LCC's What's a guy to do?
 

LCC's and regionals undercut union labor and devalue the industry as a whole, however the establishment isn't hiring everybody and those who do get in are usually very well connected.

What is an average Joe supposed to do? Waste away at a regional or fly for the enemy? Most anyone here would love to wait it out for a plum job at one of the finer union companies but over time it becomes obvious that the country club has a limited entry. At some point you have to look out for number one. Besides, It wasn't too long ago that SWA and FedEx were considered to be flaky start ups now look at them. Virgin could be on its way to becoming a real challenge for SWA. Airtran, Allegiant, Frontier, Spirit and the rest have survived the storm and now have a real foothold in the industry. Now that things are better they will begin to gain some real ground on the union clad legacies.

I was a nobody at a regional and took a chance on a LCC and lost. My intentions at the time was to use it to rise above the screaming masses of garden variety turbine pilots and get a chance at Alaska Airlines. It almost worked too. I would do it again if a new start up offered a west coast base and quick upgrade, but this time would take aim on making a career out of it. Our world has changed to the point where it seems that even a shaky start up would be a better risk than to sit right at a major to be furloughed a few years later.

Maybe the LCC's are the future?

SkyHigh

[quote=SkyHigh;121622]
I would do it again if a new start up offered a west coast base and quick upgrade, but this time would take aim on making a career out of it. [quote]

are you virgin enough for virgin?...

Where's you get this? You said it. LCCs undercut Union Labor.

BUT...you want to "look out for #1" and go for a "quick upgrade". Can't you see that's the way every scab who has ever crossed a picket line justifies his actions.

So you took a chance on an LCC and lost. Now you want to do it again?

Don't be surprised if every Union pilot in the industry treats you like you've got AIDS if you do something like that.

And don't bother asking for a jumpseat, either. Don't be a pintail.

Well?
 

Well what else am I supposed to do? What else is the majority of regional pilots supposed to do? Are you saying that we are expected to lay our careers down for the privileged major airline guys? I can see that it is the way that every scab thinks. It is about survival.

Most of us don't have a choice if we expect to have a career at all.

SkyHigh

Not sure how long you've been out, Skyhigh, but good luck getting back in when a carrier finally meets your discriminating criteria. Most places like to see some relatively unbroken recency of experience. They're going to wonder why you've been building houses instead of flying. They're going to figure you either washed out or gave up on the industry - neither one will win you any points.

Maybe
 

If I was a 28 year old without a family to support an interviewer might raise an eyebrow about my 4 years away, however most would understand why a grown up with responsibilities would make the choices I have.

Many of my generation have been sidelined or hurt significantly over the last few years. By my guess there is perhaps 2 to 4,000 furloughed or laid off pilots with heavy jet experience who haven't taken low paying regional positions after lay off due to similar reasons as my own. This group will prove to be fertile grounds for start ups' to draw from.


Skyhigh

I really hope you get back in aviation SkyHigh. Although you are very cynical, you seem level headed and well spoken. From the limited experience I've had on this forum, it seems you would handle high pressure situations/an emergency better than most. I think a lot of pilots could learn something from your experiences.

Thanks
 

Thanks man!

I honestly am here trying to sort out the industry just like everyone else. We all love to fly but are not always happy with what flying does to our lives.

SkyHigh

am wondering what makes you think that a well spoken guy could do good in high pressure situations..from my experiance flying with good or crapy spoken Capt's don't really matter...if they don't know their stuff both will choke equally.

Most guys on this forum have knee jerk, impulsive reactions to any comments they don't agree with. They usually get very defensive and don't think through their responses. Emotions get the better of them.

SkyHigh communicates his points better than most (an excellent tool for CRM) and responds logically and calmly to the barrage of attacks usually posted against his. He seems less emotional about situations and just deals with the facts. He interprets the facts differently than I do, but that isn't the issue.

Ultimately his ability to discuss issues, think things through and stay unemotional (if it translated into the airplane) would make him an asset on the flightdeck during a sticky situation.