Okay, let us reframe this debate a little...

Talon, and Sirecks,

IMHO, this is not about the best job you and I have ever had, or even how much better life at Atlas is than the military.

This thread is about the prospective newbie that wants to make a reasonable and smart choice about Atlas vs all the rest...this is a comparison against our peers at the Legacy, the LCCs, and the two or three major cargo airlines (FDX, UPS, and ABX). I am not going to concede even one dollar, one period, one comma, etc that they have in their CBA by saying that my life is better than my former carrier and the military. I think that argument misses the point...

This is a comparison among airlines that fly similar equipment, similar routes, etc...by not comparing ourselves with the others in our group, we are giving the company a pass. We are also saying we don't deserve what they have.

I do agree that our future is bright, our fleet is a good mix, our business plan seems like a winner, but I am not going to tell a 35-year old pilot that he should come here and stay here for the rest of his career...Those days are gone. The recent CBAs at Delta, United, (and the ones to come soon at American, FedEx, and UPS), have made a long-term stay at Atlas for a young pilot a bad choice.

Guys, this needs to be a comparison among peers, not what we have seen in our past lives. We do a great disservice to the young pilot by saying that our QoL, our pay, our retirement, etc are the standard...it most certainly is NOT.