Originally Posted by SkyHigh (Post 167467)

It would be dumb for me to attempt SWA as well. Why I bet it would take three legs to commute back from Baltimore.
SkyHigh

Originally Posted by SkyHigh (Post 167535)

Right, I don't have the PIC. I still wouldn't apply however.

I don't want to commute.

I don't want to move.

I don't want to fly 9 leg days.

I don't want to strive to fit into the SWA culture.

I don't want to spend much time on the east coast.

SWA is a great company but I have never wanted to work for them. They offer few of the requirements that I have to satisfy personal lifestyle needs. Life is hard enough without having to sit in a terminal on my days off trying to get to and from work. SWA has had a fantastic run, however I think things are due to slow down. They have nearly conquered the nation. What else can they do?

Flying is great but it has never been worth it to me to completely uproot everything that I value in life in pursuit of it. I hold the belief that I can do better and have been fulfilling that expectation ever since I was laid off years ago.

What other profession demands as much? 4 years of College, flight school, to be followed by nearly a decade and a half of low wage jobs to reach a place where your odds slim to one in three at best. The reward then is to be a new hire at 40 at some major, get treated like a high school kid at Walmart. Enjoy the low wages and poor schedules yet again. Commute across the country. Miss family events and holidays. And if you are lucky you might miss the big furlough at 45.

Even if I were eligible for SWA I could not accept the difficulties it would present myself and to my family. Maybe in years to come after my kids are grown and gone and when the profession as totally collapsed I could consider something like that.

Skyhigh

Originally Posted by SkyHigh (Post 167386)

You FedEx guys are all alike. I will try to drum up some interest to respond to your tamtrum later.

Next you can tell us all how you are a Vietnam vet.

Skyhigh

Originally Posted by SC-7 (Post 168225)

Not sure what your point was for either of those comments, but they are beneath you.

Not really worthy of a response, other than to say, disappointing.

Originally Posted by ppilot (Post 167576)

Sky...no offense intended. But from what I've gathered from reading your posts:

1) You tried to get started without paying your dues, and were partially successful
2) The rug got pulled out from underneath you, and because you were under-qualified you can't find equivalent work
3) You are now extremely bitter.

For god's sake, if you want to fly for a living, get out there and fly! Pay some dues for a few years. I had plans that got changed as of 9/11 too, I adapted as best as I was able. If you don't want to work for an airline, don't! Believe it or not there are other avenues available to you that will keep you flying, and yes, even let you make a decent living! And...if you don't want to fly for a living, find a different hobby than hanging out in a flying for a living forum!

My $.02. Best of luck to you.

Originally Posted by RedeyeAV8r (Post 167575)

I'm guessing It would probably be more difficult for you to find 3 SWA Pilots willing to sponsor you, with your Black cloud attitude.

A big part of getting a JOB at a major (assuming you have the credentials)
is passing the Personnel Interview. If you don't exhibit a positive mental attitude to your interviewer.............you get that infamous "letter" in the mail Instead of that wonderful "Phone call" a few days after you return home from your interview.

We know, you have recieved several "letters"

SKY We've all heard your story, we've all heard your Forecasts............

A flying career ain't for everybody, especially if you refuse to move and don't want to commute. We all understand that.
Give it a rest and move on.......

Originally Posted by SkyHigh (Post 168242)

I am diapointed. So what? My concerns and experiences are valid. Our nations founding fathers were also disaprointed. I am sure that the Brittish considered them to be "bitter" as well.

I am not underqualified. The system changed the qualifications right out from under me. Before 911 it wasn't as much of a requirement to have turbine PIC as it is now. In the mid-1990's it was almost unheard of. There were few turbine planes to be had back then and it wasn't nessacery to have turbine PIC. My entire generation was passed over. Guys who hired on at a major airline only to be furloughed later without any turbine PIC had no place to go. It was the norm to get hired without turbine PIC.

Now at 36 and with a family in tow I am supposed to go back two steps and seek out a turbine plane someplace? Earn 20K perhaps and waste another year or two to get into the left seat and then another year or two to get the PIC? Only to discover that by then the hot thing is RJ part 121 PIC? I paid plenty of aweful and diffucult dues. I have thousands of hours of life threatening piston part 135 single pilot IFR captain time. I wasted a four year degree on the subject and many more years as a CFI.

I understand the reasonings of HR. They have to narrow down the flood of applicants somehow. My career was unfortunate. Everything I worked for is now worthless. All the years of icing up over the cascades in the middle of the night are meaningless. After all these fathful years I am unable to find a job worthy enough to support my family on. Yes I am disapointed. Why wouldn't I be?


SkyHigh

Originally Posted by Eric Stratton (Post 168297)

I'm curious what your qualifications are seen as you don't have 1000 turbine PIC. did you even upgrade at horizon before you left for national?

who the hell told you that you didn't need turbine PIC to get on with a major. that's all I've ever heard of since the early 90's before I ever got on with a regional. the only people that I saw go to a major without the 1000 turbine PIC were interns.