Virgin Q's

[hyflyin]

Isn't there 3 bases? I thought that until you finished training you wouldn't have a base therefore the company would put you up during training. Every other company I have worked for did. I don't know what to say about your last sentence. I think the topic of taking it in the shorts financially has been covered. It is up to the individual to do what is best for themselves. I just wish that we all as a group realized what we are worth.[/QUOT

JFK, LAX,IAD all fairly senior. You will definitely be based in SFO.

As for what we are worth, there is definitely a movement within. Some are waiting to see what happens, if the company will do what is "right" (companies words) in regards to pay come next year. If anything happened now in regards to any kind of organization than you can kiss all incentive, pay, etc... goodbye for at least 4 yrs. We all know we are "worth" more, but now is not the time. Next year may bring something different. Most have been this rodeo before, but now is not the time to move.

 

[thunderworm]

I wish you all the best in improving your compensation. I did not know that united did the same thing. Is putting yourself up during training common? If so, looks like sucking it up might be the only choice for one who chooses to. Until the pilots have the pull again. If they ever did? FWIW I think VA might be a good place to work with tremendous uptick. Hopefully they can position themselves in regards to pay and benefits to be a place that pilots will be knocking their doors down, even in a good economy. Not just the one that happens to be hiring at the time. Time will tell and unfortunately my I had to hock my crystal ball to pay the bills.

 

[Mud]

Oh... and you get to dress up and look like a black jack dealer from the Hooters Casino in LAS.

I'm so tired of this. At first I hated the Johnny Cash look too (particularly without the shoulder stripes). Now years later I wouldn't trade it. In fact none of us would, we took a vote and decided to keep it. Not a week goes by that I don't hear a compliment about our appearance from someone. No hat, no tie to screw with. You splatter cofee on yourself and no one knows. No pit stains, easy to "re-shirt" on overnights. Soft and comfortable. Soon we are fixing the pockets to a more standard configuration which will be better. And we are recognized now so the strangeness factor is no longer really valid. Leather jackets in the winter, it's a great uniform.

I agree Delta looks sharp too, as well as other traditional looks, but I've worn enough fancy jackets and hats to have gotten over it. Functional and comfortable is the way to go.

 

[pilotpm]

I agree Delta looks sharp too, as well as other traditional looks, but I've worn enough fancy jackets and hats to have gotten over it. Functional and comfortable is the way to go.

I'll second that motion. I am way over ties and hats. I'll take our comfortable uniform any day.

 

[NEDude]

Oh... and you get to dress up and look like a black jack dealer from the Hooters Casino in LAS.

I'm so tired of this. At first I hated the Johnny Cash look too (particularly without the shoulder stripes). Now years later I wouldn't trade it. In fact none of us would, we took a vote and decided to keep it. Not a week goes by that I don't hear a compliment about our appearance from someone. No hat, no tie to screw with. You splatter cofee on yourself and no one knows. No pit stains, easy to "re-shirt" on overnights. Soft and comfortable. Soon we are fixing the pockets to a more standard configuration which will be better. And we are recognized now so the strangeness factor is no longer really valid. Leather jackets in the winter, it's a great uniform.

I agree Delta looks sharp too, as well as other traditional looks, but I've worn enough fancy jackets and hats to have gotten over it. Functional and comfortable is the way to go.

I am amazed at all of the fashion police here on FI. The only bad comments I hear are on these message boards. It almost feels more like Queer Eye for the Pilot Guy than an aviation message board.

Personally I like it. Very comfortable.

 

[Tomct]

No because the new UAL is going to double up in LAX...

You mean SKYWEST is going to double.

 

[Tomct]

They want to humiliate and degrade you from the start. That way you will gladly fly a 150 seat jet for RJ wages. Oh... and you get to dress up and look like a black jack dealer from the Hooters Casino in LAS.

I think they should start a human behavior study to see just how much humiliation new hires will take before they quit. Maybe start with having all employees crawl across the threshold of the training center on their hands and knees. Put up a huge picture of Branson smiling down on them in the lobby.

This is just standard operating procedure for Branson and his minions. Somehow he gets away with paying people $hit wages while his PR machine keeps people thinking he is some kind of second coming. Just look at the news rack, you almost always see that jack ass grinning from the cover of some magazine while doing something cool and adventurous.

All the while his employees have to go on government assistance because they can't make ends meet.

Um....Hello....just a Wake up for ya....but in case you don't realize it....YOU WORK FOR MESA!! What a STOOGE!

 

[Midnight Flyer]

What's the deal with none of the Capts wanting to be check airmen. I'm assuming mgmt probably just doesn't want to actually pay crewmembers to be check airman.

