Coronavirus
 

Supposedly the virus is already paying us a visit in our ranks. Some FO got pulled from a trip some days ago because he was around a CA who tested positive and today someone else mentioned that another CA also tested positive.

I get planes are empty, airports are empty, hotels are empty etc. and we have little contact with people but that doesn’t reduce our risk of exposure.

We wipe down the flight deck as much as we can but there’s no guarantee there. We don’t know how clean hotels are or if rooms are disinfected the right way so there’s no guarantee there. I could go on.

Some of the pilots have infant children or old parents living with them. We’re risking not only our lives but theirs too and others around us that we come into contact with.

Why the hell are we even agreeing to flying with the way this pandemic is blowing up at such a rapid pace???? What about our welfare and our families’ welfare?

Being a lowly FO, I cannot afford to take the PTO. My wife has been laid off as well so I'm the only source of income at this point. Writing is on the wall before I'm on the street as it is so I have to fly when I can. Rent is not going away.

-Call out sick
-Take the LOA
-Quit and find another profession

It’s the job. Make your own risk assessment given the conditions and bear the consequences...financial and health.

I for one am glad I’m still able to work and earn a paycheck for a little longer as our whole global economy and society shuts down. It’s even better that I get to do it doing something that I love that will probably be unavailable to many of us for years or decades on the other side of this.

Airlines are an essential service says the government and right now we are being operated as a utility. Uncle Sam is paying billions to keep us employed and the air transportation system up and running through the next few months. If you don’t want to be a part of it — step to the side and let everyone else get on with the job at hand. We have more than enough crews to meet the EAS-like mandate and need that is all that’s keeping things going right now.

Take precautions around everyone and especially your loved ones and those in the high risk groups. But I know I’d personally rather have a higher risk of the virus with our health insurance than a lower risk without working...but to each their own.

I’m a lowly FO too, wife got furloughed so it’s living off whatever savings we have. Ultimately it’ll all go south eventually from what it seems.

Question is what good are we if we get sick?

Never was so much owed by so many to so few. Not quite the same as fighting Luftwaffe, but it is a test of one's mettle to work in the age of Corona. And, like the Brits in WW2, not much of a choice for those of us who have to. It's true that we might not all make it unscathed, but if they need us up there, there's no one else who can do this job.

No one needs us to fly them the 80 miles from Milwaukee to Chicago... I’d happily fly planes full of medical supplies and staff, I’m not keen on flying Steve from Cleveland to Chicago because they bought a $5 ticket and wanted to go on an airplane ride.

I’m going to echo this. If we’re doing it for medical supplies or staff then by all means let’s take the risk for the greater good.

Why the hell we fly planes with 5 passengers or 4 non-revs or empty planes I have no clue. It serves no purpose and on top of it we’re flying to corona hot zones like upstate New York or Charleston or LGA or Chicago (next hot zone) and for what?

True nobody else can do the job but wait till this thing spreads through crews because it’s going to happen no matter how much we try to mitigate it.

Good points Rah and Jets. I haven't heard a solid argument on why/ why not 121 operations are critical. Couldn't charter ops with United et al banner serve a more effective purpose for medical personnel, supplies, etc?

That’s my argument. Draw down the scheduled flying, send us all home and pull people for actual relief effort flying. I’ll be the first volunteer.