Caveman

I know AT was set to be a launch customer with 787s, explosive growth etc, industry leading pay and work rules.

But for whatever reason it didn't work out.

Hindsight is 20/20. I dunno why people never express regret over not getting on with VJ early on.

flensr

I'm ex-mil also, f-teens and trainers for about 15 of my 22 yrs. I found flying the A320 is less fatiguing than the 737. In the 320 I could block 7-8 hrs, 3-4 legs, and be like yea that's a good day but not be "tired". In the 737, 3 legs feels like a day's work to me and anything past that I find myself having to make an effort to focus on the job more than counting the minutes until I can go home or get to the hotel.

I avoid 5-leg days like the plague, and I live near the airport so I bid turns and 2-day trips whenever possible. Yes SWA schedules can usually be managed to your personal level of engagement but even if you have lots of days off you might have an "efficient" schedule with high block days or days with 4-5 legs. A decade or two ago you could burn through 5 legs in a hurry, nowadays there's an extra 30+ min sitting at the gate between legs so it does drag on.

Coming from someone who used to trip-turn the T-37 during TX summers, it's not just old age. This job is not as immediately demanding as BFM and not quite the intensity of a quick-turn in Saudi when it's 125 deg on the ramp, but it wears on ya especially on day 3 or 4. Some of that is nothing more than the 737 workload and cockpit ergonomics are victorian-era when compared to even the A320 which is really only 10-15 yrs newer than the 737.

As an example of how it sneaks up on you even when yoiu see it coming... When I was a young-un aged just 47 (heh), leg 4 on day 4, returning from SLC to somewhere (PHX?) with a takeoff time around 10pm, we had a speed restriction on departure. The CA and I knew darn well we were both tired so we briefed that freaking speed restriction like 6 times including during taxi right before takeoff. I wrote "250KTS" on my paperwork in 3" tall lettering using a sharpie. Sure enough, 3 minutes after takeoff, departure gives us a call and says southwest xxx... uhh, well, resume normal speed I guess". Crap.

Yes, I know there are other ways to not miss that (I don't think we were arming VNAV for takeoff at that time), but on leg 4 day 4 at 10pm, they all escaped us entirely and so we got to submit our ASAP reports. Lucky that the only thing we spaced out on was a dumb climb speed restriction, it could have been something important instead.

Then again, I've flown with a number of CAs who have been flying the 737 for decades and they're perfectly happy flying it all day every day. The NG and MAX do have a lower workload than the older steam gauge models so some of it's just a matter of what you're used to.

WHACKMASTER

Even after the fiasco of the last two days you still have the arrogance to write an attempted put down, huh? You really are some kind of special.

Southwest exceptionalism for all the world to see ^^^

Caveman

Where's the put down?

AT lost pay coming to SWA

WHACKMASTER

You should apply for a SWA management position. Your tone-deafness would fit right in.

IA Moose

Well if you’re not a nerd then don’t apply to other places because I don’t want to be stuck sitting next to nerds the rest of my career?

Vne469

My mom says Im cool

Cyio

Just apply elsewhere, not sure why you need the approval of a bunch of strangers on the internet. This isn't the place to come for career advice as it is such a small minority of the pilot group.

This was an ugly event, no doubt, but it isnt the end of WN by a long shot and "may" actually bring about some positive change. I certainly am not going anywhere as the pros still far outweigh the cons.

Mozam

This event will show how powerful ground ops is. Ground ops has always dictated how this airline is run . If this event does not change the tail wagging the dog, it is never going to change . This is the perfect time for BJ to take charge and make the changes that needed to be done over 20 years ago .

ZapBrannigan

Assuming BJ isn’t one of the casualties. After the Valentines Day Masacre the JetBlue board of directors fired David Neeleman and he was the founder. Wouldn’t be surprised to see the SWA board send someone high profile to spend more time with their families just to show they’re doing something.