Sir,

Until you have walked a mile in the shoes of a minority, I don't think you'll ever see my point or any other minority point. I've gone to cargo outfits to attempt to get to know the people and when you hear racial slurs coming from the next room and they KNOW you are on the property, what does that tell you? Yeah, I'm SURE I'm in the next class.

I can't speak for others, but most of my former colleagues were invited to sit right seat on King Airs and Citations except for, you guessed it. Yours truly and one other head banger who is a friend of mine to this day. The women got most of that time followed by the white males who complained because the women were getting most of the time. When everyone else is getting a couple of hundred hours t-prop or jet time, and you dont, what does that say? I use crest and old spice like everyone else. I've gone to fly-ins in the south hosted by a club that had a lot of airline pilots. When I walk up and wave, they fold their arms and turn their backs. What's the next step after you try to say hello to people and they fold there arms and turn their backs? Light incense and sing Kum by Yah?

You know how I got my first regional airline job? I was flight instrucing by day and working another job by night. I was actually working three jobs at the time as two of the jobs were part time. One of the jobs was at an airline in a non-pilot postion. I did that for a year and "back doored" my way in through the help of some nice people. I'm sure it helped that I had instructed some of their friends and family and for their help, I'm grateful.

I'm sorry, Herk. I believe the day will come when there will be no need for apps to have boxes to check for race and gender. There are seven sides to every story, not just two. I'm sure that some non-minorities have perhaps experienced some of the above. Maybe not. My words are useless and so are my experiences, but they are my reality.

J