Eagle Rumors

[ready2fly]

Did you really think you were going to get paid in aviation? If you want to get paid in aviation then get a CEO position and be responsible for the people who are responsible for hundreds of lives a day.

Crappy jobs do pay. Cool jobs don’t.

Touche'.

And, no, I didn't think I'd be getting paid at the regionals. But as a wise man once said "Knowing about something and LIVING something are two entirely different things."

However, there are parts of this industry (read: Part 91 corporate, and some Part 135 fractionals) where you can make a livable wage.

I've been harping on the pay, but the other issues are as follows:

- Total lack of respect from your employer (i.e. you are the first person they come to for pay concessions and/or job cuts);
- Total lack of respect from schedulers (although now that I'm off reserve, that's been a non-issue...);
- The inherent instability that goes along with Part 121 (again - saying you know about a subject, and actually living it are two entirely different things);
- Part 121 is the only industry that I'm aware of (outside the military) where, if you switch companies - regardless of your experience - you start at the bottom. There is something to be said for seniority, but there is where it makes no sense whatsoever.

There are upsides - don't get me wrong: I like the schedules. Knowing when I'll be home and when I'll be gone and where I'm going is nice. I like the travel benefits...such that they are. I like the people I work with. I enjoy the places we go.

And the view is always amazing!

But, I'd wager to say that view would look just as nice with twice as much cash in my pocket. No?

 

[SpiraMirabilis]

16 year contract?! I understand things go slower at Eagle but thats a LONG contract, especially to have the same payrates you have now.

 

[ready2fly]

Anybody know how to write a Bill? :bandit:

Actually...yes... I do. :bandit: I authored/co-authored at least 10 bills (three of which became actual legislation) in Tennessee when I was in college and served on the Tennessee Intercollegiate State Legislature.

One of my Bills made "Top Legislation" the first year, and three made "Top 10." All were presented to the real Tennessee State Legislature and three were passed into legislation.

When do you want to get together??

 

[Firebird2XC]

Actually...yes... I do. :bandit: I authored/co-authored at least 10 bills (three of which became actual legislation) in Tennessee when I was in college and served on the Tennessee Intercollegiate State Legislature.

One of my Bills made "Top Legislation" the first year, and three made "Top 10." All were presented to the real Tennessee State Legislature and three were passed into legislation.

When do you want to get together??

Dude, we've been trying to get together for coffee by schedule coincidence forever.

Maybe it's time we just convened some sort of round table.

PM sent. :bandit:

 

[CFIT99]

i would just a chance to fly 121...so is this rumor that hiring is going to start again something that everyone at eagle is talking about or is just some thing whispered to someone?

 

[Yank&BankmyRJ145]

Being that Eagle is starting zero time lines and part time lines next month. I don't think they are hiring anytime soon.

 

[CFIT99]

i meant later in the spring...6-8 months from now

but interesting to know

 

[Firebird2XC]

Being that Eagle is starting zero time lines and part time lines next month. I don't think they are hiring anytime soon.

With the fall schedule reduction in place, things are a little slow around here.

With attrition continuing as normal, more or less, in the next sixth months we'll need to hire. Maybe not alot, but we will.

Ruminations of the long-contested "Additional 25 CRJs" abound... as well as theories of larger aircraft in general.

 

[Yank&BankmyRJ145]

With the fall schedule reduction in place, things are a little slow around here.

With attrition continuing as normal, more or less, in the next sixth months we'll need to hire. Maybe not alot, but we will.

Ruminations of the long-contested "Additional 25 CRJs" abound... as well as theories of larger aircraft in general.

SLOW YES, VERY SLOW!!! It's sad when all you do is sit outside by the pool for the last two months. I have been begging for flying lately!! I just want to get out of the house. But is today feels great out by the pool!!!!:nana2:

 

[Firebird2XC]

SLOW YES, VERY SLOW!!! It's sad when all you do is sit outside by the pool for the last two months. I have been begging for flying lately!! I just want to get out of the house. But is today feels great out by the pool!!!!:nana2:

Right there with ya man. Feast and famine has been the order of the year.

In the winter, I couldn't get rid of flight hours. My schedules were always jammed. Now I wonder how I'll fill the hours if I suit up. C'est la vie.

Soon enough, my friend... soon enough.

 

[Gonzo]

I am going to time out this month. Check me out on the N6D. :nana2:

 

[Firebird2XC]

I am going to time out this month. Check me out on the N6D. :nana2:

That's the difference between ORD and DFW right now. We're fat on everything in DFW.

I thought about bidding ORD in the next vacancy bid, but then I figured "why deal with the hassle of commuting for an extra $200 a month?"

It's relative. When upgrade classes start up agian, I'll be back in Composite line territory. Can't wait to dig in to that second year pay!

 

[Cactus_Cutter]

I am going to time out this month. Check me out on the N6D. :nana2:

Still doing that "If it involves a hotel room, I will fly it." routine?

