Originally Posted by dckozak
I agree with just about everything you say............but,.... that legacy Delta arrogance shows through in your comments about regional pilots. Thinking that "feeder pilots" are second class (airmen) citizen's is a big part of how we, as a profession, got into the predicament were in today. Had DAL, CAL , UAL, AA and others integrated their regional pilots into their ranks,
you wouldn't be looking at lower end flying leaving
your seniority list, being bid out, whipsawing pilots to fly under
your companies colors at ever decreasing pay and benefits (for there respective employees). While you guy's are in a though bind, and we all wish you best, your apparent apathy towards your regional brethren is short sighted and misguided. It will come to haunt you and possiblely all of us as welll.
A couple of points if you please. I'm not Delta, and I don't think feeder pilots are second class. Apparently feeder pilots think that feeder pilots are second class. If you go back and re read my post, you'll find that I was giving my explanation for why regional pilots don't strike.
I agree that DALPA should have integrated it's lists when DAL acquired Comair and ASA.
As an aside, I'm a narrowbody Captain for a national carrier who was once a feeder pilot. The difference between a feeder pilot and myself is that I WILL leave the profession before I accept the wages/work rules being offered by feeder airlines. You see, I've been there, done that, got the company logo shirts, and I just don't need to fly for a living just to prove to someone/anyone that I'm something special. I can make enought money in other ventures to afford my own airplane, something that I can't do at feeder salaries. I.E. I could work outside of aviation & still enjoy aviation more than alot of starving, can't afford to have a family, driving a beater, living with their mother-in-law, feeder pilots.
That's not to say that they aren't as good of people as myself, it is only to say that they accept their wages. I wouldn't.
skybolt