Roadkill

Question for FlightLine WW or EasySwap users: I used to be able to download reserve manning (still can using WW) and then it would display horizontally as a calendar color coded green and red along the top...

I can't figure out how I did it, or with which program now?? I can't find a display for reserve manning along the top for either WidgetWorks or EasySwap. I'm thinking it was in EasySwap that it was displayed, letting you see swap trips underneath that had manning to work with. But I can't find it now.

Any help would be appreciated, thx!
RK

Roadkill

Well, I'll never see a new NB in my career I don't think. I'd actually be pretty happy with the 737 if they could just add these:
1. temp controls that worked and you set a tube temp (78F) and it automatically held it. And move the main controls back to the cabin so those who feel it can tweak it!
2. Place to store my bag! Just increase the size of that cockpit bag storage a wee bit, 1" horiz and 2" vertically would do... EASILY DONE if you'd just move that stupid fire extinguisher up on the bulkhead behind Capt seat.
3. Fix the stupid intercom/FLT thing so you can wear a headset and talk to the other guy without uncovering your ear and going deaf, or having to reach down and push the actual MIC switch in wrong direction to chat every time. Voice activated like every single motorcycle helmet setup and light GA plane.
4. Put the FMS button brightness control for MY FMS on MY FMS... not on a single control that tweaks allllll the other switches. With 900 buttons being different than 800/700 FMS buttons, I actually have to be able to read the things at night now to hit the right ones... and the left seat guy's idea of what's good never seems to work.
5. Redo the autothrottle control algorithm to a "never exceed" control algorithm for the redline zipper... the closer you get to the zipper, the more agressive it is at staying on bug or below, NOT drifting higher to within a knot of MX overspeed.
6. Fix the dang toilet seats to stay up when lifted.
7. soft rubber covers for those switches on the overhead I always bang my head on when standing up.

That's it. Some small tweaks would make the thing livable.

GogglesPisano

And better soundproofing.

Herkflyr

I respect the APA, and I don't "look down on them." But you apparently never met an ALPA achievement that you liked, nor have you ever acknowledged a failure of non-ALPA groups.

The APA has a mixed bag in my opinion. I will call a spade a spade, and I will give credit where credit is due. Here are their pluses and minuses.

Pluses

- Were willing to go on strike, and had done a good job setting up a strike, educating the public, the pilot group etc, until Bill Clinton ended it via PEB after 30 minutes.

- Negotiated a pay rate of $186/hr (I believe) on the 737-800 back in the late 90s. This actually was the original stellar pay rate, which allowed us to negotiate $190/hr. THAT pay rate along with several other factors at DAL and UAL gave us the C2K payrates everyone still waxes poetic about.

- Were willing to vote NO on a crappy TA even while in BK. I don't think that the DAL pilots would ever do that. And guess what? The world did not come to an end.

- Did, however, eventually say YES to a follow-on TA.

Minuses

- The "sickout". Possibly the stupidest grass-roots "I'm angry with the company, and by god I'll show them" wildcat action in the history of organized labor. Not only did they get **** off a federal judge, not only did they get a $50+million fine levied against them (which was eventually forgiven by the company, but if you think that came for free I have a bridge to sell you) but they really handicapped the entire airline pilot labor force for years to come. The sickout was the original inspiration for management to run to the courts to get injunctions levied whenever they felt that the pilots might be causing complications in the operation of the airline. Thanks APA!

- The "just say no" mentality that caused them to reject a lucrative TA that was presented soon before 9/11. They then got nothing and liked it for many years after that. Of course no one could have predicted 9/11. But who can predict any number of negative events that will always crop up in this world. While any "yes" or "no" vote on it's own is neither good nor bad, it shows that always voting no does NOT--repeat, NOT--always guarantee "more" later on.

And to be fair, voting "yes" is also no guarantee that "that was the best we could do." (See earlier part of this post).

- Age 65 posturing. The APA likes to posture that they publicly put out ads opposing raising the retirement age to 65. So what? Not one congressman, including the APA's own district, opposed raising the retirement age. ALPA figured that out, reluctantly. Rather than trying to throw spears against the tide ALPA actually worked with Congress to craft some of the legislation language, such that recently retired pilots (at 60) did not come back to "their" left seat. If it weren't for ALPA's efforts there I have no doubt that that is exactly what would have happened.

