Value of a 737 type??

[LiveFreeorDie]

leap frogging

RightBettor -

It certianly is tough getting by when you are furloughed. And congratulations on your son. I don't think anything will come of the conversations with Lindsey so don't get too upset.

My main point is that not every one just decided not to get their type rating cause they didn't want to invest the 7-10,000 dollars.

I try not to dwell on the what-if's... it is just that tredding really poked at a raw nerve with me.

And you can't know what it is like to be told you have to stay in the military after you have served your commitment and then be told you have to go away from your wife and kids... again for the thousanth time. And it isn't like an airline trip. Your kids don't see you or talk to you for weeks or months.

Being stop-lossed means you have zero options. At least at your job you could quit and go on unemployment or move in with your parents. In the military you can't just say I am tired of being gone 180 days a year, I quit. Besides we had a job we had to do after the 11th and despite what you hear on the networks, I think we did a pretty good job.

The bottom line is -- I don't appreciate someone gloating over the alleged senority he gained by my not getting a type rating. It is rude to point it out wether it was poor planning on my part or circumstances beyond my control, it is still rude to rub it in.

 

[RightBettor]

Glad to read the polite response.

LiveFree:

You make some excellent points, and I want you to know that I for one appreciate the hard work, dedication, and sacrifice you military folks have made.

I know what it is like for someone to hit that "raw-nerve" you speak of. I had a SkyWest pilot laugh at my misfortune of getting furloughed from United. I was on my way back to LAX from PHX after getting my type rating, and this putz says, "Hey look, I got your job, ha ha ha!! See, you shouldn't have left SkyWest!! Ha ha ha!!" Needless to say, I wasn't impressed.

I hope this is all a moot point by the end of 2003, and we can find something else to discuss over a few cold ones!

I am really glad your response was cordial. I wish everyone would use good manners on the boards. Thanks.

Regards,
RightBettor

P.S. I'm not so sure about the quitting, going on unemployment, and moving in with the parents thing. With a pregnant wife, I needed the health insurance. We got an EOB from the health insurance company... they paid out about $60 grand for the c-section delivery!!!! OUCH!!!! Good thing we were covered. Besides my work ethic is too strong to live at home and have you taxpayers foot my bills.

 

[LiveFreeorDie]

RightBettor

Ditto

It was hard to be coordial. (I actually went back and edited the post a bit to make it less harsh.) But I know tredding didn't mean it.

You must have felt like chocking that SkyWest pilot. I'd still rather be furloughed from UAL. I have never heard anything positive about flying for that outfit. ANd if he could have he would have been in your shoes.

Yeah the health insurance is killing me right now. I can't afford to pay the $750 a month my employer charges. I am just hoping I get on sooner than latter with SWA. I could go back to the military or fly for the guard/reserve, but I am not willing to pay that price at the moment. My wife and kids love my being home every night and weekend. I am even able to coach my 6yr olds soccer team cause I can commit to being there!!! That part of it is great. But having to worry about money is new for me and it BLOWS!

Well take care and good luck

 

[RightBettor]

Staying home and ideas for health insurance

LiveFree:

My silver lining in this big gray cloud is that I have been able to spend my son's first year at home. I was home for his first crawl, first steps, first birthday, first "Dada!", you name it. I wouldn't trade that for anything.

Look into purchasing health insurance on your own. I am currently working as a contractor so I have to pay out of pocket. My wife and I got approved for Kaiser at $303/month and Blue Cross of California for $430/month. Both include dental!! You can find some good deals for individual plans. Research it online.

Regards,
RightBettor

PM if you want more info.

 

[Lonestar]

Speed Racer

First of all, let me say, that you have a dream job that most pilots would dream of having (I'm assuming that you work for FedEx) and that you will have a VERY rewarding career at the carrier of YOUR choice. When you retire, you will undoubtedly look back on you years as a pilot and smile...And yes, you will be (and probably already are) ONE RICH MO-FO! That's great! We should all be so lucky to have the job we have always dreamed of AND get filthy-stinking rich doing it. I commend you.

