Should WJA get rid of AR (age +65 pilots) ?

[737lakepilot]

Should WJA get rid of AR pilots (Age +65 pilots),
Since it was discussed quite a bit in a previous post?

[Inverted2]

Stuck with it whether you like it or not because if “muh human rights” Companies don’t want it due to scheduling issues/can’t use US alternates/increased fuel burn but it is what it is. At Jazz at least they made a limited number of positions available so it won’t be too lucrative if you have to bid F/O once the captain spots are filled up.

[Canadaflyer46]

Stuck with it whether you like it or not because if “muh human rights” Companies don’t want it due to scheduling issues/can’t use US alternates/increased fuel burn but it is what it is. At Jazz at least they made a limited number of positions available so it won’t be too lucrative if you have to bid F/O once the captain spots are filled up.

At WJ they don’t have to worry about vacancies, they get to pick a captain seat part time/full time in the base of their choosing. Hasn’t been a YYC captain spot in a bid for a year or so now, but they’ve been creating them solely for ARs. Which then pushes junior captains back onto reserve (It currently takes 17 years seniority to hold a block as a YYC captain). Then they can bid for reserve and not get called because they can’t fly anywhere. It sounds glorious and who can blame them!

[Hysteria]

So after 10-15 years or whichever it is to upgrade, then you have to do a few more years on reserve?
How long to get off reserve on the FO side in Alberta?

[Canadaflyer46]

So after 10-15 years or whichever it is to upgrade, then you have to do a few more years on reserve?
How long to get off reserve on the FO side in Alberta?

1.5 years gets you off reserve as a YYC FO.
For YYC captain it’s currently 10.5 years for the most junior, and 16 years to be off reserve.

[flyingcanuck]

So after 10-15 years or whichever it is to upgrade, then you have to do a few more years on reserve?
How long to get off reserve on the FO side in Alberta?

1.5 years gets you off reserve as a YYC FO.
For YYC captain it’s currently 10.5 years for the most junior, and 16 years to be off reserve.

[nohojob]

How many years after 65 can one flies at WJ ?

[Blackdog0301]

How many years after 65 can one flies at WJ ?

As long as they keep passing their rides.

[CaptDukeNukem]

So after 10-15 years or whichever it is to upgrade, then you have to do a few more years on reserve?
How long to get off reserve on the FO side in Alberta?

1.5 years gets you off reserve as a YYC FO.
For YYC captain it’s currently 10.5 years for the most junior, and 16 years to be off reserve.

[phenix]

So after 10-15 years or whichever it is to upgrade, then you have to do a few more years on reserve?
How long to get off reserve on the FO side in Alberta?

These days it’s almost impossible to give an answer. YYC hired 88 FOs in 2023, and 4 in 2024. Realistically around 45 people behind you will get you permanently out of reserve. So someone hired beginning of 2023 did 3 months of reserve, and someone hired end of 2023 is still deep into reserve and will stay there until there is a change in the hiring priorities.

Now if we look at the other Alberta base, YEG, you will see 16 hires in 2023 and 27 in 2024. Around 15 pilots behind you get you out of reserve. So pilots hired last year did around a year, but those hired this year should do 3 months of reserve.

[JungleRiot]

They should change it from AR to TFO. Too f****ng old

[Hysteria]

So after 10-15 years or whichever it is to upgrade, then you have to do a few more years on reserve?
How long to get off reserve on the FO side in Alberta?

These days it’s almost impossible to give an answer. YYC hired 88 FOs in 2023, and 4 in 2024. Realistically around 45 people behind you will get you permanently out of reserve. So someone hired beginning of 2023 did 3 months of reserve, and someone hired end of 2023 is still deep into reserve and will stay there until there is a change in the hiring priorities.

Now if we look at the other Alberta base, YEG, you will see 16 hires in 2023 and 27 in 2024. Around 15 pilots behind you get you out of reserve. So pilots hired last year did around a year, but those hired this year should do 3 months of reserve.

Thanks for the thorough response. That makes a lot of sense

[citizenbanana]

It's also nice that when the AR pilots age off the 787 the company creates cushy part time 737 CA jobs for them

[Mach1]

I think WJ should ONLY hire AR pilots.

Just fully commit to an all 65+ workforce and domestic schedule.

[MaxAuto]

Westjet should do a lot of things to modernize their day to day operations. Get rid of the AR program, change their SOPs to Boeing and let the pilots do their own weight and balance using the Boeing onboard performance App.

[co-joe]

Westjet should do a lot of things to modernize their day to day operations. Get rid of the AR program, change their SOPs to Boeing and let the pilots do their own weight and balance using the Boeing onboard performance App.

