SWA Poolies..Idea?

[Slug]

Another for the list

Another data point.

Typed: March 99

Interview: Oct 25, 01

Told by Jennifer that class might be before April.

 

[awaitingswa]

Jennifer just returned my call. She said they are working on filling the Jan classes right now. She said it was hard to tell but I could be March or April. If stop/loss guys get released in Jan that changes everything again.

Interviewed: May 8
Typed: Aug 30

 

[dhampton]

Slug

What's the date on your "in the pool" letter?

 

[Rowel]

Army Stop-Loss

Just heard from a friend that Army has enacted Stop-Loss for selected pilot positions. The effective date applies to pilots either separating or retiring after 01/15/02. Not sure how, or if, this will affect the pool.

Happy Holidays,

Rowel

 

[Phil O'Sopher]

My 2 cents: if SWA is like a number of other companies
they are probably keeping a rolling demographic picture
of their pilot population. In an effort to homogenize the
stream, they may and should be averaging out ages,
experience (total time, PIC time and maybe jet time, high
density flying, parts 91/121/135/military) etc. They will want
to avoid a bubble of pilots the same age, say, to preclude a
heavy year of retirements (and heavy load on training) at
some point downstream. They may also want to provide a mix
of experience levels in each class to partner up a relatively
less experienced pilot with a more experienced one.

All things being equal, your call probably will be determined by your pool entry date, but all things are never equal. If they were, there would be a very simple list and 26 slots could quickly be
filled with 26 phone calls. Noone will ever say how it's done
because it's a fluid situation and noone wants to be held to any
particular well intentioned guess. The military stop-loss developments must really be throwing a wrench into the works to
say nothing of having to also sort out the recall of postponed interviewees and slotting new ones. All of this while the airline
wobbles on the verge of the profitability that is required to justify
all of this hiring. This data thread is a good idea and a very interesting exercise but it will only ever provide part of the picture.

ME: hired with type in August. Facing unemployment in January. I know when my call is coming...when the phone rings.

 

[Rob Beeks]

Well, boys and girls...I wish I could give you the answers you are looking for...but I can't. And I don't know anyone outside the SWA pilot hiring department who can. They keep class selection criteria top secret. Every time I THINK I have figured it out, BOOM! I think Phil is on the right track concerning demographics being a player. It's the only way you can rationalize the seemingly random process of class assignments.

I will say that experience levels are probably not a big player. Your sim partner is the person sitting next to you, and seating is arranged by age. Old guys and gals up front (so they can see the board) and yound guys and gals in the back. Age also determines seniority within your class.

I will also say that in the past few years, the classes are pretty even concerning military vs. civilian background.

Several factors affect hire pool date, and subsequently, your call for a class date. Interview date and time...decision board date...the date you have ALL the squares filled. Each of these comes into play. For example, you could interview AFTER another guy, but because the moon and starts aligned for you, all your background checks, the drug screen, etc., get completed before the other guy. You meet an earlier decision board, get the thumbs up, they review your file, see all the squares are filled, and your forehead gets a date/time stamp. The other guy may still be waiting to meet the board.

I've had several clients with extraordinary waits between the interview and their decision board. Reasons run the full spectrum: lost paperwork, lost drug screen results, uncooperative companies not releasing training records, and a myriad of other things. The good news is that folks with extremely long waits usually get hired!

My best advice is this:
1) If you are currently typed and in the pool, you should be wearing a SWA ID no later than April, and you are the envy of many! Enjoy the holidays!!

2) If you are in the pool, but haven't got a type yet...what are you thinking? Do you think UAL, AA, DAL, US Airways, et al, are going to magically recover and start recalling furloughed pilots and resume hiring new guys in the next year? Next two years? Next three years? Are you holding out for jetBlue to call? Yeah, I know it costs $8000 to roll those dice, but what will it cost if you DON'T roll them?

3) If you are awaiting an interview, the type rating will make a big difference in getting an early invite. It looks like January interviews are going to the dozens of folks who had their September or October interview cancelled by Osama. I haven't heard anything about interviews after January. I expect them to continue, but that is not a certainty. Nothing is certain right now!

As most of you know, SWA thrives when times are bad. The applicant pool is now filled to the brim with very highly qualified pilots. You can expect the overall hiring percentages to go down since SWA doesn't need to worry about folks bailing from the pool to take another job offer. you can also expect the qualifications of hired pilots to be much higher than in the last couple of years. Bottom line: SWA is now the main game in town, and most everyone is coming to play.

To everyone: hang in there! Please pray that no other terrorist hits the airline industry. Please ask your relatives, friends, and neighbors to fly instead of drive.

Rob Beeks
RWB Consulting

 

[70734guy]

Unexpected but great news: Spoke with Jennifer McCallion today. She said I'm in the January 17th class! The official word will come from a chief pilot next week according to her. She also called a buddy of mine with the same news (I had asked her about his status as well so she called him after she got off the phone with me). Just two weeks ago she told me to expect a February 21st class, definitely by March, very remote chance of January. She said a fair number of people are not available for the January classes for various reasons and that's why we've moved up. I called her for an update on my status this morning, she didn't initiate the call. I asked her "what are my chances of a January spot", she started to say "pretty good" but then stopped and started counting down her "list", then she told me I would definitely be in the January 17th class! I have to redo my drug test because it's been so long. I asked her when I might get the official word and she said very emphatically "next week, from a chief pilot". Things are moving along in Dallas. She sounded very upbeat. Hopefully there will be lots of positive phone calls coming very soon for more folks! Merry Christmas!!

 

[xhercdriver]

OK, time for fun with math (Disclaimer: any resemblance to reality is purely coincidental)

70734guy entered the pool on July 30. He did not make it into either August class, the one September class, or either October class. He isn't in the first January class, but he IS in the second January class

Hungry entered the pool in July also. Say he missed the second July class, 2 August classes, 1 September, and both Octobers, and makes it into the first January class

Therefore, the "class wait" after entering the pool is...7 classes. (Theoretically)

Of course, I could be completely out to lunch...

 

[loungelizard]

Another Data Point for the Pool
Rossi 3 posted this on the wrong thread.

FYI fello poolmates waiting the CP call to glory at SW.
My interview was 12Jun. I was hired 02AUG and typed 04SEP.
A pilot who interviewed with me, obtained his type during the waiting period. He is on line now. He was in class while I was in type class. I was initially estimated for NOV/DEC time frame.

I know of one other poolie that is awaiting the call. He interviewed in May, Got the call in Aug and was typed on 12 Sep
In the pool on 13 Sep.

That is All.

 

[SentryIP]

Treading Water In The SWA Pool

Fellow Aviators,

I just returned from Grand Prairie, Texas, this past Saturday where I competed my B-737 type rating through Higher Power Aviation. My dates are:

Interview: August 8, 2001
Hiring Board: October 11, 2001
Conditional Employment Letter: October 19, 2001
Type Rating: December 8, 2001

I was going to retire from the USAF on November 1, 2001, but I'm still in due to STOP LOSS. Best wishes to all.