Originally Posted by rlkrutenat

Hoss, I understand completely your points but would like to offer some context. With full disclosure, I am a sixteen year Eagle check airman starting AA class in May. I've served as committee chair for Comm and Training since 2008 and i am familiar with letter 3/supplementW.

-Eagle expanding and taking mainline flying while some AA guys were furloughed for in excess of ten years.

This is true and very unfortunate. This was the "RJ decade" that was played out by all mainline managements to the detriment of every major airline pilot.

- the Eagle MEC doing anything and everything to not only prevent a large number of TWA guys from flowing back, but to also ensure that those that did flow back were eventually booted from the left seat.

The Eagle MEC did everything possible to defend Eagle pilots rights under Letter 3. This was a full time job as APA, AA, and AE were all creatively reinventing their obligation to Letter3/SuppW. APA played quite a sharpshooter role in this. I didn't take it personally. That's what unions do - they look out for their membership. But, no one was "booted" from a seat unfairly. Flowbacks held their seat under the seniority provisions of Letter 3/Suppw.

- Lousy (and some would say unfair) treatment of the flowbacks while in training and while flying the line.

It is probable that some flow backs experienced the "2%" element of our check airman cadre. But then again, all Eagle pilots experience this at one time or another. After a full investigation, APA itself concluded that there was no improper treatment of flow backs in training. It was determined that they were mostly unprepared for the high intensity training at Eagle. No joke - it really is. I did hear of some very isolated juvenile behavior on the line. But, I flew the line with many flow backs and I can tell you that most every Eagle pilot soon gained respect for our AA colleagues.

- The Eagle MEC suing and winning a court case allowing Eagle flow-ups to begin training at AA BEFORE several hundred that still remained furloughed. This delayed the recall for several months.

"If a seniority number doesn't mean a seniority number then what does it mean?" The arbitrator agreed.

- Someone from the Eagle MEC sending a letter to the president of AMR several years ago with an offer to fly 100 seat equipment for "reasonable" pay rates.

There will always be a few morons in every pilot group.

- Many at Eagle salivating at the thought of getting larger equipment (to perhaps include the airbus) during the AMR bankruptcy process.

2500 out of 2800 Eagle pilots will tell you.. "Put everything at AA - just take us with you."



Having said all this, my intent is to not perpetuate a ****ing contest. It is only to say that there are always three sides to a story. We are all very foolish if we allow airline managements turn us into cavemen bludgeoning each other over and over with these endless arguments.

Now more than ever, it is high time that ALL pilots - whoever wherever and whatever they fly - work together to bring some dignity and honor back to this profession.

Rich