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Delta Will Promote Pilots to Captain—If They Can Fly This Aging Plane
Since almost the beginning of the commercial airline business, junior pilots have had to toil years in the second chair waiting to win a pair of captain’s wings. Now Delta Air Lines Inc. is offering them the chance to vault into a captain’s seat in as little as six months. The catch? The promotion requires flying an unloved, aging plane nicknamed the “Mad Dog” that Delta plans to retire in three years. (www.bloomberg.com) Más...Sort type: [Top] [Newest]
it is not so much if you can fly this aircraft but rather if you are willing to fly this aircraft. This is a more active participation machine, with a cluttered and cramped cockpit. This article is misleading, because this aircraft is not exactly like the stearman that military pilots had to master before getting their wings many years ago. it is a workhorse, not a polo pony, and a serious contributor to delta's profits for many years.
The Age of a lot of the US airline fleet should be a global embarrassment. Flying domestically in the US these days is hell.
I like the MD-80.
so...what happens to a captain on the MD88s when they're all retired?
The MD-88 is shared with the MD-90. So they will either just fly MD-90's or just switch to a different plane.
once a captain, always a captain? of go back to first officer?
No. not "once a captain, always a captain".
Furloughs, a/c type no longer in the fleet, Delta's planned manning of the Mad Dogs as they are retired, etc. all have the possibility of causing the loss of the left seat. Company seniority effects EVERYTHING in an airline. It's whatever your seniority can hold..... seat, a/c type, base, monthly trips, vacaion, etc., all come into play. If you are a very junior captain (company seniority) when your a/c is retired, you bid whatever you want, but will be awarded only what your seniority can hold, in many cases moving to the right seat as an FO. A pilot senior to another will not be affected by a junior pilot bidding his seat, his type or his base, et al.
Furloughs, a/c type no longer in the fleet, Delta's planned manning of the Mad Dogs as they are retired, etc. all have the possibility of causing the loss of the left seat. Company seniority effects EVERYTHING in an airline. It's whatever your seniority can hold..... seat, a/c type, base, monthly trips, vacaion, etc., all come into play. If you are a very junior captain (company seniority) when your a/c is retired, you bid whatever you want, but will be awarded only what your seniority can hold, in many cases moving to the right seat as an FO. A pilot senior to another will not be affected by a junior pilot bidding his seat, his type or his base, et al.
thought so...thanks
My pleasure!
Delta will have to figure something out in that case to retain this group. After these pilots rack up PIC hours, they will be in great demand in Asia at premium pay and benefits flying very new aircraft.