US Airways Pilot Pool and Hiring

[Flybywire44]

Nicky! What up??!!

PHX is NOT DEAD. Just another St. Nicky WRONG prediction. What a surprise.

We have some pilots returning from MLA & LOA. I consider it is despicable for the company to not RETURN PHX to the fleet numbers BEFORE we bought US Airways, and continue to hire fresh in the East.

That said, we only have 50 or so that remain furloughed in the west. Of those, I expect 30 or so to return. When we check the schedule we see RED FLAG trips EVERYDAY (while the company says we are fully staffed, RED FLAG means that RSV is being depleted).

Look to see new hires in the West next year sometime (IMHO).

See you in CLT or PHL soon Nicky! I am a great guy to work for, ask anyone.

CB

Cactusboy53, lets assume that US Air merges with American. It would be conceivable that US Air will hire 300 pilots on the east side before a merger with AMR is complete. East hiring may briefly stop while remaining AMR furloughs return.

There may not hiring on the west side prior to the possible merger. US Air reduced west operations/furloughed and maximizes east block hours because pay parity does not exist between East/West.

East and West finally have an opportunity to prosper through a powerful merger. This is the perfect opportunity to move on. Imagine, West pilots (Nic Award or Not) will be retiring on 787s, 777s and a350s—Awesome.

I'll drink to a merged East/West/AMR that can give DAL and UAL a run for their money. :beer:

 

[cactusboy53]

Cactusboy53, lets assume that US Air merges with American. It would be conceivable that US Air will hire 300 pilots on the east side before a merger with AMR is complete. East hiring may briefly stop while remaining AMR furloughs return.

There may not hiring on the west side prior to the possible merger. US Air reduced west operations/furloughed and maximizes east block hours because pay parity does not exist between East/West.

East and West finally have an opportunity to prosper through a powerful merger. This is the perfect opportunity to move on. Imagine, West pilots (Nic Award or Not) will be retiring on 787s, 777s and a350s—Awesome.

I'll drink to a merged East/West/AMR that can give DAL and UAL a run for their money. :beer:

The inner workings of LCC continue while we await the conclusion of the attempted merge with Americian. The fact is that LCC is and will be interviewing for all bases. Those coming to PHX will be later next year (IMO). Most interviewing is done in PHX, and all indoc is done in PHX.

The merger timeline could go several different ways. The final melding will depend on the TA signed by all parties. We have a current TA that all parties must comply with. PHX is at fleet mins (or quite nearly so), and stays just above block hour mins.

Pay parity could have happened six years ago, that is not on PHX but on the USAPA start-ups & the company. I find it contemptable that the company would choose to hire new pilots vs. adding a few airplanes back to the PHX fleet to return those pilots (that had jobs when AWA holdings acquired AAA), IMO. That is just bad human behavior, especially when management said that no AWA employees would be harmed by this merger.

CB

 

[reepicheep]

Nope. PHX is dead there are a bunch of westies furloughed. They will be out for a long time! The east is were the growth is.

Damn straight...usair should forget about markets west of the Mississippi and focus on flying 100-seaters in the northeast within a route-structure the size of Wyoming - it worked so well before right?

 

[Crzipilot]

Actually it kinda did until this little nugget was uttered.....

[FONT=&quot]“Despite [/FONT][FONT=&quot]USAirways[/FONT][FONT=&quot]’ huge losses, President [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Gangwal[/FONT][FONT=&quot] said he is optimistic about the airline’s future. Specifically, he said the 9/11 attacks have allowed the airline to restructure and downsize in ways that would have been impossible otherwise. The attacks allow the airline to invoke [/FONT][FONT=&quot]force majeure[/FONT][FONT=&quot] clauses in its contracts -- a legal term for an uncontrollable event that releases a party from its contractual obligations.”[/FONT]​

[FONT=&quot]“[/FONT][FONT=&quot]Gangwal[/FONT][FONT=&quot] said he expects the changes to be permanent. ‘I don’t want to take advantage of the situation, … but the events of 9/11 have opened certain doors for the company that were pretty much closed before.’”[/FONT]​

 

[reepicheep]

Yeah....that was gonna be those einsteins Wolf/Gangwal's ultimate "Plan B". Take it down to around 120 planes, a "boutique regional", just the PHL hub and DCA flying - I think Gangwal's quote was something like "this could be the most profitable regional airline in the industry". instead they went out the door (with their $35 million) in the 1st BK.

