Oh Mesa...CEO

[Wardogg]

My buddy just got hired this month out of the right seat of a regional(not Mesa) to a ULCC after only being there since late '19.

Dear Mesa CEO, your problem isn't what you think it is.

Mesa Airlines CEO Blames Regulators For Pilot Shortage

Mesa Air Group CEO Jonathan Ornstein blasted U.S. requirements that pilots have 1,500 of flight experience before they can take the helm of a commercial

airlineweekly.com

 

[Maximilian_Jenius]

My buddy just got hired this month out of the right seat of a regional(not Mesa) to a ULCC after only being there since late '19.

Dear Mesa CEO, your problem isn't what you think it is.

Mesa Airlines CEO Blames Regulators For Pilot Shortage

Mesa Air Group CEO Jonathan Ornstein blasted U.S. requirements that pilots have 1,500 of flight experience before they can take the helm of a commercial

airlineweekly.com

I have a friend there who is IAH based. He says they're currently in contract negotiations and are hoping for something along the lines of what Go Jet and CommuteAir recently got. But he says they aren't too hopeful.

 

[Kingairer]

I think 1500 hour mark is difficult to get too and I’d be willing to at least have the discussion of taking it down to 1000 like it is for 141 programs.

 

[Finny]

I think 1500 hour mark is difficult to get too and I’d be willing to at least have the discussion of taking it down to 1000 like it is for 141 programs.

Is it though? I was at a 121 carrier 3 1/2 years after my first lesson to get my 1500 hours. Delayed me by maybe 9 months or so, I don’t think that’s an insurmountable barrier to ensure that both pilots up front have an ATP.

 

[USMCmech]

My buddy just got hired this month out of the right seat of a regional(not Mesa) to a ULCC after only being there since late '19.

Dear Mesa CEO, your problem isn't what you think it is.

Mesa Airlines CEO Blames Regulators For Pilot Shortage

Mesa Air Group CEO Jonathan Ornstein blasted U.S. requirements that pilots have 1,500 of flight experience before they can take the helm of a commercial

airlineweekly.com

JO has been beating this dead horse ever since the law was passed.

Mesa used to have it's own zero to hero 141 program and was able to pay pilots peanuts because of it. Which was one thing when they were flying 1900s and Dash-8s but putting low time, poorly trained, pilots in large RJs was a disaster waiting to happen.

 

[Maximilian_Jenius]

I think 1500 hour mark is difficult to get too

 

[Old Pete]

J.O. is right, mostly. The “1500 hour” rule is costing him a lot of money. COVID sick absences were brutal in the last week of dec an first week of Jan. And he totally failed to prepare for the rebound in pilot demand. All accurate. He saw all the mainline early outs, but still threatened to furlough 40% of the pilots. His low cost strategy would work(because he’s still getting apps believe it or not) but he has totally failed to build a training infrastructure to bring new pilots online.

 

[Old Pete]

JO has been beating this dead horse ever since the law was passed.

Mesa used to have it's own zero to hero 141 program and was able to pay pilots peanuts because of it. Which was one thing when they were flying 1900s and Dash-8s but putting low time, poorly trained, pilots in large RJs was a disaster waiting to happen.

You can say a lot of things about MPD but “poor training” is not one of them. You can talk about pay for play etc. but as a flight school it was not bad.

 

[Cherokee_Cruiser]

JO has been beating this dead horse ever since the law was passed.

Mesa used to have it's own zero to hero 141 program and was able to pay pilots peanuts because of it. Which was one thing when they were flying 1900s and Dash-8s but putting low time, poorly trained, pilots in large RJs was a disaster waiting to happen.

?

Never flew a turboprop but I would imagine flying a B1900 or DH8 is far harder than a CRJ or ERJ.