SocialD
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Posts posted by SocialD
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Cabotage, War in Eastern Asia/Pacific, Amazon, single pilot ops, recession, economy slowing down...plenty of boogeymen out there. It's all a crapshoot, none of us have a crystal ball. Go to where you can make plenty of money with the most amount of time NOT at work, then hope for the best. LOL.
Anyway, how about them contract negotiations?!
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myEval...a great example of what is wrong with the AF. Take something relatively minor (OPRs) and make it ridiculously more cumbersome. On the plus side, less than 1% of the AF has successfully be able to make it work correctly...so we got that going for us, which is nice...
Anyone have a status update on the new mypay system that is being rolled out Jan of 2020? Would love to stop getting 8 paychecks/month.
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17 hours ago, Jimbo said:
Does anyone know if there’s a chance to get a waiver for a history of psychosis ocd major depression and anxiety ? No meds succesful life test
Federal Air Surgeon's Medical Bulletin. Check out the first article in the bulletin. I listened to Dr. Susan Northrup speak at the National Stearman Fly-in last week, where she spent quite a bit of time on mental health. Bottom line, like so many other things that were auto-DQ in the past, mental health special issuances are a thing. She did say there were a few conditions that just weren't going to make it (mentioned in the article), but she made it clear that she's less worried about the pilots who are seeking/getting help than the one who says nothing and goes untreated. I wish you (or whomever you're asking for) the best of luck and continued success.
To continue with this, I'm actually surprised by the stuff that is getting approved now. Last month, I flew with an LCA who was approved to fly as a type 2 diabetic. I wish could find her slides from the presentation because it had great stats all the various conditions that were getting approval. She appears to be going to great lengths to make the entire process more transparent and user friendly. Hope she's successful.
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19 hours ago, Springer said:
Keep in mind that there are two Delta's.....North and South.
How could I not?!?! ....deltaS 989! ...you North or South? ...SOPA/SMAC was great! ...Delta sold off the whales to kill everything NW! ...you know we were the launch customer for the 787! ...can't make no money with cargo! ...well, we had all the money, that's why they bought us! ...we did things so much better at X airline! You'd think after staring out the window for an hour and saying nothing but "uh-huh" and "that's crazy," would make them catch the hint lol. Thankfully it wasn't all that many and it's certainly not an issue now that I'm in the left seat and mostly fly with newhires, but damn some of those dudes can't let shit go. -
1 hour ago, Sua Sponte said:
The Altus CV did that around 2013-2014. He had a meeting with the AETC/CC and abruptly retired. Now he's a dipshit that flies for FedEx.
Sounds like things worked out pretty well for him lol.
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If you're going to commute, I'd seriously look at FDX/UPS. I if had lived in a place that didn't have rather large airline hub within an hour, I certainly would have put much more effort into getting hired by FDX/UPS. That said, I'll echo BFM's post, take a look at the pro/cons of commuting vs living in base. I certainly get staying close to family, or being in a great location that you just can't leave...but there is certainly a price to be paid for commuting.
Keep in mind that different airlines have different rules. At DAL, reserve is pretty good and I've actually been too JUNIOR to hold reserve before. But living in base and bidding reserve is quite a powerful tool for QOL. As an example, since 1Jun, I've actually put on a DAL uniform about the same amount of times as a line holder would during a heavy month. I've only slept in a hotel rooms 6 nights since 1Jun. Is this the norm, maybe not, but it's been a dang nice summer and is clearly doable. This fall is only looking like it will get better for me. When I was on a WB and bid reserve, the most I ever flew was 9 days in a single month. Most months were closer to 6 days flown, while some months I never put on a uniform. Honestly, the thought of bidding a line and flying 13+ days/month, makes me cringe anymore.
Today was a 1-day block of reserve for me. Thanks to our reserve rules, when I woke up this morning at 0630 with no assignment on my schedule, I was 99% sure I wasn't being used today. So far, I've been to one squadron mates house for coffee, then we went to breakfast. After that we went to another squadron mates house to check out his new work shop. Back home by 1130 and released from reserve at noon...man that was rough day of work.
