Podaddy

So does anyone know how the 777 new hire FO's are working out at CAL? I believe the first ones arrived at EWR last month. Any word on their usage rates? Do they even get to flare? Well except the sim that is?

reCALcitrant

Just speculating. Probably not flying very much. I went straight in on the 756. Only about 300 hours the first year. Most in the 3rd seat. I don't pick up trips though. Other guys in my class got closer to 800 the first year. I know a couple of more senior FO's on the 777. They bid reserve and fly very little. What a life!! Just living the dream.

Podaddy

Well I am starting class here soon. My hope is to get the 777 because of the reasons you mentioned above. Why would you pick up a trip the first year??? WEll unless you are in a crash pad. The reserve gig is perfect if you don't mind the short leash and they are not using you. A friend of mine is an IRO on the 756 and he loves it.

Hotstart54

Luxury, they have got us flying just under 900 hours in a rolling 365 over here. Two guys across the Atlantic and on three crew trips a seat in Club (coach) for your rest. I'm not trying to play the 'smoldering martyr', just pointing up how things have changed over the last few years. I used to fly around 500/annum on the 744, "dozing for dollars" as one of the US brethren put it.

Hey, ho!

reCALcitrant

Alot of things to fix in the industry. That whole post I saw on pilots being in desparate need over the next 20 years. We need to work that to pay scale and work rule issues. If we are in such high demand, market prices will bear it right?

Free Flyer

To answer your question, they are doing quite well. It is a HUGE shift however in their flying skills as they do not fly very often at all. Last year one guy flew 74 hours total for the year. That doesn't include all of the sim time that he had to have in IAH as he went there every 3 months to get his bounces.

Last class had a Saab 340 regional guy go to the 777 and at last count he's doing well. The training dept. will get you to where you need to be to handle the plane, however, you must study each month because you won't be flying much and you'll look like an idiot when you get assigned a trip and don't know what you're doing. All of this information comes from the 777 drivers in my crashpad, 2 capt.s and 1 FO. If you get that plane, I hope you live in EWR since you'll be on reserve for 2 years until you can bid back off of that airplane to something junior.

Podaddy

A concern is the lack of flying and passing a probation check. Never mind being on reserve until the end of time. Eternal hell in a crash pad! Thanks for the insight.

A320fumes

My first 3000 turbine hrs were heavy Int'l and it's been my experience that the heavier the airplane, the easier it is to fly. I think the trouble will come when a heavy/Int'l driver comes to CAL, sits IRO for a few years, then checks out as 737 Capt w/o multiple legs to busy TCA experience. I know my opinion is my opinion, but one ten our leg has always been easier than EWR, ORD, PHL, BOS to me; especially after a few years of dozing for $. Nonetheless, I don't doubt they'll have the ability or they wouldn't be here.