OPT is a great tool, at first I saw it as just a way to save money on dispatchers, but it really gives you a clear picture of the calculations behind performance decision making and gives more flexibility. It adds a threat in a garbage in garbage out finger trouble kind of way, but that can be mitigated with the compare function to a high degree.

[MaxAuto]

Westjet should do a lot of things to modernize their day to day operations. Get rid of the AR program, change their SOPs to Boeing and let the pilots do their own weight and balance using the Boeing onboard performance App.

OPT is a great tool, at first I saw it as just a way to save money on dispatchers, but it really gives you a clear picture of the calculations behind performance decision making and gives more flexibility. It adds a threat in a garbage in garbage out finger trouble kind of way, but that can be mitigated with the compare function to a high degree.

It also save the company time and resources. One less thing for load control to do also. I worked at a company before where load control did everything for us but it took a while waiting especially when Arcars is acting up. OPT allows you to turn and burn off the gate quicker.

[slob driver]

Westjet should do a lot of things to modernize their day to day operations. Get rid of the AR program, change their SOPs to Boeing and let the pilots do their own weight and balance using the Boeing onboard performance App.

The latest SOP modifications as a result of the merge have been amazing!! How did we at wj ever make it for thirty years without the cruise briefing?? I for one cannot wait to see what other gems come from SWG….

For the record, I’m Just teasing. I know that certain changes as a result of the merge will be positive. And some, not so much. There are a million ways to get a 737 in the air. Every company and corresponding pilot group thinks their way is the best. Look at SWA and some of their archaic SOP’s that they’ve been changing over the years as a result of having to fly a 200 in the morning and 700 in the afternoon.
Whatever SOP’s WJ pays me to follow, I’ll be fine with. Both SWG and WJ have outstanding safety records, so I’m not too worried.

[nohojob]

What orher changes you guys had beside the cruise brieffing?
Any changes for the callsss at 1000'?

[slob driver]

What orher changes you guys had beside the cruise brieffing?
Any changes for the callsss at 1000'?

-when to hit toga on t/o
-briefing transition alt/level in domestic airspace
-speedbrake up and reversers normal call on landing rollout (imo this is a great addition for s/a)
-transition set standard call (which was previously and archaic cdn regional holdover call going through transition)
Before start checklist cleaned up from 200 times

Like I said, some decent changes mixed in with a couple changes that are kinda superfluous (imo). I’m already forgetting some of the changes. It doesn’t take long…

Many more changes coming apparently. I look forward to actually engaging vnav on the ground. That’s one that has never made sense for us (obviously).

[nohojob]

I agree, the cruise brieffing is not very usefull.
The vnav take off is and the less abundant and shorter calls are.
But I am looking forward to flying cat 3 approaches.

[BigQ]

I find the cruise briefing useful in forcing us to actually look at the weather for the enroute and landing alternates we are being given (which sometimes are barely legal), and to review where the sigwx is, as to coordinate with the CCMs for their cabin services.

[JBI]

What orher changes you guys had beside the cruise brieffing?
Any changes for the callsss at 1000'?

-when to hit toga on t/o
-briefing transition alt/level in domestic airspace
-speedbrake up and reversers normal call on landing rollout (imo this is a great addition for s/a)
-transition set standard call (which was previously and archaic cdn regional holdover call going through transition)
Before start checklist cleaned up from 200 times

Like I said, some decent changes mixed in with a couple changes that are kinda superfluous (imo). I’m already forgetting some of the changes. It doesn’t take long…

Many more changes coming apparently. I look forward to actually engaging vnav on the ground. That’s one that has never made sense for us (obviously).

While I like/don't mind most of the new changes, you're the only pilot I've heard mention that they like the "Speedbrake up / reversers normal" call on landing. I mean don't get me wrong, it's SOP so I do it, but I find that calling out something normal in an already higher workload situation decreases s/a. For now it seems more distracting than helpful, though maybe we'll get more used to it.

[slob driver]

What orher changes you guys had beside the cruise brieffing?
Any changes for the callsss at 1000'?

-when to hit toga on t/o
-briefing transition alt/level in domestic airspace
-speedbrake up and reversers normal call on landing rollout (imo this is a great addition for s/a)
-transition set standard call (which was previously and archaic cdn regional holdover call going through transition)
Before start checklist cleaned up from 200 times

Like I said, some decent changes mixed in with a couple changes that are kinda superfluous (imo). I’m already forgetting some of the changes. It doesn’t take long…

Many more changes coming apparently. I look forward to actually engaging vnav on the ground. That’s one that has never made sense for us (obviously).

While I like/don't mind most of the new changes, you're the only pilot I've heard mention that they like the "Speedbrake up / reversers normal" call on landing. I mean don't get me wrong, it's SOP so I do it, but I find that calling out something normal in an already higher workload situation decreases s/a. For now it seems more distracting than helpful, though maybe we'll get more used to it.

[cdnavater]

.