I need to do this since for the second time within 2 years I will be homeless.

Living the dream of poverty.

 

[CFIT99]

any one know how big the swimming pool is (i heard around 60) and how do they start calling people (age, hire date, etc?)

just curious...how long is it going to take to to transition train all the pilots that were on the saab to the ERJ/ATR? (or has it been done already?)

 

[v1valarob]

any one know how big the swimming pool is (i heard around 60) and how do they start calling people (age, hire date, etc?)

just curious...how long is it going to take to to transition train all the pilots that were on the saab to the ERJ/ATR? (or has it been done already?)

Adam? Well you can at least one person out of that pool.

 

[Yank&BankmyRJ145]

I beleive they are going to start calling by interview date.

The S340 guys are in training or are going to start training by the end of Jan.


PS- just about every month since I got here we have lost 30 or so pilots a month, This month my seniority number went up 3 spots ---RSV "I love you"

 

[SpiraMirabilis]

Can someone who is knowledgeable about AA and Eagle shed some light on something for me? Was jumpseating out of DFW the other day and had to sit up front on the MD80. The AA captain was talking about how the scope language in their contract says that if there ever are less than 7300 AA pilots on property (he said TWA guys/etc bought companies do not count) then the scope that allows AE to fly becomes void. If so I'm pretty sure there is less than 7300 "AA" guys right now!

 

[Firebird2XC]

Can someone who is knowledgeable about AA and Eagle shed some light on something for me? Was jumpseating out of DFW the other day and had to sit up front on the MD80. The AA captain was talking about how the scope language in their contract says that if there ever are less than 7300 AA pilots on property (he said TWA guys/etc bought companies do not count) then the scope that allows AE to fly becomes void. If so I'm pretty sure there is less than 7300 "AA" guys right now!

It's my understanding this is currently in some sort of court/arbitration thing at present. I believe APA has already called their active number to question.

At this point- it poses an interesting question. Eagle does nearly 37% of AMR's total flying. Without Eagle, the system would suffer a huge blow. As a result, the APA pilots would have to take up the slack. How?

How exactly they'd do that is an interesting question. More than likely, if this is true, all AMR has to do is go "the retirees are going out faster than the furloughees can be recalled" or some other rhetoric and stall it in arbitration.

At best, for APA, this was a block on furloughs. Hopefully it worked.

In the meantime, AMR will just continue to apply pressure until they cave on the scope language. Regardless of your political stance on it, I'd call it likely.

 

[SpiraMirabilis]

APA could say 'Our pilots can fly the RJs' couldn't they? Of course adding enough pilots to cover AE flying would probably increase it above 7300 which would allow the scope to come back?

 

[Firebird2XC]

APA could say 'Our pilots can fly the RJs' couldn't they? Of course adding enough pilots to cover AE flying would probably increase it above 7300 which would allow the scope to come back?

Exactly my point. It's a dicey scenario that has no easy answer.

Add that to the fact that AA is the only Legacy that didn't file Bankruptcy after 9/11... and could be keeping a "prepackaged Bankruptcy" held as a last-ditch event to eradicate APA scope contentions, and you have a real mess.

The APA and AMR managers have guns to each others' heads, and it's really coming down to both sides giving ground or somebody's gonna blink.

Given the way that both sides have been stalling, I'd say it's likely they're waiting to see who's in the White House for the next four years.

If McCain wins, the APA is toast. If Obama wins, the APA will have a good chance of making ground if they move fast enough.

Point of irony concerning the RJs: It was the APA that said "We don't want those damned little jets" in the first place. The envisioned larger jets being parked in favor of smaller ones, and being forced into smaller paychecks.

Funny- isn't that way the flowthrough/flowback agreement (now expired) did to them anyhow? The fact that they crossed the AA/AE barrier was immaterial. Several found themselves with the option of being on the street or flying at Eagle. Those that came to Eagle came with automatic "Super Seniority" which entitled them to our most choice Captain positions.

Now with the Master List "Displacement Bid" reshuffle, many of them are finding themselves pushed out into the right seat of whatever their actual Eagle-based seniority can hold.

Suddenly, they're stomping their feet and saying the RJ payrates are too low for them to be FOs.. and they're trying to supercede seniority and keep their left seats.

Ahh, the irony. If they'd kept the RJs, they could have negotiated pay rates respective to the CA/FO spread at AA- based on rates from the high end down (in reference to larger jets). Eagle's rates are based on struggling to inflate tiny turboprop rates to liveable wages.

The really tragic part is that despite the hubris of the APA having allowed this all to happen ("they'll never put a little plane on that route!") they are just like the rest of us- trying to protect their livelihoods.

A royal cluster of a situation? Absolutely.

Do I back the APA pilots? All the way, any day. The APA and ALPA/Feeder pilots may have long-standing differences, but anybody willing to spit in the eye of 'robber-baron management' is more that okay by me.

You know- 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend'.

If we could get that concept rolling we'd really have something.