SWA Point System?

[SWAdude]

Spanky2

As an interviewer we looked for the kind of enthusiasm that SFR has for the job.

Now that you worked for another carrier, you would be pleasantly surprised on what a difference that quality makes.

Hope you and alll the furloughees get called back real soon.

SWAdude

 

[MachBuffet]

Two Cents

Sometimes I feel like I am one of the few people who likes to learn from others mistakes. I got my flight training and instructed at a little grass strip run by an old guy who retired from TWA seniority #1. He flew everything from the DC3 to the 747. Incredible career that none of us will ever experience. He beat it into our heads that any airplane is exciting for a few hundred hours, then you're back to bitching about weekends off, pay, seniority, etc. He said that all that will matter is that you enjoy going to work, make decent pay, and can enjoy your time off. When we (us aspiring CFI's) would sit around the office and discuss who we were going to fly for someday, the old man would come in and slap us around a little bit and put some sense into our head. "Do whatever you have to do to get some PIC time in your book and always have a plan B if something happens to your flying career." I won't repeat his opinions about other majors, but they weren't very rosey. While I was busy dragging down the profession at Kalitta in the left seat of a jet and then dragging it down some more in the left seat of a 737 and MD80 at Vanguard, I learned a lot. I was having the time of my life. Those little crappy airlines were the most fun I will probably ever have in my life. They were everything you hear about from the guys who did this job back in "The Day". However, when we walked thru the terminals, without fail, we all got dirty looks from most of the other "professional" airline crews. We would be joking with each other and having a good time on the crew vans and would get disgusted looks and rolled eyes from the other "professional" airline crews who barely looked at each other when they didn't have to. This left a bad taste in my mouth. I set my sights on an airline that would give me the important things like (knock on wood) job security, decent pay/benefits and an enjoyable work environment. If I'm going to work somewhere for 20+ years, I don't want to hate it every time I pull into the employee lot. I got a lot of grief from guys that ran off to a major as soon as possible while I prodded along making crap $$ as a lowly captain at a terminally ill airline. I was filling my logbook with time that goes on applications in the good column, not worrying about going off to a more "professional" airline. Most of the guys that got hired by a major in the last 4-5 years are on the street right now without the qualifications to even apply at most places, stupid me, what was I thinking? I'm not saying that SWA monopolizes the good attitude category, but they come real close. I commuted for 7 years on various airlines and with very few exceptions found the best people at SWA. If you read my few other posts you'll see that I definitely don't agree with the hiring practices of most airlines and I think a large number of pilots are whining babies. I got lucky, my plan worked, I'm in the shallow end of the SWA pool. I have never judged a pilot on the size of his fuselage or his paycheck and don't understand those that do. Lots of the ribbing on this board is just that, "My check is bigger, I get to go to Brazil/Aruba/Rome in a 777 for a "real" airline." Who cares? Do you show your watch to everyone at the table too? Keep bashing AirTran, ATA, jetBlue, SWA, commuters, regionals and show the rest of us how clueless you are. If you are ever sitting across from an interviewer, your bitter attitude will hopefully come thru so the rest of us won't have to put up with you. When is the last time you truly enjoyed a day at work and realized how blessed you are to have the skills and random combination of natural abilities to fly an airplane? Looking forward to being fat/dumb and happy, paid decently and treated very well at SWA for a long time.

 

[spanky2]

Hey SWA Dude (and SFR),
I said I liked his eagerness...and I was poking fun at his comment about wanting to fly at SWA before he was born. Those are all great but you still gotta have the basics to qualify. I take some offense to the idea that because someone is furloughed that they are doomed for life...or at least get in line behind SFR. There was nothing worse than spending 4 days with a pilot who complained, over and over, or flew slower than a 152 to make a point with mgt. Speaking of mgt, I admire Herb for daring to be different and sticking to his guns over many issues, including staying put at DAL vs moving to DFW. Ms Barrett seems to be of the same mold. Let's hope that SWA mgt does not follow the path of the other majors in terms of leadership (or lack there of). It could happen...we can all name other airlines that used to be a "family."