Oh, and all 3 of us are DAL guys with 2 of us on reserve today and the other waiting for OE. Is it always this way, certainly not...but over a career, you'll be gone A LOT less than a commuter who flies a line.
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46 minutes ago, bfargin said:
I remember these in pretty much every guard unit that I visited on my numerous tweet cross countries around the country. Usually the oval ones.
Lol yep, you might still find one or two at my Guard base. When I was a crew chief, we had an old master (Vietnam vet) who made it his mission to replace any that were taken off the urinals. Dude had a stack of those stickers in his locker. He's been retired a while now, but pops on base occasionally to hit up the shopette. Oddly, I'd find one of those stickers after seeing him lol.
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9 hours ago, Prozac said:
Really Huggy? Including the FCC permit? (Busting your balls here brotha). But seriously, I get the airline ID, the license, maybe even the medical, & I tip my hat to the guys that carry & cross check a scab list. But the radiotelephone thing is a bit much. Next I’m gonna be getting shit ‘cause my shoes aren’t shined & my buttons aren’t polished. If a guy is obviously a pilot trying to get to work or, better, go home on my airplane, he’s getting on with the least hassle possible.
My FCC permit is in the same plastic sleeve as my ATP and medical, so I really don't see the big deal if they would ask for it. That said, outside of type rides, I've never once been asked to see my FCC permit (or asked for it as a Captain). I'm not sure why it's still a thing, it's ridiculous since it's simply a paperwork/money drill. But there seems to be trend of guys who act like you're ruining their day to open their wallet and show some paperwork.
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5 hours ago, FourFans130 said:
Had a delta CA ask to see it, along with my medical, company ID, and ATP...when I was jumpseating on a 71. Then he asked why I wasn't in uniform.🙄
Asking for the docs isn't a big deal. I actually show up to every JS with them all out and ready to show, as this is what I was taugh by my LCA when I was at AAL. But the uniform part, thats dumb...I'm guessing an ATL guy?
54 minutes ago, Prozac said:I’ve had less than a handful of bad experiences offline jumpseating. All of them were on Delta. Not shitting on them. The vast majority there are good dudes. It does seem like there is a contingent of captains there who are really enamored by their own authority though.
Yes sir, there are plenty...as with most things, a vast majority of the time, it's an ATL Captain.
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2 hours ago, uhhello said:
Android has the same capability 🙂
It does, by my point is that if someone was "air dropping," then us android users wouldn't have been getting them. Although if they were tit pics, I'd have been missing out. 🤣
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On 8/25/2022 at 9:49 AM, Fred_breaker said:
Thread bump.
I'm an active duty pilot planning on making the guard/res switch in the next couple years. The location the wife and I want to live in would require what I'm considering to be a longer but reasonable driving commute (~3 hours) to any unit that would hire me. Alternatively there's a fighter unit a very short way away but I'm a heavy driver and T-1 trained and don't think I should consider working there as a realistic opportunity.
A lot of comments I'm seeing here are how a "long" commute is difficult at first as a "new guy", but as someone not off-the-street and potentially already qualified in the airplane, is this really a factor? Would you consider a 3 hour drive to be an unreasonable or strenuous commute long term? For a civilian job I'm certainly looking to fly, either airlines or fractionals.
TIA
If you're in an airframe that allows you to show up 1 or 2 days a month, then I'd think 3 hours is relatively easy. If the unit requires 4-8 days/month (I've heard of Reserve squadron that requires 8 days...crazy!), I'd say you're in for a lot of pain. Some units have a mileage limit, but I'd guess that a vast majority do not. My squadron has no such rules but we also only have a 2 pilots who live more than about 10 miles from base. The few times in the past that we had guys who lived ~3 hours, they were almost always a problem child and eventually moved on...but we require 4 days/month. All went to heavies or non-flying gigs.
