No argument there. But in spite of recent changes, I just don't see the impetus for Delta to merge with any of these regional airlines.

I see your desire. I see the RJ (and RJDC) pilot's wishes. I just don't see Delta's impetus.

The economic forces to compel them obviously aren't there. It's still preferable to hire from a mixture of regional and military pilots on the market than to pursue corporate mergers with contract carriers. I don't see a "pilot shortage" changing that.

PMFJI

Judging by your position you have been in the industry for a while. How much change have you seen in the industry the last 20 years? You don't think the economics forces are changing? It appears the industry is about to be turned on its head the next 5 years, it might not force mergers but it will force massive change. There is no way around it. Anything airlines can do to keep their planes in the air and labor cheap they will try, flows, mergers, hybrid-mergers, preferential interviews. One end game scenario is massive consolidation. If you can't keep planes in the air and passengers moving then the economic forces will force their hand one way or another. Those economic forces you references are quickly changing and those changes have only just begun.

BB I enjoy reading your posts particularly. I'm only here on this forum anyway to try and gain the perspective of other pilots. Even those, or maybe even especially those, of a different "generation" of pilots. Maybe we just look at economic forces differently.

So excuse me for saying this, but I think that maybe sometimes your generation forgets that although airline pilots are almost always union pilots, from many different unions even, the fact remains that the companies we fly for are not all about unity. They are in fierce competition with each other and would kill each other off at every legal opportunity. The history of airline failures and startup speaks for itself.

I think maybe the influence of guys like Dan Ford are behind some of this idea of "branding" where you think all ALPA pilots should be unified under a "brand". Or every pilot that flies a jet with a widget on it has to be unified under a "brand".

Kind of ignoring the predatory nature of our business that has always been a "tradition" which apparently my generation has an affinity for.

Yes, I admit it. I want to kill off all of Delta's competitors, or barring that, out compete every one of them. Including regional, contract, fee for service ones. Maybe especially them.

Got it! Thanks

Quick question,
Has anyone done the SXM layover? Just looking for any info on whether it's spouse easy or not.
Thanks.

I sense you think that recapturing scope might reduce some of the gains you want in future contracts. Actually, it's the other way around; Not recapturing scope allows management to pay you less, while limiting growth at the mainline. There are hundreds of factors on why this is true, but I won't bore you with a thirty page post. However, I will say this, management wouldn't outsource if it wasn't to their economic advantage, and since regionals overall lose money, it must come from mainline employee salary cuts. This is a result from the market value reduction of pilot labor due to the low salaries of regional pilots; This is the definition of wage arbitrage.

Yesterday, I found out Endeavor is sitting on hundreds of qualified resumes of people they refuse to hire. I suspect that the pilot shortage isn't real, and that management is using the parking of the 50 seaters to staff the mainline size RJ's. When service gets cut to small cities, and the government gives management a blank check to solve the issue, what will it cost you?

It's got to be a Delta/Microsoft decision. The Ipad Air can be approved, my buddy at Southwest just got his Ipad Air for their tablet program.

Iam annoyed that they took off the manuals too - why not leave the manuals and either get approval for the Air or just say it's not allowed for use airborne. Taking the manuals off kinda put a crimp in my studying for sim this week.

Southwest has a neat system, my friend told me about it last night - the company has a minimum requirement (32 gb ipad air with cellular) that costs $729 plus tax. Southwest reimburses you that amount, but you are free to get any larger sized ipad, you just pay the extra. Then, since they figure the battery last 3 years, in 3 years they give you money for the latest edition and you get to keep the one you had.

so if a regional pilot uses the wrong runway, or pulls when he should have pushed, or bring the flaps up during the push, outsourcing caused it? What is the cause when a mainline pilot uses the wrong runway(taxiway), or forgets to set the flaps for takeoff because his mind was somewhere else? Not making this a regional vs mainline match but I am trying to connect your logic. What is the cause of overflying an airport while discussing bidding and schedules if a regional guy does that vs mainline? Silly me, I thought human factors could affect all pilots. It doesn't matter if it is a regional guy distracted by talking about updating his resume, or a mainline CA talking about what cabin cruiser he is going to buy....the outcome and causes for the outcome are the same, not blamed on outsourcing.

Human Factors research tries to figure out why we make mistakes. Distraction is the most common cause for pilot errors. In the case of the Comair accident, those pilots had been told the previous Thursday their jobs were gone (going out to bid) if they did not accept contract concessions. The CVR transcript is full of references to finding work. Same with the Colgan transcript. Checklists are just the interruption between discussing ways to mitigating the effect of working for an express carrier.

No mainline carriers are not immune, but what you might not appreciate as a mature, professional, mainline pilot is the effect that constant threats and job jeopardy has on less mature, less seasoned pilots. What effect does stress have? Losing your job is terrible when you have $500,000 in the bank. For those with $500 in the bank the effect is more immediate.

The line in the OP was being drawn from the 1,500 hour requirement to these accidents ... my point was that the more logical line to draw was between the accidents and outsourcing. From a Human Factors perspective there are striking similarities between those CVR transcripts.