Whale Captains maintain interphone contact with the Port, Starboard, and Poopdeck Lookouts. These entry-level pilots occupy crow's nests which are accessed via catwalks and ladders. Pay is lousy, but the view is fantastic! :D

If KLEX 26 was 400 feet longer, history would be much different.

If an aircraft taxiied onto Twy Mike in ATL, history would be much different.

Lets not make it a Regional vs Major discussion.

I agree with you but I think it is important to point one thing out (and you surely know most of it, but I'm typing for anyone else to read, too).

Many captains at the top 10% in their seat/base at decent companies like ASA, XJT, Eagle, Horizon, etc. work far less than any mainline pilot that is not flying ultra-long haul.

Any XJT captain with maxed out vacation (there are a bunch) essentially works 8 months a year before sick calls.

7 days of vacation still means trip dropping with pay on both ends and becomes anywhere from 14 to 21 days off.

The remaining 8 months a year they're senior and get a pretty good schedule, 15-19 days off.

Some guys and girls can watch the line for takeoff at EWR grow and realize their out and back is going to run way late, and they get on their PDA and pick up a 150% pay daytrip the following morning, only to have it dropped a few hours later for domicile rest, with pay of course.

These people are very, very far from being furloughed and they do not have a bad QOL at the moment at all. They can easily clear $100K annually, without putting up with any timezone nonsense that they might not want to have on their schedule just to maximize days off or pay.

I am not by any means advocating anyone be a 'lifer' because it is not smart.

But, for someone that is already 40-45 years old at one of these types of companies, it is not a quick no-brainer to give all that up and go to a company where they will be 90-100% total seniority for half a decade, in which many world events and economy changes will happen.

She's been repainted and back in service for a week now.

Is that ending on CRJ700/900 aircraft? No more plane side pick up? I've ridden on a few lately and they aren't giving pink tags out. :confused:

I see that all I really missed while flying was a great update by Buzz & some great pics. :D The rest is well............K-rap. :rolleyes:

When the fences come down, I'm bidding the whale. :) Let's get that underboob done.

We still have pink tags at Comair. There is some confusion with the Delta/REAS gate agents since we got the "first class" cabins on the 70/90s.

May they RIP. I still remember seeing the pictures of scorched tree tops. They almost made it. :(

That and the Colgan accident also illustrate how ridiculous it is that an offline jumpseater can't ride up front unless all seats are taken.... stupid TSA. There were jumpseaters on both flights.

Had there been another set of eyes up front, I would be willing to bet that neither accident would have happened. I believe the Colgan flight had an online guy..but still.

It was before these accidents, but when I was a CA, I always enthusiastically welcomed jumpseaters and encouraged them to sit wherever they want- most certainly including up front for these very reasons. The conversation dynamic is more enjoyable with 3 guys, and the extra set of eyes can save many lives.