DANG.

I was on the phone.

http://i598.photobucket.com/albums/t...rleader-go.jpg

http://i.cnn.net/si/multimedia/photo...7Kristin9w.jpg

Sorry Check, I couldn't search fast enough. :D

Yea. I was searching too.

We gave it the old college try. :D

It was a good challenge. Well, we hit 20,000 posts at the beginning of December so maybe by May or so we can get an Aubu... a picture in for #40,000.

Uh, TC, you need to step up and redo your post. :D

Eagle has a ton of lifers... I bet half their list has no intention of every leaving. The other half thinks they will wear the banner of:
http://lm2file.com/web_images/apa_logo_small.jpg
Without ever having to interview again.

Oh, give me a break. It's easy to say that when you had the opportunity to fly for the military. I had no other option, but to fly for a regional in order to get an airline job. My regional's growth was due to nothing else but major airlines giving up flying to my airline. Maybe the major airline pilots should have controlled their destiny, huh? 90% (maybe more) of regional pilots I know would much rather have seen the growth at the majors instead of the regionals. There's a finite amount of flying to be had. The question is... Who gets the flying? I was lucky enough to sneak in to a major, but the majority of regional pilots are going to be stuck there for a long time because of the scope that WE caved on. So, don't give me that garbage that the regionals are big because the regional pilots made them that way. It's just not true.

KC-10, I am a former military aviator and feel that comment is completely off mark. From your perspective you were paid to go to college, you were paid to go to flight school and you likely rounded out your last few years with a six figure income prior to leaving. Assuming you put hard work into flight school you may end up with fighters, assuming a slot is open, and further control your destiny with rank progression within the military. For me I finished top of my class but still chose helicopters as I wanted to be in the fight. No Kuwaiti bachelor officer quarters for me, a green tent with the enlisted men that kept my craft in the air; I still wouldn't have it any other way. That being said, I had to do some time at a regional...

Between 1997 to 2008 the only choices a flight instructor had were the regionals and a few part 135 outfits, both of which went through unprecedented growth. If you lucked out with a growing regional, you upgraded quickly and got to partake in LUV's unprecedented growth; everyone else was reeling back, busting pilot unions. The unprecedented growth at the regionals was due to companies like UAL and DAL assigning greater than 50% of their total flying to various contract carriers. Call it bankruptcy contracts or whatever, but the various ALPA legacy groups either lost or gave away (to retain something else) scope and in doing so sent a shockwave in the opposite direction. Whether it is a trust fund kid on a full parental ride through this career, or a guy who had to pump gas at an FBO to work his way through all this, the storm is still the same. I fail to see the fault in the decision making process of some twenty or thirty year old pilot stuck at a regional when every contract but two of the legacies has been signed by Air Lines Pilot Association. In my strong opinion, our managements, facilitated by signatures in our contracts, have done a fantastic job of ensuring that the days of hiring at any of these shrinking legacies is as remote as a new 100-seat narrow body equipment showing up on our list.

You are a former military aviator who has had to do a heck of a lot more than just study or pump fuel at an FBO, for that you will always have my utmost respect as a member of the worlds largest fraternity. I strongly feel that this situation needs to be observed from both angles, looking up and looking down. We are as guilty for allowing over a hundred 76-seat, dual class aircraft at the regionals as the regional FO who actually shows up for work to make $38 an hour. Personally though, if I were a regional FO, 2010 would be my last year in the profession. Heck, 2010 maybe my last year if we get furloughed. Try not to be too much like Carl, that guy has been on the gravy train from the start and has a polar view on everything. Quite honestly, based on Carl's comments he is completely out of touch with what has transpired in this industry over the past 13 years. I wont be one of the guys reading his "Tales from Narita" articles in AOPA.

She's looking for her shiny metal pole I think.... :rolleyes:

Pro cheerleaders.. bleack!

Got bless Alabama and the women of that state!

http://i.cnn.net/si/multimedia/photo...7Kristin9w.jpg

$38/hour? Sheesh, wouldn't that be nice? :(


If there is no hope for progression, it very well may be the last for many, myself included.

And thank you, TOGA. I don't want my seat at Compass. My plane has DAL colors and DAL passengers. I just want to be a DAL pilot, like most of my brethren. Unfortunately, DAL and NWA weren't looking for regional FOs when they were hiring. ;)