Well, today I think we would have a hard time convincing the Pilot Group, let alone the Company, to go back to a flat 75 hr. cap.

I believe it was the Comapany's idea to go to the Flexible Cap, in bankruptcy, under the "get more efficient and reduce training and save money, yada, yada, yada" plan. Of course there were plenty of pilots who wanted to fly (only to get paid) 85-90, after the 42% pay cuts. Remember, on Sept. 10, 2001, DL South had 10,400 pilots. I think we got all the way down to just over 7,000 before the merger. Some of the jobs lost were due to parking 3 pilot airplanes in favor of 2 pilots (loss of L10-11 and 727 engineers) but a lot of that was also due to all the remaining pilots flying more every month, with the "new rules" and PBS, etc.

I think beginning with the 96 contract we were then able to sell back up to half of our vacation, I couldn't believe how many guys did that! And that was a long time before Bankruptcy! Finally we got rid of that, but now it's no better, as you can white slip to fill up to ALV +15 in a vacation month, they back out the 21 hours of vacation, so it's basically the same as selling it.

So, it is what it is, I don't like it, I prefer my time off to flying "extra", I'm just one of the 29% who voted against it.

Obviously the Majority likes it, so you'll have to convince the 71% that they need to fly less -and- get paid more, not just fly more to get paid more.

Still, you'll have a lot of guys with no life, no wife, no kids, etc. who are happy to fly 21 days a month...or more, if there's a green slip involved! But I'd rather be sailing on my "off days", not flying, unless it's in a Pitts off a grass strip.