I was laid off without the opportunity for a recall. Most everyone else that I know was also at the same company and they were out of a job as well. At the time the market was flooded with unemployed pilots. Everyone was calling each other for job leads that mostly went unfulfilled. It seems to me that when a furlough or lay off happens nearly half do not find another flying job. As pilots get older it is harder to bounce back from such a hardship.

As a 20 something when career disaster struck I just shoved my meager belongings into my old Jeep and moved on to the next crummy job in the next town. As a family man it is much harder.

My Mom told me last weekend that an Ex-TWA pilot works in the laundry department at her retirement home. Developing a solid plan "B" should be an urgent matter for most everyone.

SkyHigh