TenaciousB

I’d like to revive this thread in a post-Covid (sort of) world. For someone that is a 25 minute drive to SFO (non-commuter) how bad or good is SFO 756 these days?

The bad sounds like boring flying, red-eyes, and a more difficult training footprint. The good, less legs per day and a nice aircraft. How do schedules look a year or two in in terms of days off, etc? Any room to pick up better 767 flying from other bases like EWR?

As the 757 is replaced with the A321 in coming years do you see a displacement situation?

Sorry for all the questions but just trying to get a feel for the life versus the obvious benefits of fast movement on narrow body SFO.

Setopbug

Two separate issues.

First off, the Guppy sucks. Blowing down final at 150 knots, without a drag chute and crappy brakes, then shaking down the runway in max reverse, barely decelerating while the lady seated next to you clutches her rosary in terror. It’s an embarrassment. All while hoping the crew doesn’t abruptly stow the reversers and cause Le Hoover Fantastique to go skidding into the grass. I mean, who wants to do that extra paperwork?

Tailstand?

Have some self respect.

Then there’s crawling around the gear like “Igor” in some horror movie, a stooped, lurching hominid unwilling to proudly join the upright homo sapiens that fly airplanes with brown instrument panels, smoke better cigars than any 737 driver, and drink tasty brown liquor instead of vaping while swilling Mountain Dew. (De Riguer vices for the Max pilot who wonder why the only action they get on their layovers is self-flagellation)

Who’s the other pilot talking to? You don’t know, because your employer decided to order the ACP hidden near the wall.

Issue two is the Five Seven. On the 757, you’ll have plenty of choices:

JFK with the early show.

JFK with the later show.

Of course if you’re a lineholder, you can always trade those trips for open time. Your choices?

JFK with the later show.

JFK with the early show.

Someday, when China’s zero Covid policy kills enough of their people, our Asia flying will return and you’ll get more variety.

There’s an added bonus of a year of paid time off between training and OE.

Satire aside, the 757 is a great airplane. The early JFK has a day off in Manhattan. It doesn’t even resemble work.

And please, nobody take the Guppy comments personally, I keed! The 737 is a fine airplane with a huge flight envelope and no engineering compromises dumped in the pilot’s lap.

TenaciousB

Great and entertaining write up. The lack of variety is a given on the 756 SFO trips. That said, would it typically have more days off than the Bus lines? I can get variety by going places on my off days.

The IOE wait time: How long compared to the Bus?

TFAYD

go with the guppy - it’s the growth fleet. Plenty of variety.

JimLaheyTPS

SFO 756 isn’t for everyone, but I sure rather have 18-19 days off with boring flying, one transcon a day vs 14-15 days off doing Europe or Deep South America flying.

Meekrob

We were told in class the arriving NEOs would likely do ETOPS. If you can stand regional flying for a year it might be worth the wait.

JurgenKlopp

18-19 days off with only transcons on left coast? 1999 called and said your AOL browser is tight!

JimLaheyTPS

Was that supposed to be an attempt and humor? If so, I apologize… coffee clearly isn’t working.

AllOva736

I don’t work for UA but I’m curious, how is life on the 787 in SFO?

JurgenKlopp

If you look at awards 18-19 off and transcons isn’t a thing. About only thing Left Coast 57 gives
you anymore is one leg and done. Even that has been decreasing this summer.