Now, as for me (and I would imagine several other SWA poolies would agree) am right where I want to be too. I grew up here in Texas and was born shortly after a little known airline called Southwest started flying around. From a very early age, SWA was the ONLY place I ever wanted to work. So, after paying a FEW dues in the cargo world, I found myself nearing the mins to apply at MY dream carrier...Southwest. As soon I had 1000 turbine PIC (1015 to be exact) I was in type class and got the call for my interview the day of my 737 type ride. A week later I was in my interview suit doing exactly what I had always dreamed of...interviewing for MY dream job.

I know you probably don't understand why people want to work for SWA and especially why people want to pay $7K plus to do it, but that's o.k. You have found YOUR dream job and so have WE. I will wait " 'til the cows come home" to go to class at the airline I grew up with. So please, don't rain on my parade and I won't rain on yours.

 

[HOUMAN]

Hey SpeedRacer
Thanks for the entertaining posts. You must be a real joy to fly with late at night.

 

[King Nothing]

SpeedRacer is just a lucky arrogant, non-consoling, non-sympathetic...and can't see past this little world he lives in. I wonder, if he didn't have this so called "dream job" at FedEx would he be trying to get on with SWA?

This post has generated a tremendous amount of emotion and debate. It's exciting but yet disappointing to see what you all are doing to forge ahead and stay the course to eventually realize your dream of flying for what I believe to be the best airline in the country. All of you that have posted your story of getting your type, the unfortunate furlough's, the births, the stops loss, and how you continue to hang on in the face of hardship and deal with them is awe inspiring...and your just a very small percentage of the pool. Certainly, others in the pool are facing hardships of their own and we haven't heard from them...we can only imagine what they are experiencing.

It's you folks in the pool that are enduring the hardships right now, and will soon be flying for Southwest, that will make that airline stronger and prosper for years to come.

Don't give up!

KN

 

[tredding@swa]

sorry

1st of all... LiveFree, you were not the name on the list that I was referring to, however - my intent was to make the point of having the type to those people who have asked many, many times on this board if they should somehow find the $$$ to do the type prior to interviewing.

By using MY history through the interview process and making MY observations concerning the "having vs. NOT having" the type I was hoping to help others like you and I realize that they too can achieve their dream of flying for SWA, if that is in fact what they desire to do. I personally believe that if you have a burning desire to achieve ANYTHING, that you can get there. I have never taken NO for an answer in my career, and have been lucky enough to have done everything I set my sights on. I am no different than you or anyone else in this regard. Again, this is MY belief.... if more folks tried a little harder and had some self-confidence they would be amazed at the results.

Now, for having made you feel the way you did regarding my post, I am truly sorry for making you go through what you did.

I could have worded things a bit kinder & easier, but I too have had a pretty bad week (not to mention the last six months, working in a differnt state, seeing my family every 10-12 days for a weekend) and was rambling on about how grateful I am (or should be) for having made the decisions I made over a year ago.

Through all of the uncertainty and bad news surrounding our profession these days, I guess what I was trying to say to those waiting to interview is that they should not give up hope, go for it, the sooner you do - the sooner you will be flying at the wonderful company known as SWA!!

Of course nobody here (or very few) actually knows one another. However, I assure you that I had NO intention what so EVER of offending you or anyone else. That type of behavior is not in my genetic code!!

The extreme negativity shown by several bufoons replying to my post has once again confirmed my theory that a large percentage of pilots are idiots. Thank you SWA for trying to weed out the poor attitudes in the interview process - all the more reason to wait for our numbers to come up for eventual dryness.

Thanks to all who were kind enough to not read anything into my post, once again,

Have a great day everyone! Tred

 

[K.I.S.S.]

SkyWest "Outfit"

To all of you frequent posters and information gathering folks...
THANKS!!!

I have been "lurking" in the background on this forum for quite a while now. Since my interview at Southwest I too have been waiting (not so patiently) for classes to start. Even though it is not easy for any of us to hold out, this website sure helps. So thanks again for all the info. and interesting discussion.

My main reason for this post is to respond to a couple of comments.

