Portable Seniority
01-31-2009, 09:37 AM
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Joined APC: May 2005
Position: Corporate Pilot
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Portable Seniority
Sorry, it is supposed to be Portable Seniority.
On the treadmill this morning I was thinking about the complexities of implementing a national seniority list. On another thread someone pointed out that an arbitrary starting point would be needed to build the list upon like using the date of when you got your ATP.
In order for the new order to be effective all 65,000 part 121 pilots in America would have to join in. Every job, company and base would be eligible to then be bid upon. The entire national deck of pilots would be reshuffled. Captains would be reduced into being FO's. Junior FO's could jump ahead to be captains. Senior pilots at the regionals could jump to senior positions at the majors. Everything and everyone would be upset except for those who are already at the extreme top.
In a national seniority system 48% of your career would be spent as an FO. If the average pilot now can look forward to a 40 year career (age25 to 65) then most likely you would be 45 years old before you would be able to upgrade at a regional or LCC. The first ten years most likely would be at a regional as an FO then the ten years at a major as an FO. Then back to the regional for ten years as a captain before moving on to a major for your last decade of service in the left seat.
It seems like a good idea however in reality I don't think it would really be that good for most. A national seniority list would make it obvious how long and harsh the sacrifices are. Everyone holds to the dream they will be the one to get picked up early by their dream company. The resulting communist style of equal advancement would strip what moral there is left in younger and middle aged pilot groups and then all you have left is the harsh reality that is an airline career. It is better to keep the dream alive.
Skyhigh
On the treadmill this morning I was thinking about the complexities of implementing a national seniority list. On another thread someone pointed out that an arbitrary starting point would be needed to build the list upon like using the date of when you got your ATP.
In order for the new order to be effective all 65,000 part 121 pilots in America would have to join in. Every job, company and base would be eligible to then be bid upon. The entire national deck of pilots would be reshuffled. Captains would be reduced into being FO's. Junior FO's could jump ahead to be captains. Senior pilots at the regionals could jump to senior positions at the majors. Everything and everyone would be upset except for those who are already at the extreme top.
In a national seniority system 48% of your career would be spent as an FO. If the average pilot now can look forward to a 40 year career (age25 to 65) then most likely you would be 45 years old before you would be able to upgrade at a regional or LCC. The first ten years most likely would be at a regional as an FO then the ten years at a major as an FO. Then back to the regional for ten years as a captain before moving on to a major for your last decade of service in the left seat.
It seems like a good idea however in reality I don't think it would really be that good for most. A national seniority list would make it obvious how long and harsh the sacrifices are. Everyone holds to the dream they will be the one to get picked up early by their dream company. The resulting communist style of equal advancement would strip what moral there is left in younger and middle aged pilot groups and then all you have left is the harsh reality that is an airline career. It is better to keep the dream alive.
Skyhigh
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