Sorry, I misread one or two of your previous posts. Disregard.

But DontEnvoyMe, if you or anyone else with insight would like to share, I'm all ears and would be genuinely interested.

 

I've asked a lot of really senior guys this and you get varying answers depending on their phase of life. Some were going through nasty divorces right about the time majors were calling. Some had interviews at majors that didn't go well. Some also refused to interview at LCCs. One captain told me "Southwest wanted me to write them an essay about why I wanted to work there. Fxxx that. They should want to hire me for me." It's a pretty mixed bag.

 

Why do you assume you have to be near the top of the seniority list for that? A friend of mine is in the middle of 67 days off at UPS with some creative bidding and a week of vacation.

Others have had blocks of 45 days off before.

Bottom 15% overall, about 50% on the fleet.

 

Genuine question, I am happy to answer;
Simply put, I tried. It seems things are very different now. Civilian pilots seem to get hired much easier than back then in the 1990's. It did happen, but it didn't happen as it does today.

I didn't/don't have any violations, have a 4 year degree. And I interviewed at them all, including AA(at my AA interview there was only one other civilian out of 20 people, an unemployed Pan Am pilot)UA, NW, etc. Remember, the Cold War was over in the '90s and the military was drastically downsizing, dumping thousands of military trained pilots on the job market. It sounds politically incorrect to even say it, but unless you were a military pilot, a white male was not in demand with the majors. Also, I developed medical issues that while legal to fly would/may have disqualify me at the "astronaut physical" phase that also seems less common today.

I was bitter for a while. Especially when I watched several female pilots, including former students of mine when I was a flight instructor, get hired into United, and are now captains. But I am over that now. It is what it is, and I would have taken advantage of any advantage I could have.

Today I still like flying airplanes. I don't have to fly a bigger airplane.
But I got into this career thinking I was going to retire at 60. The schedules, check rides, time away from home are starting to wear on me even at my seniority, and whenever this ride is over I won't ever look back.

 

I agree with this statement, and it is true. A fact, even.

So honest question, and I'm not trying to start a debate.

During the last proposal many people, in particular more senior pilots, would dismiss the enhanced flow through as crap. The reason given each time was always the same: "we had a flow through in the 90s and it didn't work out....."

So wouldn't you agree that times were different in the 90s for pilots? Especially a pilot who wasn't ex-military and worked for say...American Eagle? Not to mention the last flow through (Letter 3) had flow back provisions which the currently offered enhanced flow through doesn't.

So in light of these facts, which we both agree on, why would you compare the current enhanced flow in the current environment to the flow and situation from back in the 90s? If the conditions for a civilian trained Regional pilot going to mainline was bad, it got even worse with 9/11.

 

The other thing I recall from the era was the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. I think it was well into 1992 before vision requirements were relaxed at the major airlines. I seem to recall 20/20 uncorrected was a hiring standard at the major airlines. Also, there was always a big debate on which airlines pilots would be disqualified from working at if they had RK surgery done which airline doctors actively looked for during your employment physical. Shortly thereafter laser surgery came out and it was questioned for a brief period but ultimately accepted as an ok procedure with the Airlines but RK no. In summary, prior to about 92, I think some airlines disqualified you if you didn't have 20/20 uncorrected at hiring.

 

That was before my time but are you sure you are remembering correctly? PRK was accepted by the military and to this day I don't believe LASIK is yet. So I would think you might have it backwards.

 

Another advantage put into play in the 90's was the practice of pay for training. Those that chose not to do it - on either principles or lack of finances - got left behind while others (who may have been less qualified) moved ahead. That positioned those white males nicely for available slots at the majors; leaving others to figure out how to get the requisite time elsewhere without spending another $10-15K. Now that I think about it, that's remarkably analogous to the new ATP rule.

Full disclosure - I started at ACA in 2000 shortly after Pay for training had been eliminated. Either way, I could never scratch together the coin as a full time CFI to get there before that (and no one would give me a loan of course - same reason). Instead I spent the late 90's running checks in MU2s. And that experience was more valuable in the long run.

 

Where's the drama? Nothing addressing recent events? No indication things fell apart?

 

My guess is that ALPA thinks there is serious litigation liability with what Cujo and his online personalities have created and the MEC has been advised to keep mum and hope it fades away. That's my wager.