I guess I'll repeat myself. What are we supposed to do? I understand that you say what not to do - settle for jobs at places like Virgin and Allegiant. And I understand that you like to follow that up with some emotion based insults.

But while we are not settling, what are we supposed to be doing?

 

I guess the "essential problem" is why anyone would become an airline pilot for $35 an hour in the first place.

You'd make more (much more) tending bar.

And Junior Varsity isn't an insult, its mere fact. There's the Varsity (Majors) and everyone else. And there aren't enough roster spots on the Varsity because people who are willing to work for $35 an hour have made the regional airline business profitable for those operators.

Sorry if that simple truth hurts, but that's your future Son. And if you want to see who's responsible, look in the mirror.

 

Wow you really are full of it aren't you. This "kid" is 46 years old and have been an airline pilot since the ripe age of 23. I have worked for not just one, but two of your so called legacy carriers. Neither is with us anymore. I have over 12,000 hours and flown widebody jets all over the world. My hands have never touched the yoke of a RJ. So before you spout off again, try some civility and get the facts. I came to this forum looking for some sanity from all the crap on FI. I guess I'll have to keep looking.

 

Dad, if you'll remember back when I finished flight school . . .

I applied to Alaska. For some unknown reason they didn't want to hire me with 250 hours. They wanted me to have 1000 hours of PIC turbine time. Just how am I supposed to get that?

Perhaps it was your beloved company that put the system in place (and companies like it). If you don't want regionals, tell that genius hiring board to drop the 1000 PICT requirement. See how that goes over. I'll bet the powers that be are just fine with it.

Maybe you should look in the mirror?

 

Obviously, those posts were aimed at you. However, someone with your "experience" should know better than most the effect that working for a Virgin or Allegiant has on the industry as a whole.

Ever wonder why United and USAir have such terrible narrowbody rates? Its because the bankruptcy court judge IMPOSED jetBlue rates that were in effect at the time.

Managers know what Virgin pilots work for and are unceasing in their efforts to drive Legacy wages down to that level.

Shame on you. If you are who you say you are, you should know better.

 

Let's see...night freight and air ambulance are a few things that leap to mind. The good news...when the new rules are in effect, RJ operators are going to require an ATP and 1500 hours.

That'll help dry up the "talent" pool fast.

 

Blaming pilots doesn't help regain what you have lost. Every pilot that has walked in the door at Virgin America has done so, not thinking that $110/hr is great, but that $150/hr to $200/hr would be great. They are counting on the company realizing the growth that is planned and reaping improvements in pay and QOL.

 

Since you have never answered an intelligent question posed to you (see other posts you have ignored), are you adhering to ALPA's "no buy" list 100%? Are you driving only USA made vehicles? Are you ensuring every piece of clothing you put on has the Made in the USA label attached? Are you computing on a MAC or maybe a Dell? Hope it's not a Toshiba, or Sony. Check those shoes....Where's that TV from? Buying Nike or the like shoes from sweat shops in Asia? And I hope you believe that all startups, Apple, Nike, Casio should have been put out in the cold because legacies like IBM, Converse, Timex would have been hurt. And didn't FedEx do damage to those good union employees at USPS with its new inovation of delivering packages overnight with jet aircraft? I am in no way antiunion, just anti Koolaide drinkers such as yourself that can't see beyond their selfish paycheck, that somebody might just might come up with an innovative different idea, and needs the flexability to make it work.

Since you ignored questions about Eastern's downfall, Jack Bavis, Crawlbacks, ALPA allowing the CAL pilots back into the fold, FedEx's in and out of ALPA, UPS undercutting FedEX in the beginning, the fact that Alaska pay a substandard wage to it's first year pilots, that your payrates are not at the top.....I guess I can go on and on. Like I said before, you are doing as much damage for "your" cause with your hatred, vitriol and vile comments than all the ALPA good will or whatever. Having been on National committees, MEC rep, local committees in the mid 80s, I saw first hand what happened to the industry, as you may have also. It was not pretty watching pilots from PanAm, Braniff, Eastern, AirAtlanta, Ozark etc. put their faith and hope into the union that in the end was powerless to do anything to save their careers. Good for you for landing at a semiquality airline.

Because of pilots like you, is why many are steering clear of the union label. Oh and how did that union thing work out for retirees at Delta when the union took a $600 million payoff to terminate the pension of thousands of retired Delta pilots that built not just the airline but the industry. How did that union thing work out for the United and USAir retirees? Did you promote and picket ALPA HQ when they were signing off on B scale contracts?

And you and Lame bourne are dumping on guys that have been BURNED by ALPA and for not drinking that Koolaide. Working at a place where unions are banned and outlawed, I would have to say, I miss the protection of the union, but other than that, I am no better or worse here than at that Legacy that had the sweet union that turned it's back on its retirees. Will cost me way more for the rest of my life than I could have ever imagined. Any of these questions you and Lame bourne want to honestly answer, without the cute quips and quotes, I'll be happy to entertain.

 

OK, well those are good ideas. However, it's probably safe to say that they are not hurting for pilots either. So, while your fatherly advice could have steered me personally to one of those routes, that would not change the number of pilots who would have no other choice than to join a regional to get their 1000 PICT.

To follow this solution a little further:

You would have no regionals and no mid majors (no JV). That's a lot of pilots. Are the varsity squads going to expand that much? Probably not. So that's even fewer air ambulance jobs to go around.

Regardless, these airlines exist. Now that we've dealt with your red herring, back to my original question: if VX is an upgrade, and the legacy won't take you for whatever reason (not hiring, too low time, just didn't pass interview, no inside rec), then what are you supposed to do?

 

Yep, pretty much what I expected from you. Everything is not always black and white. You just won't believe there are shades of grey. Oh well, I'm glad I don't have to work with someone as angry as you seem to be.