DL Starts the Consolidation of MSP and ATL Training Centers

[Dan Roman]

Thin Skin? Doesn't bother me, you doth protest too much. Awful lot of SWA defensiveness on here IMHO. If anyone says anything that isn't pro SWA they get jumped on.

BTW, just because someone has an opinion you don't agree with doesn't mean they "should get over themselves". It's just an opinion, which we are all entitled to have.

 

[Gorditas]

NWA's "outstanding training?" Give me a break. I went through training there and was appalled at the lack of focus, standardization and consistency of their "professional" (and mostly part time) instructors for contract training. I can only hope that their in house training greatly exceeded their contract training ... IT SUCKED. Flight Safety was certainly more comprehensive.

Based upon my experience, DALs closing can only improve their (DALs) training programs.

Correct me if I misunderstood your post, but it sounds like you visited NATCO after DAL made changes post merger. They gutted the place almost right away. A PMDL pilot talking about "standardization" and "consistency" is laughable. The Delta way of training and operating seems to purposefully be vague in almost every aspect. The whole "big bubble" and "Boeing does it this way" idea behind everything leads to a lot of grey areas. Things were far more standardized at Northwest. If you have any friends who were FNWA pilots, as to see their SOPA (Standard Operating Procedures, Amplified) and SMAC (Standard Manuvers and Configurations) manuals. I didn't mind learning new things in the merger, change is a part of life. But most of the operational changes we made were detrimental. "Training by memo" seems to be one of the bigger ones, closely followed by FPS 0.2, err - 2.0 (flight planning) and AWABS (weight and balance for those not DAL.) Add in the loss of succinct and readily available cockpit references (like a CAT 2 briefing) that didn't require 3 manuals, and at least on my airplane, it is much harder to operate on a daily basis.

The idea that your company does it the best way possible and everything else sucks is not limited to the airlines. My wife works in the medical field, and has worked several places who employ "homegrown" staff. Some of them completed medical school, residency, and fellowships all in one health system. Since they have never worked at another facility, they assume that their antiquated ways of doing things are the best and only way.