12 hours ago, CharlieHotel47 said:For commuters at my unit, if I show up for anything, anything at all, I am expected to get a room. AFTPs, drills, orders. There isn’t any base lodging at my location so whenever I’m on order (not AFTPs or UTAs), I get lodging and per diem.
Wait, what...our squadron doesn't get you a hotel for UTA days? I didn't even realize that was a thing or even legal...crazy!
11 hours ago, BashiChuni said:whatever you do....avoid double commuting
This! I'd even go as far as to say I'd rather do a local NON-flying gig, rather than force myself into a double commute. It's something to consider if you're OK with not flying in the military anymore and you're just trying to get across the 20 year finish line. You could always reach out to the local fighter unit and see if they're willing to hire a T-1 grad (not likely, but also not unheard of)...or just see if they have any officer gigs that would be an easy way to finish your 20. But for 3 hours drive, I'd certainly go there if I could fly and only have to do the drive once a month.
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Ha, another reason it pays to have a droid!
But seriously, who accepts shit from a number not in their contacts?
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41 minutes ago, bad_timing said:
I'm in the same boat. Maybe the $35k cap would apply to guys like us under 37 U.S. Code § 334, and there will be a separate pool of eligibles for the "demonstration program" that goes up to $50k? Who knows.
Username checks!
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15 hours ago, Royal said:
With how busy the summer has been, how's everyone fared at their respective carriers with trip trading/dropping pairings? My buddies at SWA say they haven't had as much success as they've had historically. Please post your bidding percentage for reference.
Jun bidding was ~50% in seat, Sept bidding I'm about 28%. Thanks to our greenslips/pay back days, this has been about the best summer I've ever had (both in pay and time spent at home). July was the only month I bid a line and I had all my drops/swaps awarded. In Jun/Aug/Sep, I was able to apply all my payback days (PB) on the days I wanted. Since we need the same coverage to add a PB day as we need to drop a trip, it's essentially equivalent. Very fortunate to have moved up in seniority so fast and be in a category that was decently staffed, yet still had lots of overtime flying. Unfortunately, the guys in the the right seat of my plane aren't so lucky.
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22 hours ago, BashiChuni said:
This. Im done giving Uncle Sam one ounce of credibility.
I'm astounded that anyone, who has deployed more than once in the last two decades, would still give them much more than an ounce or two of credibility. Having deployed to the same location, 11 years apart, trip two was truly a demoralizing event, and solidified my decision to get out after current commitments to my boss (whom I truly respect). It was same shit, different pile, made worse by an ROE that said, we have no business being here. But hey, some defense contactors were making big bucks and our young guys got some good airline hours! I look back and laugh at the time/effort (quasi witch hunt) that took place over a trivial missing item (maybe a few $K value), then months later we just say fuck it a leave untold millions (billions) behind. What a fucking waste!
Signed,
Jaded old fuck 🤣
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15 hours ago, nsplayr said:
The fact that the AGR bonus is higher than the DSG bonus for a year of orders is whack. Your AGRs are usually in it to win it and already committed, where your DSGs are usually a bit more open to what comes down the pipe. If they wanted to move aviators from the fence line to being committed, it’d be exactly the reverse.
This! All they're doing is ensuring that only the guys who have >15 years TAFMS are the ones who will come back on orders.
4 hours ago, herkbier said:I saw a thing a while back that said flights pay for TRs/DSGs won’t be prorated anymore; work one day, get the whole month of pay. I think it was supposed to take effect FY23, am I remembering correctly? Is that real?
Like the "new pay system" I was told (circa Mid 2018) would be rolled out Jan 2020 and would fix all the DSG flight pay issues...I'll believe it when I see. BTW, anyone have an update ETIC on that 2020 rollout?
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As an O-5 with 22 years, $1,500/month in flight pay and $75,000/yr bonus (highly doubt it happens), that is getting close to what might entice me to consider going on a year of orders...close lol. Problem is, the ANG clings to the ridiculous notion of a smaller bonus for 1 year orders. I don't mind taking a pay hit to help out, but not for a measly 25k bonus.
