out there are struggling. As chase said, I can't offer anything but encouragement and my prayers that all will return to some normalcy. Take care and God Bless.

 

[InHot]

Wishing & Hoping & Dreaming & Waiting

Hey Guys,

As the saying goes..."I feel your pain."

Furloughed in Sept from Midway. Shot down on three interviews before interviewing with SWA (for my 3rd time) in Jan with SWA.

Got a job offer from Vanguard (turned it down, thank goodnes)while waiting for the Feb 20th call from SWA.

Got the "good" call 22 Feb. Bought a bottle of Chivas and kicked back...thinking I'd be in class NLT end of Jun.

Started to get that uneasy feeling about future SWA classes in late March, spitted out the kool aid and ramped up my job search again.

Didn't know squat about corporate/charter stuff, but through this board learned enough to know that a Cessna 500 type rating is a very valuable tool to have in your flight bag.

Did a-lot of research and found that Flight Safety has a VA apporved course for a Citation II in Toledo. I combined my VA benefits (my VA pays 60% of cost of a type rating) with $2500 from WIA (lots of leg work there).

I banged on a-lot of doors and found a 135 operator in need of a Citation pilot. They ponied up the difference for the cost of the type and I got hired in Jul.

It's great to be flying again.

Moral of the story...it can be done. Takes a-lot of effort and a Sh*tload of that all-so-elusive factor - LUCK.

Keep the faith guys, SWA will call, just don't know when. In the meantime don't acept "no" for an answer and don't stop trying.

 

[pegasus]

Thanks guys

Inhot, Sentry and LiveFree,

Terrific stuff. Really appreciate those posts. Gives me some hope. Will be paying a visit to some charter people to nag them again.

Live Free, that is a great idea about posting known jobs. Maybe we should start a network!

 

[StarrBuck]

I'm not positive, but I am pretty sure that several of the commuter airlines are hiring right now. Some of which don't require you to resign your previous seniority number from what I have been told.. Skywest and ACA come to mind. I know the pay is not good, but at least it is a flying job..

I am currently at Continental Express (I am very blessed to still be flying and waiting for SWA) and we have over 400 pilots on furlough at this time. The good news though is we are taking 8 new EMB145's per month starting next month, for quite a while. It is expected that after the furloughed pilots are recalled, then off the street hirring should pick up.. I'll post more at a later date.

Good luck!!

SB

 

[duckman]

And in that storm rides many a pilot hangin'-ten on top of the 50-foot waves and hoping to make it through the surf, over the beach and into the pool (still has the swim up bar---right?). But, how many of those pilots with all their resume's and supplemental packages carry the 737 type rating? I'm guessing that there's one room with stacks of 737 rated resume's lined up on the shelves, and then down the hall and past the employee's kitchen there's another really big room with stacks upon stacks upon stacks upon stacks of resumes from folks that just haven't gotten the chance (either time-wise or financially) to get the magic ticket.

Just can't deny the importance of that 737 rating in these times. The chat around the squadron flight room is a bit despondant these days...not enough financial independence to get it (at least without mortgaging the house again and getting that 2nd job with Domino's). All the pro's and con's of past forums have been really good, my vote is with the "just go and get it" crowd...it'll pay off quickly in the first couple of years IF the job is offered. Just a reeeeeaaaally big step to the "married with children" generation.

Good luck to you swimmers, and we'll hope that the gust front fills the SWA sails for a strong (building) few years...

[/YeOldeProp: Don't want to be a MOTO (master of the obvious) here..but I assume you did NOT sign up for VEAP or MGIB when the military offered??? Would save you a bunch of $$$.

 

[reepicheep]

We should be thankful that Southwest so far has resisted the temptation to resort to the Old Boy Network - the dreaded LOR system. You can go out and get a 737 type and otherwise try to better yourself and improve your marketability; but you can do little or nothing about who your buddies happened to get hired by. Props to WN for trying to keep the playing field level.

 

[CaptainBrazilia]

SKW

Word is that there will be several new-hire classes here at SkyWest before the end of the year. Most, if not all, will go straight into the CRJ - at least that's what the rumor mill is saying. More than likely, those new-hires will come from a small existing pool, but it couldn't hurt to throw an application in.

I don't believe that SkyWest will allow you to keep your current seniority number if you've been furloughed, though.

If things are getting desperate for y'all (and I hope they aren't yet), SkyWest is definitely not a bad bet!

Good luck all!

 

[Snoopy58]

Non-flying jobs / recruiters

Pegasus (and anybody else in a similar spot),

Sorry it's taken me so long to post this, but I wanted to respond to something you said a few posts back:

Went to a job placement man today and he wanted $3500 just for the pleasure of him helping w/a job search. No guarantees.

Since flying currency isn't a concern for the SWA job once you're in the pool but having good income between now and "the call" is, this seems like a reasonable option for some guys, but PLEASE don't think that you should EVER have to pay for a service like this, CERTAINLY nothing on the order of $3500!!!

For all the former military guys out there, there is a group of placement services that will work to match you up with a civilian company for various types of work. They do it at no cost to the military member (present or former); they get their commission from the company that hires you. Links to several of the reputable companies are below.

