Heading into the summer schedule line pilots were being provided with 150% premium pay, extensions, and junior manning occurrences through much of May.
The seas were rough to say the least. Following the furlough of 136 pilots, 80 in February 2009 and an additional 56 in September 2009, the pilot group at Acey was highly demoralized. Stress was building amongst the pilot group as block hour growth was slowly returning ahead of marginal economic stability.
May brought about great news for the 136 furloughed pilots. Leadership had determined that they couldn't continue to run such a tight staffing forecast, jeopardizing high levels of completion factor and contract agreements with our mainline partners.
While many furloughed pilots expected minimal recalls this summer, very few expected to be back prior to the summer 2011 schedule - when solid economic growth and block hour increases were expected, coupled with increasing attrition numbers as retirements begin across the industry. Nevertheless, 40 pilots were officially recalled in early June.
Out of no where the company decided to recall all furloughed pilots through two further announcements of recalls. Officially, 14 pilots declined to come back to the company, yielding a significantly higher than average recall rate.
Nevertheless, I'm now back to flying planes for a living. I accepted recall and started requalification training on August 4th. Following a week and a half of systems and general operations class work, we entered into simulator training covering the usual items seen on an annual proficiency check.
Continuing my 100% first-time pass rate as a student, I started OE (Operational Experience) about a week ago.
OE consists of flying with a line check airmen. It serves to formally transfer the student from the training environment into the operational environment, dealing with all that comes with it. Operating outside the protected confines of the training environment and the cookie cutter training scenarios for a return to real-life operational experience. Dealing with ramp control, flow control delays, passenger interaction, aircraft swaps on short turns, reduced overnights, weather diversions and aeronautical decision making, etc.
Almost done with OE right now. Finished a four day trip with a little more than twenty-two hours of block time. Requal OE requires 25 hours of OE, so I have a two-day trip set up starting on Thursday to finish up OE and get released from training.
I'll leave you with one of the last photos I took before I started my furlough...coming out of cruise from Lexington to Atlanta.