First, to RightBettor:

I work at SkyWest and would like to say that I am dissapointed that one of our employees made fun of your furlough situation. I think that is totally unprofessional and some really bad Karma. However...I would be happy to e-mail you privately about the DOZENS of times I have encountered arrogant, unprofessional, and ignorant pilots from you airline. You really don't sound like one of those to me so please do not think I am attacking you personally. My point is that there are idiots all over this industry. Please don't let one jerk shape the way you feel about 1200 people. I hope your personal situation goes as well as it can and that we all get a class date soon.


Second to LiveFreeorDie:

My five years at SkyWest have been great. I know many pilots at other "outfits" that would and have made lateral shifts to us because it is an outstanding company. In many ways it is similar to SWA. One reason SWA is my first chioce of airlines is that I love my current job so much. There, now you have heard something good about SkyWest!


Last to SpeedRacer:

Your rude.


Hang in there everyone.

 

[RightBettor]

SkyWest outfit?

K.I.S.S.,

My SkyWest outfit was black with gold stripes, and on holidays I could wear a festive tie!!!

I agree with you 110%! There are d-i-c-k heads in any organization. I am a former SkyWest pilot and I really enjoyed the four years I worked there. I've always maintained that UAL is lucky to have SkyWest as a regional partner. I too have run into the arrogant, unprofessional, ignorant types at UAL... and that's when I worked at UAL. I had one captain bi+ching about what a bunch of dummies express pilots were and yada, yada, yada. I turned to him and said, "Really? I came from UA Express." Bear in mind this guy didn't have one nice to say about anything!! We were overnighting at a Westin downtown somewhere, I think IND, and he was complaining about the hotel. I guess he never stayed at that Motel 6 in Crescent City, CA!!!! Plus he got on at UAL back in the late 60's with something like 40 hours and a private pilot cert. Back when airlines had ads in the newspapers. That was his story anyway.

I've worked with great people at "OO" and "UA", and I've also worked with total duds at both airlines. So no I don't feel any ill will towards the 1200 at "OO" nor do I think I am better... well, maybe better looking, but that's not for me to say.

Hope to see you in Dallas... SOON!!

Regards,
RightBettor

 

[Falconjet]

737 Type

I waited until after my interview with SWA to get my type rating because I had to pay for it myself (not EVERYBODY in the military is/was eligible for the new GI Bill or the old GI Bill. For many years the only education benefit was VEAP and it sucked and a lot of people passed on it. Later when they offered a changeover to the new GI Bill only those folks who had signed up for VEAP were even eligible to convert over. I, like a chucklehead, never thought I would use VEAP so I never signed up and left myself without an educational benefit from the VA after over 20 years in the military. The new GI Bill only pays about 2/3 of the cost as well). I signed up for a class and gambled a little by sending the deposit a few days before I thought I might get a yea or nay. Fortunately they called and said yea about 4 days later. I think that the type gets you an interview quicker and if that goes well you would be in the pool immediately and that could be worth up to 100 numbers in seniority. I also think that the course is a very good exposure to a different way of operating aircraft (particularly coming from the military) and just taking an FAA checkride and the oral is a learning experience. I think the type is very valuable in that regard. After 15 years in the Falcon where you pull on the overhead switches to turn them on it is very difficult to go into the Boeing where you pull them to turn them off. I still stare at the switches and get confused as to whether they are on or off. Everybody has to do what is right for them based on their situation and finances.

 

[bluesideup1]

RightBetter,

In your previous statement you said that you only had 6 months to get the type and that it was going to be very hard to have it done in time could you not have asked for an extention or is that something Southwest does not allow?

 

[RightBettor]

Extensions are not allowed. If you fail to get in time, then you have to reapply.

 

[LiveFreeorDie]

TYPE EXTENTIONS

RightBetting Guy-


You can get an extention to the six month Type rating rule, but only for certain situations. I got one for my military situation. I got my type six months and 23 days after getting hired.

 

[RightBettor]

Okay. When I inquired, they said "absolutely not." Whatever... I'm done with this thread... let's move on.