Carl Spackler

Joe Merchant said that he doesn't want to raise the bar by seeking pay and work rule increases because he feels that would just make him uncompetitive and "his" flying would be outsourced to a lower bidder. When he said he didn't want to raise the bar at his airline, it had nothing to do with getting bigger airplanes.

I say he wants to win the lottery because he wants a merged seniority list where he won't be at the bottom. Supposedly, he never applied at any of the majors because he wanted to stay senior at ASA. Now he sees no hope of raising the bar for himself outside of a merged seniority list where he would not be at the bottom. If that happens that would be a lottery winning style windfall IMO.

Really? Were you deadheading in the cockpit or something?

If I'd known you were there, I would have sent you some Tennessee moonshine!

Carl

Carl Spackler

So you're encouraging a merged seniority list without a corporate merger?

Good luck with that desire.

Carl

satchip

God you are so arrogant. What exactly is different about what you do, flying your DC-9 from MEM, and what that 50 seat CA in the gate next to you? What exactly make you better than him?

DAL 88 Driver

But they are not held to Delta standards. They have not been through the evaluation process of a Delta interview (some of them don't even qualify for a Delta interview), and most of them do not have the level of experience of a real Delta pilot. They have not been trained by Delta. Their procedures are not Delta standard. They are not Delta pilots. That is the "reality" and it is an indisputable fact.

Another reality is that most RJ passengers THINK they are being flown by real Delta pilots. The airplanes have been intentionally painted to mislead the casual observer into believing it's a Delta airplane. The gates and all the material say "Delta." Every effort has been made to deceive the customer into believing they are flying on Delta with the hope that they won't notice the fine print on their ticket. It is the very definition of bait and switch.

I wonder how many of the passengers on the Colgan flight in Buffalo thought they were flying on Continental? What about Comair in Lexington? How many times was that reported as a "Delta" flight at first?

Like I've said before, the vast majority of regional pilots are good pilots and will be competitive for jobs as a Delta pilot. But not all are currently qualified, and not all meet Delta's standards for pilot hiring. They need to be vetted via the interview process... just like all the other outstanding pilots we have currently working for us who came from the regionals.

tsquare

I shouldn't comment on the Joe Merchant thing as I really haven't been following it that closely. I guess I tend to cut some of the youngsters a little slack, because many of them are just trying to get where we are. Most of this is well beyond their control anyway.

I was in the upper deck.. Were you in NRT this weekend at all? Maybe we went to the Spiral staircase and didn't even know it. hehehehe

Oh.. and the Jack Daniels on board was just fine, but thanks for the thought.

Carl Spackler

That does not make them Delta pilots. No matter how badly you want to spin this dream of yours. You aren't a Delta pilot until you are on the Delta seniority list and are receiving a Delta paycheck.

Since we now know that you "unity" guys really mean merging pilots onto our seniority list without there being a corporate merger, how on Earth would that do anything to stop outsourcing? It's all about the next group of low ballers...THAT'S the issue - not another merged seniority list.

Carl

DAL 88 Driver

Very little is different. That's the whole point! Safety is paramount. You need high quality pilots flying hundreds of passengers around in a metal tube at 75% of the speed of sound in all kinds of weather. It's shocking that you don't have a better appreciation for this. Are you sure you're an airline pilot?

What typically differentiates major airline pilots from regional airline pilots is experience and aptitudes. As I've said before, major airline pilots generally have more experience and have demonstrated over time that they have the aptitudes necessary to do the job at the highest levels of competence and professionalism necessary to maximize safety, give the customer a smooth ride, and operate efficiently. Many regional pilots have these same attributes and just need to build the experience necessary to qualify for the majors. Many are ready now. However, some regional pilots do not have these attributes or experience and therefore should not be flying our passengers. If you think that's "arrogant"... well sorry, but you are incredibly naive. And if you think I'm an arrogant person... well you are completely off base with that.

tsquare

That right there is the problem... you are a slowing me down. Move over or speed up please.

DAL 88 Driver

LOL

Okay, it's 76% the speed of sound. Mach .76 is the standard cruise speed Delta has specified for the DC-9. My experience has been that this is the most efficient speed. We can do .80 if needed, but the DC-9 starts really sucking the fuel down at that speed. In any case, I have no problem speeding up to accommodate you commuters on the last leg home!

tsquare

That made me cry... really.