Originally Posted by
Silver2Gold
Really? Name their price? Your "bros" don't understand that this industry has pay set specifically by contract and based only on seniority and equipment? And, they think first year airline pay + 40K could finance a ferrari? What squadron is this again?? With such a primitive understanding of the Airlines, how would these guys even pass an interview?
I realize you are embellishing your "bros" (sounds like a pretty tight brotherhood) comments to point out their tremendous stupidity, but I still think you could give a little more credit to those who are pondering the path less traveled. I'm impressed that you know the exact number of pilot jobs being made available with the major airlines in the near future, as that is generally protected from disclosure until made official, and public at the same time. I'm also a little irritated that my company has informed you, and none of our pilot group, about the status of our near-future hiring.
The first of my squadronmates in 2007 to get hired by Delta had only an ATP written completed and around 1700 hours total time. Anectdotal evidence for sure, but there were plenty others like him. I'll grant you the need for a realistic analysis of the economy and a solid side-by-side number comparison of the stay-in/go decision. However, validating your decision to stay with silly straw-man arguments given to the idiots who would decide to leave, is not gonna help any actual "bros" who may be trying to make the best decision for them or their family.
The truth is, military pilots are often desired by airline management. I know they are at my company. And, the exact number and dates of pilot positions coming up soon in the majors is largely unknown, and subject to change any given day. Staying on active duty is a great decision that is seldom regretted. It is not, however, the only good decision.
Sarcasm is pretty tough to detect on a forum, so I'm not even going to try to figure out which part of this post is sarcasm and which should be taken at face-value. You're assuming that I think the people who take decide to take the VSP are idiots. I absolutely don't think that, and I damn sure understand that everyone has a unique situation that may make this a great option for them.
If I were making "straw-man" arguments, and writing people off as idiots, I wouldn't have done any research to find the facts that I do know about this round of VSP and near-term potential airline hiring. I ran the numbers and spoke to some VERY experienced reservists and airline pilots and it just didn't add up for me at this stage in my life.
I appreciate living in a country where military service is strictly voluntary. And, I also believe that taking advantage of an Air Force sanctioned program is not a selfish thing in the least. Maybe my words were a little harsh and I'm sorry if I offended you or anyone on this board. I wish I were better positioned to make the leap right now but the fact is, I'm not. I never meant to persuade anyone one way or the other; either path is strictly a personal choice. I'm sure everyone will make the choice that fits them best, regardless of claims by some anonymous person on an internet discussion forum.