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Unfortunately this photo was taken when the leaves were still on, otherwise you'd see a bunch more planes. Used to fly over this all the time in college. I'm fairly certain there was part of a B-36 fuselage there in the early 2000s.
The Soplata Airplane Sanctuary.
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12 minutes ago, SurelySerious said:
On a fixed gear airplane, though, right?
Yup, that's what makes it so puzzling.
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19 hours ago, ThreeHoler said:
Just came to post this…definitely WTF.
Only thing that seems logical is that he went back to "take a peek" at the gear and fell.
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5 hours ago, FourFans130 said:
Hold up, you're saying MEM-ANC is the worst leg in your system? Must be a hell of a system!
0400 takeoff for a 7 hour block flight, with a 2-man crew...that does sound pretty bad. This ain't Vietnam, there are rules and we're not barbarians! Hell, I get upset when I get a flight over 1.5 hours in my current jet. Nothing worse than seeing > 60 minutes to top of descent when I reach my cruise altitude of FL280 🤣.
Though I can't top Weeds story, I've ran across the same types. One 330 Captain spent the entire trip to Rome, trying to convince me to go to Kiev with him to bang chicks. I mean full court press, time share sales pitch, trying to convince me I should join him.
Want to see more of this in action. Watch dudes lose their minds when São Paulo or Singapore either leaves their fleet or gets cancelled all together. Watched that happen when they moved São Paulo to a different base (same fleet). Dudes lost their shit. Of course they bid over to the new base on the next bid. Their Brazil families must have been pissed for those few months lol.
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1 hour ago, NKAWTG said:
Last time they raised the age going into a recession, it set back the profession by 5 years. Those who would have retired can sit at the top of the seniority list longer, or more likely, collect long term disability for another couple of years. It will also allow the regional pipeline to catch up.
For everyone else, they stay put for two more years, either in seat, at the regionals, or still in the military. Will continue to discourage entry into the profession when it goes another 2 years without hiring. It's perfect kind of legislation these days, where it has the appearance of helping, while making it worse in the long run.
I'd prefer it stay 65, but I honestly don't see it having all that big of an impact on movement. At DAL, they say the average age of a retiree is now ~62.5. Lots don't want to, or likely won't be able to work to age 65. I'd have to imagine the number of dudes actually flying the line until age 67 would be fairly minuscule, though it won't be zero, so it has an impact. One huge plus, is getting disability until age 67. Right now, our contract simply says you get disability until retirement age, so for many, that means 2 more years of a damn good disability benefit.
All that said, moving from age 60 to 65 made sense because it aligned us with ICAO and most of the rest of the world. So unless ICAO (more importantly every other nation) changes their age limit, I can't imagine why we would do that. It really doesn't seem like it would have the intended impact. Never-mind the nightmare it would create wrt to seniority/bidding if none of the other nations follow suit.
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2 hours ago, Danger41 said:
Is there any kind of mechanism to say you don’t want to fly with certain people anymore?
What serious said. At DAL anyway, FO's can bid to avoid certain employee numbers. I've never actually bid to avoid anyone because I'm not going to let one asshole take away any of my bidding power. I have heard of Captains telling FO's to add him to their no-fly list lol.
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6 hours ago, AirGuardianC141747 said:
*Having stated “origin” earlier: Female Capt asked an FO where he was from due to her interest in the family name (I myself am very interested in unique names and history). FO’s response said that was inappropriate to ask and HR rules dictated this.
This is what happens when we cater to the kids who got beat up on the playground...they're now running HR. Since my move to the left seat, I've thankfully only ran into one FO that I was glad we only had one, short leg together. She was a SJW type who clearly hated old, white men (good thing I'm not 40 yet lol). A vast majority of the pilots out there are great to chat with, but there are the occasional odd balls that you're ready to be done with.
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WTF? (**NSFW**)
in Squadron Bar
Posted · Edited by SocialD
Lol, the look on his face was perfect. Screenshot that...it's ripe for a good meme!