SkyWest Hiring FOs

I see upgrade opportunities on the RJ for those hired in 2006 and the early part of 2007 in the next 1-2 years. My guess for a newhire would be a 4-6 year upgrade opportunity for the Brasilia and a 7-9 year upgrade opportunity for the jet. You'll get the chance to upgrade on the jet when you reach 20% seniority as a FO so that means you need 1160 pilots in front of you to leave based on a seniority list of 2900 total pilots. If we lose an average of 12 pilots per month during your time here then you get a chance at the 8 year mark. If we lose 9 per month then you are looking at 10 years, but I think we are going to have some very healthy attrition after 2012 so I'd bank on averaging 12+ over your time at SKW as a FO.

From Jan. 2008 through Oct. 2008 I moved up an average of almost 14 spots per month, and I'm sure that hiring in 2013-2020 at the majors will be more robust than back in 2008!

Nice work with the math.. . . .and a little depressing.

I honestly think that current upgrade times are NOT the new normal for our industry. I think they are unusual.

I’ll go ahead and stick my neck out and be an optimist here. I think Mr. Loose could be right. If the economy can keep itself afloat, combine that with the mandatory retirements; this COULD be the beginning, and I hope it is, of a much faster moving time in our industry. It is going to take some time for things to get really moving again, but I think good things could be coming in the next few years. Obviously no one has a crystal ball and nothing is completely certain, but I think the odds are better than they have been in awhile for huge improvement.
 
Agreed Lee, hope is all we have left! :)

Whilst on the j/s today to ORD the guys mentioned something I hadn't thought of. There are age 60+ guys with with some ridiculous amounts of sick time saved up, depending on individual contracts and what not, expect a lot of them to stop showing up for work. I mean, who wants to retire with 900 hours of sick time? That might accelerate things a bit.

Nice work with the math.. . . .and a little depressing.

I honestly think that current upgrade times are NOT the new normal for our industry. I think they are unusual.

I’ll go ahead and stick my neck out and be an optimist here. I think Mr. Loose could be right. If the economy can keep itself afloat, combine that with the mandatory retirements; this COULD be the beginning, and I hope it is, of a much faster moving time in our industry. It is going to take some time for things to get really moving again, but I think good things could be coming in the next few years. Obviously no one has a crystal ball and nothing is completely certain, but I think the odds are better than they have been in awhile for huge improvement.
 
Hearing a rumor all classes have been cancelled, any truth to this?
None whatsoever! I'm currently in a class of 65 (not including upgrade) and they anticipate classes this size at least till September.
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Kool Aid from the highly paid people on why classes are cancelled going forward and we will be overstaffed by September.

-Pilot attrition has been less than planned
-Seasonal reduction in block hours
-AirTran agreement comes to an end in September
-Growth opportunities have not materialized to the extent expected

Truth

-Record cancellations due to lack of pilots
-90+ hours forced on everyone
-Many will time out this year
-We may never be staffed enough to allow a positive change to ones schedule ever again
 
So, in a brain storming session involving a few brews, my buddies and I were trying to figure out why skywest is hiring. Can anyone tell me why? The only reason I see them hiring is the 1500 hour rule... and even then, I think they are planning on hiring more than they need, just to furlough them here shortly and HOPE they comeback as "grandfathered" employees" after more movement in the company happens. Just curious if someone can shine some light on this for me.
 
Because they are extremely short and well behind the 8 ball...that's why they're hiring.
 
FAT EMB120 CA is the best staffed position right now and they are showing trips unmanned and offering 2x to cover... I don't know about the rest, other than they are less well staffed...they are short.
 
Commuting on United Express SFO to BOI tonight, delayed at the gate after crew scheduling pulled our FO to go to Idaho Falls. We waited almost an hour while they found another FO to replace him.
 
For what it is worth, I spoke with HR last Friday. I was told that they cannot find enough people to interview and that after the July EMB class all new hires will be going to jet for a bit since they are understaffed there.
 
July 25th class is CRJ and moving forward. They do plan on hiring through the year but possibly slow down in numbers come september. The will not LOWER their minimums, atleast for now. We had 10 in out group, 4 got the position.
 
They can't interview enough pilots but only hire 4 out a group of 10? Either misinformation or something is going to give soon. They will loose the contract or lower the minimums. I vision a day when regionals will be like Army recruiters. I can see them going around and selling you on why you should join. "Sign her press hard junior, welcome to the regionals!"
 
Offical/Realtime Skywest Attrition numbers:

Within the last month: 14 Pilots quit (8 FO's, 6 CA's) 35 Newhires added
3 Months: 55 Pilot Quit (30 CA's & 25 FO's) 164 Newhires added
6 Months: 92 Pilots Quit (46 CA's & 46 FO's) 261 Newhires added
1 Year: 155 Pilots Quit (75 CA's & 80 FO's) 346 Newhires added

SLC has been the domicile most consistently that has had the highest "loss rate" as far as people quitting.

People are fed up. Some people have hired on at other airlines, a LOT have just said to hell with it and moved on with life doing something else. Unfortunately It's nowhere near the company it was 4-5 years ago as far as how the management treats the employees, and runs the company (Re: "Chip-away", the Deffered way is the perfered way, Mesafication, etc.... these are all common ways to describe what's going on), staffing so low that nobody can get a day off unless it's a platinum day or a sick call. Reserve rules are nearly non-existent and what they do have tend to be treated as a flexible suggestion by crew support.

Company average for missed days of work for pilots (Sick or Emergency calls): 9.5, That has jumped up from 5.5 in less than 10 months.

Now management is trying to get the company morale up with news of a Q400 RFP for Uni/Cal, but they are whispering that they want them flown at CRJ-200 rates. First it was presented to SAPA (who told them NO) and now the Chief Pilots were told in a monthly meeting to sell it to the pilot group under the guise of "organic growth..."

So there you go.
 
I would say more than 6 years since it was the company they claim to be. THe current SAPA group is a great group...I will be attending the meeting this year in SLC....I miss those folks!
Offical Skywest Attrition numbers:

Within the last month: 14 Pilots quit (8 FO's, 6 CA's) 35 Newhires added
3 Months: 55 Pilot Quit (30 CA's & 25 FO's) 164 Newhires added
6 Months: 92 Pilots Quit (46 CA's & 46 FO's) 261 Newhires added
1 Year: 155 Pilots Quit (75 CA's & 80 FO's) 346 Newhires added

SLC has been the domicile most consistently that people has had the highest "loss rate" as far as people quitting.

People are fed up. Some people have hired on at other airlines, a LOT have just said to hell with it and moved on with life doing something else. Unfortunately It's nowhere near the company it was 4-5 years ago as far as how the management treats the employees, and runs the company (Re: "Chip-away", the Deffered way is the perfered way, Mesafication, etc.... these are all common ways to describe what's going on), staffing so low that noone can get a day off unless it's a platinum day or a sick call.

Company average for missed days of work for pilots (Sick or Emergency calls): 9.5 That has jumped up from 5.5 in less than 10 months.

Now management is trying to get the company morale up with news of a Q400 RFP for Uni/Cal, but they are whispering that they want them flown at CRJ-200 rates. First it was presented to SAPA (who told them NO) and now the Chief Pilots were told in a monthly meeting to sell it to the pilot group under the guise of "organic growth..."

So there you go.
 
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