APA has no, repeat, zero clout in Washington, and neither does USAPA, the IPA, the DPA (they have no clout even at DAL these days) or any other in-house union. "If you aren't at the table, then you are on the menu" is a cynical, clever, and completely accurate depiction of how life is when it comes to aviation, our lawmakers, and our careers.

The APA is a good union with a good pilot group. I just don't feel that they are as good as you seem to think they are.

I also hope they negotiate a very lucrative contract, not only for their own pilots--who deserve it in spades--but for all the rest of us as well.

forgot to bid

Hey I still like my widebody 180 seat idea, even if it only has a 1L door with two aisles it'd be fast enough and first class would definitely get to leave first.

If they came out with that then I think it'd push DAL away from the A350 unless they match. They can go 782 and 789.

You can have your Boeings T.

And the rest of us can live in fear of it.

flyallnite

That'd be cool if they did that. The 767-200 was a great plane to ride around in, and was quite capable too. I remember taking off out of LAX, climbing to 410, and flying all the way to JFK on my IOE. I thought, wow, this is an amazing plane. And at the time, it was pretty old. I thought if this is what a 20 year old plane can do, what's coming next? When Boeing announced the Sonic Cruiser, I thought it was a natural evolution of human flight, of course this would be next. Instead, the project and indeed the whole future of aviation was hijacked by accountants. The 737NG is a joke. A JOKE. The 900ER is just about the most ridiculous thing I've seen in aviation. It's very existence is anathema to what flying should be all about. This still being the greatest nation on earth, we should all be flying around on widebody airplanes with plenty of lavs, a lounge, and comfortable seats. No PA's informing you that if you don't pee in the next 10 seconds, you will be blocked by carts for the next 2 hours. You don't see the Japanese or the Europeans cramming onto RJ's for 3 hours, standing in the rain waiting for baggage. It's just unbelievable to me that it's come to this. It has to be a low point. Hopefully as the industry continues to recover, and hopefully we can stop our own government from selling us out, then the time will come where airlines will differentiate on aircraft (despite what RA says- that aircraft type are irrelevant-I disagree)

EdGrimley

Well stated! Couldn't agree more. No offense to those who fly the "NG" (that name is a joke as well). Where is the innovation? You are correct though, it's all about the beans and said bean counters. I do understand it's about making money but surely there is some new technology on the horizon besides strapping geared fans/winglets to an overcooked airframe that could make more money? We need new pioneers to think outside the box.

Bucking Bar

Bloomberg says 757 replacement announcements are imminent (has a picture of a Delta 757 in the article).

Boeing Advancing on Successor to 757 Jet, Air Astana Says - Bloomberg

... Leeham's analyst is thinking what I'm thinking ...

I'm still dreaming of a 757 NEO / 787 fleet.

iceman49

When Delta went gambling on jet fuel - Fortune

alfaromeo

When the APA negotiated their MOU transition agreement, they included a set of parameters for their JCBA. I believe that they agreed to a limit of $80 million of additional contractual benefit for the JCBA. They have 4+ years left on the deal so that is about $20 million per year. If they can't reach agreement in 30 days, it goes to mandatory arbitration with Rich Bloch or Ira Jaffe.

That being said, the APA has probably noticed that Delta just added $40 million per year to a contract that already was far ahead of their MOU deal. My guess is that they are going to try to continue their new proactive engagement strategy with their management and see if they can get some deal better than the one called for in the MOU. AMR management has the ability to force compliance with the MOU (through arbitration) but perhaps they want to continue to develop a new relationship with the APA and the pilots and will agree to more improvements.

The primary problem the APA faces is they tried to stiff arm negotiations through the bankruptcy. They had their contract rejected and faced the loss of their bankruptcy claim. The second deal they negotiated added little if any value to their contract it mostly shuffled the chairs around. That left them with a horrible scheduling section, especially reserve, that was essentially crammed down their throats. They would probably need somewhere around $80-100 million per year just to reach the Delta reserve system. If you remember, the Delta scheduling/reserve system was negotiated over a period of about 10 months in 2004 prior to bankruptcy. Most of that system was created according to the parameters set by the union and not the company. The APA didn't really engage in negotiations until the last few weeks and thus lost control of the process.

One could assume that much of the value (either the MOU amount or some larger amount if possible) would go to their scheduling and reserve system. That means there would be little left for pay rates.

In the end, any value they add is good for us. They APA is definitely trying a new tack and are developing a better business relationship with their management. It seems like AMR is trying to turn that corner also, so there is reason to hope that they will exceed the MOU value in their JCBA negotiations.