Calpilot

13 New hires in the February 6 class. All EWR based. aircraft assignments unknown. They are from:

ACA
UAL
NWA
MESABA
HORIZON
4 EXPRESS JET
FLIGHT OPTIONS
MIAMI AIR
AMERICAN EAGLE
1 UNKNOWN

UNDflyboy

Approx. how many block hours does a 737 pilot log? 757? 777? Just curious. Thanks

calcapt

Lines are built to about 80 hours - some a little higher and some a little lower. They also vary seasonally by a few hours. Equipment types vary a little but on average 80 hours would be close across the board. Reserves are guaranteed 72 or 76 hours depending on long show or regular show.

luv757

What is considered competitive? I have applied and continued to update. I've got 1700 hours of pure airplane time (most of it multi jet) + an additional 200 of sim time (all multi jet). I've got an ATP with a 737 type. In addition I am the squadron safety officer (so I've been to the accident investigation school). Finally I did have an LOR from a CAL pilot plus a few other guys I have flown with.

calcapt

Have your CAL friend call or email his asst chief pilot and inquire on your behalf. They will usually take a look at what's happening and let your friend know. I just did that for a friend of mine and found out first hand what he needed to be more competitive.

Meatballs

The unknown comes from the USAF Reserve C141 he's also TWA, USAir and UAL furlowed (not sure in what order).

This class was split 8 EWR 737 and 4 EWR 756. During the second week 3 737 guys were offered IAH and took it.

The previous class was all EWR 737.

The next 3 classes (after the 07 Feb class) were all roughly split 8 EWR 756 and 4 EWR 737.

CAL is starting a new class every Tuesday and rumor has it it will go up to 16 pilots per class till the usual summer slowdown. It will pick back up after the summer once again.

Eric Stratton

so what did you choose? why?

AA767AV8TOR

Kill Bill or CalCapt,

I’m just curious, you said your lines are built to 80 hours – what would you say is an average month for a lineholder?? Do most guys try to pickup more time? Also, Kill Bill, you said you were barely flying last summer on reserve. What would you say your reserves are averaging?

Over at AA, I would say most of the guys holding a line average between 80-82 hours per month though the lines are built in the 74 – 75 hour range. Most domestic reserves are able to break the 73 hour guarantee while international reserves are averaging two trips a month – about 30 to 40 hours.

AA767AV8TOR

Meatballs

Well, I chose the 756 because of the international flying, also those trips are supposed to be more commutable than the 737 trips, or so I hear.

A friend of mine who preceeded me just got his first hard line after 6 months on line.
After 3 months he was already holding a conversion (build up) line. So his experience of reserve was brief, just 3 months.

When the deadhead pay begins to increase toward the pre-concession levels though, the 756 will once again become a fairily senior plane. Because there is a lot of deadhaeding on the European trips, the senior guys have gravitated toward more profitable lines. But things are about to start moving again, so my experience might not be as good as those before me.

One more thing to consider is the amount of pilots being hired now that are going to the 756. So far CAL has been pushing a lot of 756 pilots behind me, and the rumor is that there are going to be even more in the next classes.

In my situation, the more the better, but you might be surprised at who chose the 756 in my class. Number 1, 5, 6 and 11 out of 12 pilots got it. So you can deduce that a lot of guys have much different priorities, and that the most junior guy was the only one that didn't get to pick (he was hoping for the 756).

So the essense it's really "different strokes for different folks".

calcapt

I know some, perhaps most, pick up a litttle time during the month making most 78 to 80 hour lines into maybe 85 to 90 hours of pay. The company allows pilots to now get paid for more hours a month than it used to. We used to be capped at 85 hrs pay with any more hours flown to be banked for the following month. Now I think pilots can get paid for 100 plus hours if they can fly it legally. Since CAL is hiring picking up time seems to be less of an issue than when furloughs are being contemplated. My experience on reserve was a 76 hour guarantee and actually flying 50 to 70 hours a month. This varies some but I think it is average.