I was hired in june 1998, big Union battle, negotiations sucked I was two weeks from getting furloughed. On the back of the 727 every captain telling me to leave and go some where better. Guys in my reserve unit at united got huge raises making $175 an hour in the right seat of a 747, I was making $60 on the panel i think. Now I have been a wide body captain for 13 years and I was hired at the end of the 95-98 hiring spree. Those hired in 95 have been WB captains for 20 years. at united or Delta my peers just made wide body capt a few years ago. Timing and luck is everything.

Glad I stayed and didn't go to Delta as I had interviews the same month. Then things went bad, real bad for the pax carriers for almost 20 years. Now they are doing well, will it continue? Fedex is still making a lot of money, shifting things around to increase profits. We will eventually get a contract. Not everyone will be happy. look on the Delta and United boards, they complain about their new contracts all the time.

A lot of pilots here try to make things better, alot just cry about it and don't do anything but eat at the trough. The worst thing I see now is how fractured we are and some groups are outright ugly and disrespectful to fellow pilots. When I see someone doing it on here I drop to their level so they can see how it can turn the other way.

Lifes full of up and downs, if you worry about all the little things all at once you will be miserable no matter what youdo or where you go.