Originally Posted by
astroglider
" but 30 years on I get it completely....he told me, 'if you stay in the copilot seat long enough, it wont matter to you what else you can hold, mentally that's what you will permanently become, an FO.....and that's where you will retire.'
total hogwash...30 years ago was a completely different world. Think about it...those guys got hired before they turned 30 (or didn't get hired)..they made a lot more money, flew hundreds of hours per year less, bid lines of time, better trips, better work rules, had stay-at-home wives. I could go on and on. Delta now hires a ton of older military guys...they have a pension and once senior on Delta equipment, aren't moving.
I can't speak for all senior F/O's but those I know stay because of some pretty darn good reasons like a having sick family member, working wife, second jobs, military commitments etc...I've heard of a few that inherited money, receiving military pension... so don't need the money etc.
The older senior guys will probably never bid off...but the younger senior F/O's will probably bid off when they can hold left seat and control their schedules.
Any talk of a pilot developing a permanent F/O mentality sounds exactly like something some dinosaur 30 years ago would have said...but much like lots of things said back then...total hogwash.
I've been a co-pilot at Delta 20 years. I've been on the 777 for 9. In nine years I've gone from 40 from the bottom to about 65 from the bottom. So I've averaged about 3 seats of progression a year.
I sat out this bid. I'm happier at Delta then I've ever been. I'm conflicted about the idea of stagnating as a co-pilot although I was an instructor pilot in the military.
My problem is this: I just pulled up a schedule of a guy my seniority who's an M88A. He's worked 13 days and made 68 hours. I worked 14 and made 96. Work the math and that would be a $5000 a month pay cut for me.
I'll be honest and say I'd like to fly more. I like to takeoff and land. I like to feel like I'm important to the operation. I'd love to taxi around on the ground and I'd look better with the extra stripe and the extra shizzle on the hat.
I've got plenty of money and could do whatever I want, but here's how it sounds when I say it out loud.
"Hey, I've thought about it and I think I'm going to bid narrow body captain. The equipment is not as good. It will mean more work for me and potentially less ability to string together days off. And I'll probably make a lot less money. But, hey, I'll get to fly more and I'd love to start calling the shots." To be honest, I can't even convince myself.
For guys in my seniority, it's hard not to come to the conclusion it makes more sense to wait for a wide body left seat.
I hope everybody is doing what they want. I love Delta airlines and I've never been happier.