What would you guys think about that? Mabee one 3 or 4 day trip per month. There are lots of older, highly experienced, highly qualified pilots that were sidelined and went with other careers after 9/11/01, that might be interested in doing such a job on a part time basis.

We could keep our regular jobs, you know, the ones that actually pay the bills, and do the part time airline pilot thing once a month or so just for s & g's

Imagine

You might see, for instance, Ralph-driving the garbage truck in your neighborhood on Monday. He's pretty happy doin it, cause he gets paid decently, home every night with his family. If the stink of Ralph's job on the truck gets to be too much, all he's gotta do is stop at the landfill and dump the trash. Then on your trip to Washington at the end of the week, you look up the aisle and lo and behold there's Capt Ralph, flying you there. I think that monthly jaunt would really make Ralph appreciate his garbage truck job more.

Opinions?

 

It would never happen. It costs the airline way to much to train someone to then get do little productivity out of them.

 

Been tried, but he worked for the bus company, not an airline.

 

It already happens. Over the years I have flown with a surprising number of senior (in category) pilots that fly one trip a month or less. My favorite was a 727 former DAL gate agent who got hired as a pilot with National, got absorbed by Pan Am and ended up at DAL again. He bid a schedule and dropped all but one trip. (He was irked when he had to fly more than one.) Another 777 Captain only flew summers and babysat his grandchildren during the rest of the year. And I have sat down in a 777 with a reserve guy who warned me he hadn't been assigned a trip in 8 months.

Senior pilots can often drop or bid a reserve schedule in order to minimize trips. At DAL the heavy categories and contract are particularly suited for being a part time pilot.

Some airlines will require a contract that specifies a minimum amount of block every month but others don't. But be advised, EVERY part-time pilot I have flown with sucked. Minimal flying means minimal skills.

 

I think this sounds like something SkyHigh would think up ....or say.

 

No. Although I have read many of his posts and agree with some of what he says, I came up with this on my own. Reason being, is that we actually had part time lines at the regional I worked at.

I am like sky high in some ways. I flew for many years, now I don't. I own my own business and I'm expanding it. My business has/will afford me things that flying never did. My only regret is that I didn't get into my present business earlier.

 

You have some valid points, however, I used to fly with some people who flew every week, and they sucked too.

I think you'd have to take it on a case by case basis.

Some guys had wives that had real jobs and would pay other guys to pick up their trips.

 

They don't make good shows like those anymore. Liked em.

 

What if we were already typed in the equipment? What would it cost besides recurrent training? No benefits,no seniority? I think it's doable.

 

That right there would make the industry worse off than it is. If the airlines were to do that then they would be saving money and try to make all their pilots part-time, imagine how much they would save with no benefits. Please don't give them any ideas. Some of us are trying make a career out of flying.