I heard that extremely junior fo's are instructing in the sim! WTF

 

[Chairman]

What's the deal with none of the Capts wanting to be check airmen. I'm assuming mgmt probably just doesn't want to actually pay crewmembers to be check airman.

I heard that extremely junior fo's are instructing in the sim! WTF

At UAL all the instructors were FO's whats your point!

 

[Midnight Flyer]

At UAL all the instructors were FO's whats your point!

Don't have a point, but just an honest question. Traditionally most check airman (at least every airline I've worked at) are Captains.

 

[Chairman]

You don't have to be a checkairman to teach in the sim. You do to do IOE or Line checks and I am sure they are all captains

 

[NEDude]

You don't have to be a checkairman to teach in the sim. You do to do IOE or Line checks and I am sure they are all captains

You need 1000 PIC on line to be a check airman at VX, sim or line. To teach in the sim you need a PIC type rating, which you get as a new-hire.

 

[Sandstorm]

Can someone PM the name of the person that I should address a cover letter to?

 

[flyboy9967]

They want to humiliate and degrade you from the start. That way you will gladly fly a 150 seat jet for RJ wages. Oh... and you get to dress up and look like a black jack dealer from the Hooters Casino in LAS.

I think they should start a human behavior study to see just how much humiliation new hires will take before they quit. Maybe start with having all employees crawl across the threshold of the training center on their hands and knees. Put up a huge picture of Branson smiling down on them in the lobby.

This is just standard operating procedure for Branson and his minions. Somehow he gets away with paying people $hit wages while his PR machine keeps people thinking he is some kind of second coming. Just look at the news rack, you almost always see that jack ass grinning from the cover of some magazine while doing something cool and adventurous.

All the while his employees have to go on government assistance because they can't make ends meet.

What are you talking about??? Virgin America pays very well. Oh wait, not to the crews, but to the Kalitta Air race team that they are going to be a sponsor for soon. Kind of a mixture of sad and funny. Don't know how that wouldn't piss the crews off. They can't pay you but they can give a race team a crap load.

 

[Busdriver320]

What are you talking about??? Virgin America pays very well. Oh wait, not to the crews, but to the Kalitta Air race team that they are going to be a sponsor for soon. Kind of a mixture of sad and funny. Don't know how that wouldn't piss the crews off. They can't pay you but they can give a race team a crap load.

Nice speculation. The real story is that one of our guys is a NHRA fan who knows the Kalitta team somehow. I believe they gave him pit passes and close-up access to the starting line at an NHRA event awhile ago and he arranged for them to visit the sim we use in DFW when the NHRA circuit was there. Nothing more to it. BTW, I don't think it "Kalitta Air" has anything to do with the "race team". Connie Kalitta has been involved in drag racing forever, he just happens to have started a freight carrier at some point along the way.

 

[flyboy9967]

Nice speculation. The real story is that one of our guys is a NHRA fan who knows the Kalitta team somehow. I believe they gave him pit passes and close-up access to the starting line at an NHRA event awhile ago and he arranged for them to visit the sim we use in DFW when the NHRA circuit was there. Nothing more to it. BTW, I don't think it "Kalitta Air" has anything to do with the "race team". Connie Kalitta has been involved in drag racing forever, he just happens to have started a freight carrier at some point along the way.

Wow. I guess Connie in his old age is just making stuff up, huh? And I was actually refering to the Kalitta Air TF car, since thats what Virgin is gonna be sponsoring.

 

[Busdriver320]

Wow. I guess Connie in his old age is just making stuff up, huh? And I was actually refering to the Kalitta Air TF car, since thats what Virgin is gonna be sponsoring.

Well maybe you know more than me about it. I don't follow NHRA but I believe Kalitta was into racing long before airlines, no? I find it hard to believe VA would sponsor anything, and if we did why would it be in drag racing? Not exactly a high-profile sport. Haven't heard a word from anyone here about us sponsoring a race car, and they usually tell us to 'watch for....' anytime we are getting media exposure.

Then again, I've been wrong before!

 

[Busdriver320]

Okay, some follow up...

Directly from the guy I was talking about in my first post:

"No, we are not sponsoring them (as much as I would love that!). This is just a personal relationship between a few of our pilots and the Kalitta team. Also, we have many NHRA fans in our teammates and so we thought it would be cool to celebrate the DFW launch by asking the drivers to come and fly our simulator in Dallas during their Dallas race. That resulted in the footage shown on ESPN, but that's it."

As far as the "Kalitta Air" car, the Kalitta Motorsports website list DHL as the primary sponsor, and Kalitta Air and Kalitta Charters are "associate" sponsors. Its all just semantics and I could really care less who owns or races the car, my original reply was mostly meant to counter the notion that VA was going to sponsor a dragster team.

Cheers