Whats the deal Virgin?

[Ralph Cramden]

At VA they are telling us to use CI 10 and 280 kts for descent. To counteract the reduced speed one can go as high as your weight allows.

So the net result SFO/LAX is now flown at FL380 and about .77 or .78. We used to do this leg at FL300 and CI 50. Fuel burns and time are about the same by my observation.

On the transcons, CI 10 means 10 minutes more block time, again flying at max altitude. Again, to me it is a wash. Slightly less fuel flow, for 10 minutes longer equals no real change, again just my personal observation.

BTW, we are supposed to fit the flow on arrivals if ATC asks us. To turn off course instead of speed up is kinda defeating the whole idea to me...

 

[Blue Dude]

That's nuts, since the primary fuel savings with a really low CI occurs with the lower speed on descent. If you use a CI of 10 and a descent speed of 280, you might as well just program it for 30 to 40 CI all the time and save yourselves the trouble of hardcoding the descent speed. Suit yourselves, though.

 

[Ralph Cramden]

Preaching to the choir brother.. I don't make the policy, just fly it the way they tell me.

To me any savings is wiped out by the descent and the extra enroute time. I know fuel is expensive and all, but there is a cost involved in extra time on the bird, mx, rotables and such.

The graphs they show you in MIA show a pretty steep curve with the lowest overall cost being in the range CI 30 to 50. That may have shifted to the low somewhat with the fuel spike, but I doubt it is that much.

I get paid by the hour:beer:

 

[clickclickboom]

That's nuts, since the primary fuel savings with a really low CI occurs with the lower speed on descent. If you use a CI of 10 and a descent speed of 280, you might as well just program it for 30 to 40 CI all the time and save yourselves the trouble of hardcoding the descent speed. Suit yourselves, though.

Thats probably the same suggestion those formers b6 fo's had when they were in training at VA and got fired for making suggestions.....

 

[zkmayo]

Thats probably the same suggestion those formers b6 fo's had when they were in training at VA and got fired for making suggestions.....

The suggestions he made didnt help, but the one guy got fired for working at two 121 airlines at the same time.

 

[a320drivr]

Fuel is half price now Virgin so pour the coals to it.

 

[Mr.B]

Get paid? If you want to call it that

I'm sure the Japanese say the same thing about you...not too good a feeling eh?

Give the guys trying to make a living for their families a friggen break.

 

[Fubijaakr]

How about giving those of us whose contracts they're undercutting a friggin' break, Mr. B?

 

[Mr.B]

How about giving those of us whose contracts they're undercutting a friggin' break, Mr. B?

Hey until I see a union with enough balls to set that friggin parking brake you so proudly display and let the robber barons know we won't work for less than we made 10 years ago while they enrich themselves then you must be perfectly satisfied with what you have. (Hows that for a run on sentence)

"They're" not the problem....

 

[Dumb Pilot]

I'm sure the Japanese say the same thing about you...not too good a feeling eh?

Give the guys trying to make a living for their families a friggen break.

I don't make as much as them of course, but I do make as much as 12 year seniority legacy wide body captains (this is year two for me

) and to answer your question, I do feel pretty good about that. The question is, how do the VA pilots feel about being the lowest paid pilots in the Virgin brand (including Virgin Nigeria) It is shameful that we as workers accept pay levels as low as some of the poorest countries on the planet