Airline Pilot Central Forums - Any "Latest & Greatest" about Delta?

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Timbo (Post 1802382)

Or Texas, or Arkansas...my buds who live in those states say they can feel the earth shaking with the fracking, and the AR guy said they are getting sinkholes too.

I've been hearing about "Alternative Energy" since I was a kid. When the price of oil ran up in the early 1970's, my mom went and bought a diesel VW Rabbit that got 50 mpg.

And remember the 'first' electric car Chevy built/sold back then? :rolleyes:

I remember being taught about Solar Power in school back then, and windmills, etc. just like what we've been hearing the past 10 years. By now we were all supposed to be driving electric cars and using solar power for our homes.

Then just as the 'alternative energy gold rush' got underway...oil prices crashed, just like now, and effectively killed off that whole industry.

Over the past 40 years it's been through a couple more cycles just like that, this is just the latest attempt by the Saudi's to (once again) crush the "Alternative Energy" revolution.

Thomas Freidman wrote a pretty good book about it (needing to find alternative energy, as the 3rd world enters the modern age, with billions of people needing more energy to do it) called "The World is Flat, Hot and Crowded" where he goes deep into the politics and money required to break our addiction to cheap oil.

Hot, Flat, and Crowded | Thomas L. Friedman

I'll save you the time and money; the bottom line is, without a government mandate (like new vehicle gas mileage requirements, and the new light bulbs) investors won't pump in the needed money to truly develop "Alternative Energy" because as soon as they do, oil prices crash and the whole A/E industry gets crushed. No ROI.

^^^^^^

Yep.

The historical problem with oil is that it has always been too cheap & never repaid it's investors without market manipulation.

Before the Seven Sisters, we had the Texas Railroad Commission to limit not only rail, but pipeline transport from East Texas. These efforts were followed by OPEC, who really gained market relevance in 1973 and who since has been a geopolitical cartel, working for not only oil interests, but political self-interest. Arguably, OPEC has had such great influence that the United States has sprung into action at their behest, removing cartel violators and threats to their heads of State (I will loop back around to that point).

The historical, inflation adjusted to 2010, price of oil was $23.68 per barrel in the US and $24.58 on the World market. If a snapshot is taken post-1970's, after US production was exceeded by the middle east, the price goes to $34.77 for US supplies and $37.93 per barrel globally.

Those prices sound ridiculous today, but when George W. Bush took office the price was $35.00 a barrel.

I have two concerns as they apply to our business. First, oil is a predictor for other Global economic activity in times of peace. Oil prices are decreasing as much on reduced demand, as supply. In the United States there is a concomitant reduction in oil based tax revenues which negatively affects those users and generator of jobs. Second, history tells us someone will do something to constrict supply and among those getting killed in the market are nuclear-armed former superpowers.

As for OPEC, some are getting into a new business, running airlines. Their new East Texas is the post-2008 & 2010 European Open Skies shake out which is resulting in consolidation among the bigger and stronger players there, just as it did in the United States following our deregulation. These players know how to lobby and know the hallways of power better than most US citizens.

Given what we are up against I am amazed at the success of ALPA-PAC. It's the best money I've ever spent.

So..... I should stop nailing the solar panels on my Mooney Mite?

Quote:

Originally Posted by sailingfun (Post 1802396)

We do! You're just flying with their grandmothers on the 777!

You beat me to it...cheers h

Because I'm usually wrong, I'll go with COB Friday.

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Originally Posted by Wilbur Wright (Post 1802170)

They've been pretty good about getting the results out by COB the day after, but I'm thinking this one's a little more complicated so I'm going to be conservative and say by noon Wed.

Quote:

Originally Posted by GunshipGuy (Post 1802337)

Good luck on the AE, folks. We're all counting on you.

Hopefully we'll see some of our FOs doing the "I'm going to be a Delta Captain Dance."

http://thechive.files.wordpress.com/...131ceca59a.gif

Best gif ever and worthy of another quote

Quote:

Originally Posted by GunshipGuy (Post 1802337)

Good luck on the AE, folks. We're all counting on you.

Hopefully we'll see some of our FOs doing the "I'm going to be a Delta Captain Dance."

http://thechive.files.wordpress.com/...131ceca59a.gif

Just flew with the new Deltalina..great attitude, great smile, and could easily walk the catwalk like the hottie above. Guess we're gonna have to start going back to stadium seating at the speed line as new hires go thru training..:D

Quote:

Originally Posted by RockyBoy (Post 1802287)

UAE says OPEC will no longer shore up oil price

I think the U.S government should subsidize shale producers so we can get to 10 million bpd by 2020 and watch the Saudi's go back to watching their camels. The last thing we need as a Nation is to see all the corporations that have gotten us to energy independence go bankrupt so we are once again at the mercy of the Saudi's for our oil.

I know it's not free market stuff, but I really don't want to see the Saudi's run our domestic oil producers out of business.

Absolutely. Subsidize it by pulling the 5th fleet and making them pay for their own regional defense in its entirety and cut them off, hard, from the Bank of Boeing and tariff them the equivalent for every Boeing and Airbus plane that touches our airspace, and limit them to the number of flights to the US as US airlines fly to their respective countries.

They're admitting they are engaging in economic warfare against us for the purpose of preventing our own energy independence. If we can't rally around that what can we rally around?

And stop holding their hands and bowing down to them. Sheesh.

Quote:

Originally Posted by badflaps (Post 1802408)

So..... I should stop nailing the solar panels on my Mooney Mite?

I thought those things were powered by...pedals! :D

Can anyone shed some light on our life insurance situation? I know Delta provides some at no cost, but I can't find where that is - spoke to CPSC, who transferred me to HR, who hasn't returned my call.
Any help much appreciated!

J