I had a hope once that Alaska Airlines would rescue me, my family and my aviation dreams from the failing of National Airlines. As you know they didn't come through and my worst nightmare came to life. Turns out that was the best thing to happen to me. Now I am a free man and my destiny is my own.

UPS and the rest of the majors are still raising minimums. There is no pilot shortage. My guess is that management at Alaska Airlines is loading up for a fight. One strategy will be to pawn flying off on to Horizon Air. It should come as no surprise since they have been doing for the last 15 years or so. The next might be to hire a bunch of off the street scabs. I can assure you that there are still plenty of unemployed and underemployed pilots who would take that offer.

Alaska Airlines is on the war path with its employees. They laid off mechanics, fired the Seattle rampers. They will not let you take back so much as an inch for fear that the other employee groups will demand the same. As I have said before there are plenty of guys just like me who are sidelined from flying. There is no pilot shortage only a shortage of pilots who will work for nothing.

SkyHigh