Amigo

18Wheeler:

Nice posts. Are you secretly Mike Hartley?

18Wheeler

How did you guess?

TACAMO

Hey Catusmike,

The question is, "Who hasn't flown with Stu?" He's a real old timer here, way before I got here, probably around 92' or 93', when they were hiring on directly as Captains like the IASCO days of the 70s and 80s. Now-a-days, no more direct entry as a Captain, some of the new guys who recently finished training are young...really young. Makes me feel old. It'll be interesting to see how many renew their contract but rather bail to other places with their 74 experience and longevity of flying another 25+ years being able to live on the mainland with an easier commute to work. I guess it all depends on the market. Living in Honolulu is OK, but has certain limitations. Some of my friends commute, but it' a pain especially without official jumpseat allowances. Don't really know the "exact" JAL formula uses for the timing of the up-grades, it appears that it's not automatic based on longevity. With multiple hiring companies JAL uses, it get's pretty confusing. I've got to admit that JAL is smart, "Divide and Conquer".

But hey, I can't complain, the pays good and the flyings good. A lot better conditions than many of the other airlines. Our contract is shorter than others in Japan, so for some, if it's not their cup of tea, they can get out.

If I see Stu, I'll let him know that his name came up. I'll tell him that it was the IRS.."WANTED, have you seen these people website!"

snoopy747

Stay tuned, final decision to be made by Saturday.

cactusmike

Tacamo - Just passed my ETOPS line check to HNL so I'm sure that I will be seeing quite a bit of the islands. You should check into getting a jumpseat agreement with us. We have one with EVA, no CASS of course but you would be welcome in the back. Stu and I were roomates a long time ago but I haven't seen him in years. The IRS thing would definitely get him spooled up. He had some interaction with them years ago but, being Stu, came out smelling like a rose. The guy is Teflon, nothing bad ever sticks. Take care.

Schnides

Are you guys talking about the same Stu that flew for America West, then went off to fly 747s with JAL. I think he used to give ATP checks out of PHX as well ?? I met that guy partying in Mexico.. He was off with some UAL F/A

snoopy747

Thanks to all whose contributed to the thread and I hope everyone keeps on posting information which is beneficial to all. Well, after hearing everything out with Southern Air (everyone was very pleasant) and a long meeting/conversation with the representatives from the airline members themselves, I've decided to fly in Japan for the Japanese Contract Services firm. They were able to add a few things in the contract which I was seeking, which tipped the scale. At the end of the day, I came down to quality of life issues, longevity and wage scales based on my age. Both options have good points and bad. Yes, both have a plenty of risks and sacrifices, as with any airline these days. So, decision's been made, no turning back, no regrets.

I'm sure I'll have plenty of questions to ask and post. Thanks again for everyone's advice, candid opinions and thoughts.

LAfrequentflyer

Congratulations...Have fun in Japan. I was stationed at Yokota for three years back in my enlisted days...Beautiful country. I really enjoyed Tokyo.

-LA

Rama

Hey Snoopy, I'd appreciate any info on Jal as I am considering applying in the future. I live in HNL and fly for a freight outfit based in MI.

snoopy747

Lafrequentlflyer: Thanks very much for your kind words. We're (my family) all pretty excited about it, now that the decision has been made. I flew with the 18th TFW out of Kadena, Okinawa for a time and had TDY's to Yokota and Misawa. It was really fun when we flew out birds in for their annual air show. As you mentioned it, Japan is a beautiful country. The culture's great and a very safe country for my family to live and experience. Thanks again for all your support!

Rama: For JAL, I'll probably have to refer to TACAMO (he's posted a few times here on the thread), as he's flyihg with the JAL group (JALWays) in Honolulu. The last time he posted, he was going on a trip. I'm going to fly for a newly formed ANA Group operations (I think ANA has about 4 Groups, while JAL has 2/3 Groups, JAL, JALWays and JeX). There are mulitple flying contracts in Japan, mainly with the JAL or ANA Groups, but several other new start-ups (I think it was Sky-Do and Sky Mark). It get's a bit confusing with who owns what and what percentage. Nippon Cargo (NCA) was partially owned by the ANA Group but last year sold their portion of it, to start their own Cargo Opertions. I got contacted directly from a new ANA "kogaisha" (subsidiary) company in Japan who were looking for pilots in their upcoming operations. I got "lucky", when I was getting my Type Rating, one of the pilots in our class of 4, was from this company and was my sim-partner. TACAMO probably has the inside "scoop" to the JAL grouping and how to apply.