Mentor Program Nixed

kellwolf

Piece of Trash
Well, newest apparent rumor/info around here is that nifty mentor program that allowed guys to upgrade faster is on hold/gone. There was a message sent out to some pilots (FOs I guess since I didn't get it) that the mentor program has been put on indefinite hold.

According to the union reps, there was a grievance out on it anyway since it went against the section in the contract that defined upgrade minimums. The mentor program alters the minimums in a way that it isn't uniform to the pilot group, hence the grievance. The union stated they were willing to work with the company to get the program rolling while making it legal under the contract with a LOA. Apparently, the company didn't want it enough to give anything up, so it's gone for now.

I'm guessing there are a LOT of disappointed JetU guys now.....
 
You know Steve, for you I'm glad they had this program. But honestly when your airline only hires those with bridge programs and turns their nose at those who have more hours, instruction experience, and a whole lot other things in which we have discussed; I am very glad to hear this. This forces those of your young FOs who got hired with 200TT/10ME to get some more experience before they ever think of going into that left seat and flying 50 people to 90 people around with only 2000TT..... I know there are many who will be upset but such is life.
 
Actually, I didn't even use the program. I flew one trip with a mentor captain, and that was it. I was in the program, but it did me zero good. Basically, you're hired with 500+ hours total, you're probably not gonna see any difference in upgrade time.
 
I didn't get any message personally but had tried to do the mentor program. I was going to have the 2500TT anyway but I figured the extra training could never hurt... well since at the time I already had 2000+TT I was told I was "overqualified". I actually laughed at that one. I was told the spots in the program were reserved for the low timers. So I flew with some mentor CA's over the last couple months just by luck (didn't bid to fly with them) and all of them said they have done zilch in the way of mentoring. I think the program is horribly flawed from the get-go. O well.. seniority rules and it appears that I will be an FO for a while anyway. I guess I will have to keep learning from the "regular" CA's such as kell....
 
Why do you even have upgrade minimums in your contract? What is the point? Seems like that would just invite street CA hiring. Here we have no minimums for captains besides ATP mins.
 
Why do you even have upgrade minimums in your contract? What is the point? Seems like that would just invite street CA hiring. Here we have no minimums for captains besides ATP mins.

I think that was actually part of the intent. For a while, a lot of the FOs here didn't meet ATP mins b/c they came from GIA, so if the company was short, they had to go to street CAs. That happened before I got here, and some of those guys that came as street CAs are the most bitter people I've run into. 'Course if you were on the bottom of the seniority list and on reserve in DTW for 5 years, you might be bitter, too. :)

We didn't officially hire street CAs last year and earlier this year, but there were a LOT of FOs with next to no time at the company before upgrading.

The same part of the contract also sorta rewards guys for sticking it out as FOs by reducing upgrade mins for time spent in type at Pinnacle.

And Ken, I'm still waiting for the day I check my schedule and see you're my FO. Although, they tend to stick me with the guys that have been here a year or less lately.
 
I think it was a give/take thing with the company. You'd be surprised how often (until recently) there weren't enough pilots bidding CA to fill the slots. The company needs to get them from somewhere, and if it's off the street, then that's an option.
 
And Ken, I'm still waiting for the day I check my schedule and see you're my FO. Although, they tend to stick me with the guys that have been here a year or less lately.

I will buy the first few rounds (if we are legal to of course :D). I keep getting paired with either check airmen, real senior guys (which has become VERY VERY laid back and fun), or brand spanking new reserve guys still high mins and JUNIOR to me.

Here is flying with a senior guy coming into MEM...

CA "want a brief"
ME "we are still landing in MEM right?"
CA "Complete"
ME "you feelin Lenny's?"
 
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