-- disclaimer: my wife used to work for one of these companies, but this isn't an advertisement, really! --

-- second disclaimer: while they do work with pilots, as a generality, pilots tend to be one of the harder groups of people to place. Her experience was that military pilots tend to THINK that they want ops, but it almost never works; what does tend to work much better is medical sales. More autonomy, set your own schedule, less need to supervise the "problem children," etc. There are some extremely cool medical sales jobs out there, and it is NOT at all similar to the proverbial "vacuum cleaner salesman," knocking on every door trying to badger somebody into buying your product. If you're seriously considering a non-flying job until SWA calls, calling one or more of the following may be of some use. Worst case, you have a chat with a recruiter & find out that there's no real match for your skills/interest/location.

www.bradley-morris.com
www.cameron-brooks.com
www.leadersinc.com
www.orioninternational.com

Cameron-Brooks is probably the "high-end" of the bunch, but they are the only one that is "exclusive," i.e. if you work with us you may not work with anybody else. The others are okay if you work with other recruiters as well.

Clearly, for those in the SWA pool at least, you may have a hard time pretending you're looking for a 20-year career & being passionate about it. However, some of the jobs these guys hire for have a reasonably quick spin-up & can have you earning decent money fairly quick. You probably don't want to emphasize the "as soon as SWA calls, I'm leaving for Dallas" angle of it, but to say that "the airline industry is in such bad shape and so very uncertain so I'm looking for something else" is probably not stretching things too far.

If anybody has any questions about this sort of thing, feel free to post here or PM me; my wife doesn't work for the recruiter any more but she can give you the straight scoop on what they can / can't do for you.

As always, best of luck to all the poolies!

Snoopy

 

[pegasus]

Dear Snoopy,

Thanks for that. I owe you several beers. Even if nothing comes of it, I will be persuing those contacts tomorrow.

You are a gentleman and a scholar!

 

[specnut]

keep the faith

To all those waiting in the pool:
As I read all of the previous posts, I do tip my hat to all of you.
This is probably the most difficult time in your lives. I was there for seven months, which seemed like seven years. All my buddies that were flying were telling me just hang in there it wil turn around. Easy for them to say when they are earning a good paycheck and your not.
Southwest is a great place to be. This is my fourth airline, and hopefully the last. Someone just told me, You never know if you picked the right airline until the day you retire. I hope Southwest will be the one. I enjoy everybody I work with and I have that great feeling again when I go to work.
I hope that Southwest begins hiring sooner than later, it seems other guys like CHASE know more scoop than I. In the meantime
there is an job info newsletter called Flight Crews International, it is run out of LA and is not advertised. It is only word of mouth. They have several corp. job postings and crew leasing positions.
It is run by Capt. McNicol... The number is 800 213-6021. Call and check it out. Good luck to all, hope to see you at Southwest soon.

 

[pegasus]

Thanks Specnut. I've been here since Nov and it is getting very old.

Appreciate you taking the time to post.

 

[JayhawkDude]

Another Piece of the Puzzle...

Southwest, Union Reach Early Deal

Friday August 30, 2:37 PM EDT

DALLAS, Aug 30, 2002 (AP Online via COMTEX) -- Southwest Airlines said Friday it reached tentative agreement with its union mechanics on a new contract that would last until August 2005.

The agreement includes pay raises retroactive to August 2001 and stock options for the 1,300 mechanics, who are represented by the Teamsters union.

Further details were not disclosed. The deal, which would run through Aug. 16, 2005, must still be ratified by the union membership.

Federal mediators were called in this summer to help the two sides. The mechanics' last contract ran through last August but remained in force, which is standard in the airline industry as a safeguard against strikes.

The tentative deal was recommended by a majority of the union's negotiating board. It comes against the backdrop of workers at other carriers being asked to make wage concessions because of the industry's financial crisis caused by the slow economy and traveler fears after Sept. 11.

But while its competitors have been losing more than $10 billion over the past 20 months, Southwest has remained profitable.

In recent weeks, Southwest pilots ratified a contract that will raise their pay 36 percent over the next four years, and the airline also settled with a smaller group of flight instructors.

Southwest, the most heavily unionized U.S. airline at about 85 percent of its work force, is still negotiating with flight attendants and customer service and reservations agents.

Some analysts had warned that Southwest, which has the lowest cost structure among major U.S. carriers, faced the threat of rising costs because of the multiple ongoing negotiations.

Ed Stewart, a spokesman for Southwest, said he could not comment on the agreement's impact on the airline's cost structure.

"We know that we're a low-cost operator ... I'm sure that's why analysts were taking a close look at us, but we try to do the right thing for our workers," Stewart said. "We look forward to the membership voting on this."

In trading Friday afternoon, Southwest shares fell 4 cents to $14.47.

By DAVID KOENIG AP Business Writer

Copyright 2002 Associated Press, All rights reserved

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Let's hope this is another piece of the cost puzzle management is looking at before they decide the time is right to grow. Hopefully, this is good news to those of us swimming laps!