Originally Posted by capncrunch (Post 1119097)

Makes me laugh. Texans and southerners are all the same, they are sure they live in the greatest place in the world.

Originally Posted by gloopy (Post 1119147)

You're (your?) correct that a significant correction will happen, but I don't think it will be as simple or painless as erasing a few zeros from some ivory tower ledger. I know you probably didn't mean to oversimplify it to that degree, but there will very much be a felt downside to the necessary corrections. Ironically I think we (all governments around the world) will try to spray more poison all over the problem in the form of more debt and forced malinvestment by decree and maybe even more nation building and global wealth redistribution, crushing regulations and maybe even trade wars, wage and price controls [that ALWAYS fail] and other bananas up the tailpipe of a free and sustainable economy. We're already seeing a lot of this (still living under the crushing weight of the so called "Global Poverty Relief Act" that siphons a whopping almost 1% of our GDP as well as many, many other financial albatrosses we wear trying to save the universe.

Before the necessary course corrections can be made, the debt addicts will do anything they can to take one more hit off the crack pipe and simply forgiving it won't fix it without a corresponding amount of pain. The latest trend is going bat dung crazy into debt by not calling it debt (like backstopping Freddie and Fannie on steroids) like the recent 12 figure FDIC committment on derivatives and we can be sure they will try more things like this in desperation to save the only status quo many even know.

Companies need to be fiscally responsibile, especially airlines. While we are investing wisely in some areas, like helping to build/fund NYC infrastructure at JFK and LGA, the new terminal in ATL, smart fleet refreshment on what I assume is a very good deal on the 100+ 73-900's, HVC enhancements and other things, I really hope we don't dump very much money into an arbitrary SLC mega hub. I like SLC and hope it stays around. But most of the flying we do there is a company choice.

Even if all of the funding for something like this is done by the airport and governments involved, there is still a cost to it and that cost will be passed on to the airlines that fly in and out of SLC. Ironically, this could end up applying more pressure rather than less for DL to move to a different arbitrary hub somewhere else to serve the west some day.

While we may enjoy having little fortress hubs here and there, DL has shown they are more than willing and able to gut them very quickly and turn them into "focus cities" that are mere shells of their former glory, with or without pilot bases remaining and in either case significant downsizing.

I just think SLC and DL would be better served right now by digging in with what we have there and investing only in necessary upkeep and reasonable customer ammenities. And like others have said, the ATC training thing could have a few knots worked out as well. But right now is a bad time to be dumping big money into SLC, wherever that money "comes from".

Originally Posted by Elvis90 (Post 1119176)

Yep, there are two kinds of people in the world; those who live in Texas and everyone else. It makes me laugh too.

Although as soon as I sell my house here I plan to move to Minneapolis and then my perspective will change!

Originally Posted by forgot to bid (Post 1119157)

Man that blows.

But now that we get 5 raw score points for SC that could at least help prevent the trip on Friday.

But of course we screwed that up and added buckets so as to return to a seniority based trip assignment system to favor those who couldnt understand the simplistic and fair raw score system that favored 3/4ths of the pilot group.

So the good of SC counting for points is completely negated by the seniority based buckets created to favor 1/12th of the reserve pilots and screw the other 11/12ths of the reserve pilots.

So the end result, this will still happen and SC still counts for nothing. :rolleyes:

Originally Posted by iaflyer (Post 1119168)

The captain came over and she repeated her story. He blurted out "why didn't you just shoot the thing?"

Originally Posted by Wasatch Phantom (Post 1119062)

Interesting news about the Salt Lake City airport:

Salt Lake City International Airport to be bulldozed and rebuilt | ksl.com

Originally Posted by Boomer (Post 1119193)

$1.8 BILLION to build an airport that's already there?

It wouldn't be the first time Delta bought something for $1.8 BILLION and five years later decided to just pi$$ it all away.


Delta to purchase Comair for $1.8 billion<BR> Airline wants to feed more travelers into hub terminals | Deseret News

CINCINNATI -- Delta Air Lines said Monday it will buy the Comair commuter airline for about $1.8 billion in order to feed more travelers from small towns into Delta hub terminals.


Atlanta-based Delta hopes to penetrate smaller markets with Comair's well-established routes for regional flights throughout the Midwest and Florida, said Leo Mullin, Delta's president and chief executive officer.
Comair has helped its own growth for years by coordinating flight schedules with Atlanta-based Delta.

Delta's move is designed to make the connections more efficient and use aircraft of both airlines more effectively.

The deal will result in few, if any, job reductions, Delta management said. Comair's senior executives are to be absorbed into Delta's management, and Comair labor agreements remain in place.

Originally Posted by acl65pilot (Post 1119038)

Maybe in your base, but in ATL I get a short call out; less than 2 hrs to departure about once a month, and used on SC over 50% of the time I sit. I suspect they know I can get to a jet fairly quickly.

Originally Posted by Elvis90 (Post 1119176)

Yep, there are two kinds of people in the world; those who live in Texas and everyone else. It makes me laugh too.

Although as soon as I sell my house here I plan to move to Minneapolis and then my perspective will change!

Originally Posted by Boomer (Post 1119186)

Killing cats? How many chances to guess what LCC he flies for? :D