 

[charlie2]

Thanks for the new info Little Deuce. Will this new bid open the pilot window?

Hey Angry K9, was told today that the class that started yesterday went 6 E190 PHL and 8 A320 DCA but with 5 E190's coming back to us I think you will see some classes going all E190.

 

[Mad Dog 80]

How is class seniority determined at US Airways?

 

[pilotjustin]

Age....

 

[Mad Dog 80]

Thanks

 

[bailey3083]

Me too.

Me Three!!! LOL 8/2000 J41 driver here

 

[bailey3083]

I am told very soon. We need to start classes ASAP

Hey Deuce have you heard about some of the senior guys getting fed up with Airways and just walking away?

 

[Mad Dog 80]

We should have an ACA reunion. LOL

 

[LittleDeuce]

Hey Deuce have you heard about some of the senior guys getting fed up with Airways and just walking away?

Not sure about that per se but there are 50 retirements on the November bid.

 

[Milmil]

Not sure about that per se but there are 50 retirements on the November bid.

Not sure where you are getting your info? There were two early retirements (capt's) on the November Bid

 

[LaGarbage Man]

We should have an ACA reunion. LOL

Count me in on the ACA/Indy refugee reunion. Can I still attend even though I skipped out on the J41 experience. About 3000 hrs in its little brother though.

 

[ackattacker]

Not sure about that per se but there are 50 retirements on the November bid.

Just to clarify since some readers may be confused by the info on this thread...

The November system bid increases E190 staffing by 50 pilots (25 each Captain and F/O). Without explicitly stating so, this is a sure-fire confirmation that the 5 E190's are coming since there's no other reason to drastically increase E190 staffing.

It also increases A330 staffing by 14 pilots "in anticipation of 2013 fleet growth" but decreases 767 staffing along with shuffling 737 positions over to Airbus, the net growth effect is just the 50 more positions from the E190. That's the reason for the 50 new-hire positions. There are only 2 "early retirements" on the bid and they're cancelled out by returns from medical.

Interesting overheard the other day that the new E190's, A330's, retirements, and implementing the new rest rules will result in the need for roughly 500 new pilots in 2013. Not sure if that number is accurate but sounds plausible.

 

[acaTerry]

Count me in on the ACA/Indy refugee reunion. Can I still attend even though I skipped out on the J41 experience. About 3000 hrs in its little brother though.

You get head of the table. I flew the 32 first and I'll never be that good again.

 

[Mad Dog 80]

I flew the BE-1900 and I will never be that good again either. You get head of table brother for flying the 32.

 

[Crzipilot]

50 new positions could also be, company attempting to get ahead of the curve re: pilot numbers, but of course this would require them to be forward thinking. it's relatively inexpensive for them to staff the 190 a little heavy, as an insurance policy.

On another note, if you check the age 60 and over list for bidding. you will notice there are about 600 of those cats sitting around. I.E. in the next 5 years, out of 2700 pilots, about 600 of them will be gone....

 

[ackattacker]

50 new positions could also be, company attempting to get ahead of the curve re: pilot numbers, but of course this would require them to be forward thinking. it's relatively inexpensive for them to staff the 190 a little heavy, as an insurance policy.

Not a chance... if that was the case, they'd increase staffing all around not just on the E190. Having 100 guys sitting reserve for a fleet of 15 E190's doesn't help them at all when a A330 Captain retires, actually hurts them cause they have to train the guy twice when he moves up. It's new aircraft, it's been confirmed all around even told to the new guys in class. Just waiting on the press release.