Originally Posted by 24601

These are not my words, but people need to know what being at republic is like, what it will do to you, as well whats wrong with this place.

This company is breaking me
I am at crossroad in my life right now, and I really don't know how much longer I continue without making a decision.

I have been an FO here for over 6 years, I am in my 7th year. Prior to coming here I worked for almost 2 years at Colgan. Prior to that I was a CFI for ATP. I am prior military and prepared myself as best as I could financially for this career. I got married during my first year at Colgan and when I was senior enough to hold 1900 Captain at Colgan, I was bypassed, along with many other senior FO's, to street Captains. I left Colgan for greener pastures, or so I thought. During my time at colgan I accrued significant financial debt in the form of credit cards. Even being married, $19,000/yr was not enough to afford a crash pad and commuting expenses.

My first year at Republic I made a little but more, but gained no financial relief. I was home based and making a little bit more, until I was furloughed in 2008. Recalled in January of 2009, I was displaced to commute as 2nd most junior FO in the company. For 2 years I endured 6 on 2 off, 5 on 2 off reserve schedules as well as the destruction of my marriage. Both because of my lack of time spent actually playing the role of husband and partially due to more financial loss. I was near resignation at the time, to save my credit, my marriage and my sanity. Those who haven't worked here when Bart was our CP are unfortunate, because Bart was one of the greatest assets to the pilots. I spoke with him regarding my situation and not only did he encourage me to hang tough, he helped me work out a deal to be able to sit rsv in PHL a few times a month, so I could be home.

I finally got awarded PHL and was able to be home considerably more, since I could sit rsv at home. But being so junior, I was used nearly every rsv day, and fought frequently to defend my contractual rights. Unfortunately my marriage continued to decline. I had unsecure debt I could not pay down, a school loan payment that was over $600 a month. Fast forward to 2013, and my wife filed for divorce. I quickly found myself out of a home, out of a joint income and faced with more financial expenses of living on my own, not to mention the lawyer costs, court fees, settlements etc.

For the last year, I have become incredibly, and I mean incredibly bitter. Not only towards Republic and the Union but the industry and my career decision to even do this. I have over $10,000 in unsecured debt, and a recent lawsuit has been filed against me from one of the creditors to recover over $3,000. They offered a settlement in a lump sum, but I can barely pay my rent on my salary. I can't move back home because my sister and her kids recently moved home. Bankruptcy could be a last resort option, but will not increase my income to expense ratio. In other words, I'm pretty much ****ed.

That's all just fine and dandy though. Cancelations due to weather in ORD only ensured that I had crawl to my parents to help pay for rent and shut off cable and internet service in my apartment. "Move to a different state" some say, well I can't. I have a dog that stays with my parents while I'm at work, and I will not sacrifice my personal life for this job. I have already sacrificed everything.

"Find another job" some say, but when I was young, this is all I wanted to do, and I worked my ass off to get here. I want what is due. I want the financial stability that SHOULD come with being a professional pilot! I have applied to every major and legacy airline. I have even applied to outside "backup" career opportunities, yet here I sit, stuck.

Over the last year, I have set in motion a series of self career destruction, beginning with my attitude. I hate coming to work here. I resent Jepp revisions, FOM revisions and bulletins. I curse at Comply365 and never read a ****ing thing. My FOM has cobwebs and I don't even know what my SOP looks like. When I come to work, my attitude is, as long as we don't ****ing crash, I couldn't give a ****. And I am a damn good pilot...confident in my ability to have a safe outcome of every flight, regardless of ****ing memos of a thousand revisions. I have come to see myself as nothing more than a seat warmer, a gear monkey. A backup to someone who makes more than double I do, and if he screws up, I catch it. If he passes out, I save the day and land the plane. This is my role. This is what the company, on a salary that is less than unemployed government benefit recipients make, have reduced me to. It's almost as if part of me actually wants a reason to walk away from an airliner and never look back....because I don't have the balls to do it myself. I don't have the fortitude to walk away from a lifelong goal, from a career path that has led to a divorce and financial destruction. Yet its as if deep down inside, I want an excuse to say "Well it just didn't work out".

Today I busted the first aviation test of my career, by way of failing my oral for a PC. Why? Because I never studied. Never even cracked a book. The questions weren't that hard, but if you never study, you'll never pass. This coming from a guy who never failed an FAA written exam, never busted an FAA checkride, breezed through two initial airline training programs and have never even come close to failing a PC. So now I have a choice, study really hard and do what I always have done and pass with ease, or just say **** it and resign. I really don't know what to do.

I have hung on for as long as I absolutely mentally and financially can. I was hoping for an upgrade this year, but while junior Lynx people fill Captain slots courtesy of a favorable integration, the company parking planes at CHQ, I really have no idea when relief is in sight. And forget about a contract...I don't even have to go there.

But what the **** do I do??? Of course I WANT to be a professional pilot. I would hate to give up, but at the same time, I cannot survive like this anymore. And self destructing my career is the last thing I ever thought I would do, yet its the point I've been pushed to.