Since you decided to use the baseball theme I think that you and a majority of your "big league" pilots should not be admired or looked up to but sent back down to AAA for what you have allowed the industry to become. Yes I said you. On your watch this profession has spiraled out of control and down the toilet and what have you in the big show done. Your pilot groups have lost over 40 percent of their pay, quality of life is nothing like it used to be, benefits drop, and what have you all done but blame others. The delta pilot group had a chance to make a difference when it threatened to strike but backed down and "at least we have our jobs" but at half the pay....good job. I guess the regionals are to blame for that one. You bash Comair but at least they had the stones to try and get something better for themselves. Make their profession better...what have you all done. You blame the regionals but you should blame yourselves. The RJ could have been a mainline jet but the pilot groups refuesed to fly that equiptment at the mainline level and as a result the regionals bit. The guys in the big show blame the regional pilots for undercutting them...the pilots are doing their jobs just like you and it may be for half the price but like I said before in the early 90's the majors had a chance to prevent that from happening and didn't and the rest is history. It is easy for you all to blame the regional pilots but how many of you in the beginning of your careers would have passed up that job and instead done the 135 thing for the experience or instructed a few extra years to make yourself a better pilot. While no doubt they do just that who really would have put a hold on their careers and waited a few more years just for the principle of it. That's right I forgot you all instructed for 30 years, walked twenty miles to the airport, did freight in a biplane and at night and then decided to hold off on starting your airline career just because it helped the industry...I don't think so. I think if you all were starting out your careers now the majority of you would be in the seat of a regional jet not flying 135 for the experience. All the regional pilots should apologize for not paying their dues like they did in the big show. If peoples timing is right then good for them for making the jump. Regardless of that it cracks me up to hear you major pilot groups on your high horse when in reality you all have done nothing positive for this profession in years. Blame the regional pilots all you want but if you want respect do something to earn it. You fly big planes...that is great they work basically the same as mine just on a larger scale..do something truly impressive and be the leaders in our industry that you all like to think you are. Leave the airline profession on your level better than when started it and quit blaming managment, other pilots, world events. They all play a role that is true but bashing regional pilots for your problems in a better life is frankly a bit of a joke. You say you aren't my brother nor are your big show buddies I say thank you. I don't want to be associated with a pilot group that has watched their jobs erode and do nothing but blame others. If you want to consider yourself mr big show then saddle up and act like you all belong their or retire and give way to people that will do something to try and improve their profession.

 

Since you decided to use the baseball theme I think that you and a majority of your "big league" pilots should not be admired or looked up to but sent back down to AAA for what you have allowed the industry to become. Yes I said you. On your watch this profession has spiraled out of control and down the toilet and what have you in the big show done. Your pilot groups have lost over 40 percent of their pay, quality of life is nothing like it used to be, benefits drop, and what have you all done but blame others. The delta pilot group had a chance to make a difference when it threatened to strike but backed down and "at least we have our jobs" but at half the pay....good job. I guess the regionals are to blame for that one. You bash Comair but at least they had the stones to try and get something better for themselves. Make their profession better...what have you all done. You blame the regionals but you should blame yourselves. The RJ could have been a mainline jet but the pilot groups refuesed to fly that equiptment at the mainline level and as a result the regionals bit. The guys in the big show blame the regional pilots for undercutting them...the pilots are doing their jobs just like you and it may be for half the price but like I said before in the early 90's the majors had a chance to prevent that from happening and didn't and the rest is history. It is easy for you all to blame the regional pilots but how many of you in the beginning of your careers would have passed up that job and instead done the 135 thing for the experience or instructed a few extra years to make yourself a better pilot. While no doubt they do just that who really would have put a hold on their careers and waited a few more years just for the principle of it. That's right I forgot you all instructed for 30 years, walked twenty miles to the airport, did freight in a biplane and at night and then decided to hold off on starting your airline career just because it helped the industry...I don't think so. I think if you all were starting out your careers now the majority of you would be in the seat of a regional jet not flying 135 for the experience. All the regional pilots should apologize for not paying their dues like they did in the big show. If peoples timing is right then good for them for making the jump. Regardless of that it cracks me up to hear you major pilot groups on your high horse when in reality you all have done nothing positive for this profession in years. Blame the regional pilots all you want but if you want respect do something to earn it. You fly big planes...that is great they work basically the same as mine just on a larger scale..do something truly impressive and be the leaders in our industry that you all like to think you are. Leave the airline profession on your level better than when started it and quit blaming managment, other pilots, world events. They all play a role that is true but bashing regional pilots for your problems in a better life is frankly a bit of a joke. You say you aren't my brother nor are your big show buddies I say thank you. I don't want to be associated with a pilot group that has watched their jobs erode and do nothing but blame others. If you want to consider yourself mr big show then saddle up and act like you all belong their or retire and give way to people that will do something to try and improve their profession.

 

Really... a former regional pilot talking like this? Wow talk about remembering where you came from.

So.... what if that was their plan B and it was still full... So many things can happen I have seen it for 50 seats open to negative in less then 3hrs before the flight. Sh1t happens... we all know that.

This I have to say is true and we do appreciate that. But here is a kicker for you... I myself have given up a jumpseat at Airtran so a DL guy can take it because his duty in was coming up and I didn't have to be there till the late afternoon. I have given up my jumpseat so another pilot can get home to see his kid for his birthday. Granted I don't always give up my jumpseat but I do try to help other pilots when I can. We REGIONAL underlings also do try to return the favor to others.

You lived the regional life and you know what it's like... why are you now turning around and pointing the finger back at us... you WERE US. Many of us also are doing what you did and will move on when time permits. I'm not here to attack you but your statement is messed up or your point is misunderstood.

I personally do not think it is the fault of any single pilot group that ended in what is going on today. It was just a bunch of bad situations rolled together making a once glamours job a lot less glamours. Mainline guys took the pay cut to save the company and the industry. Regional contracting was cheaper and pensions became a thing of the past. One of the few unfortunate things is that CEOs of mainline carriers like AA took advantage of the pilots willingness to help and wrote themselves so nice fat bonuses right after the vote. I just think we all are getting played and we end up turning on each other. As long as regional flying is cheaper I think anything under 100 seats should be ok to outsource. You cant' tell me that you mainline guys want to do 6-7 legs a day. If you don't agree that's fine... I'd not mind mainline taking back the RJs because that means they will be understaffed and just staple me on the bottom of the list. I will work my way up and not have to start all over again when I do go to mainline. I do understand from a mainline guys mentality that when he/she is furloughed it sucks to see regional guys flying under their flag. But then and only then are you guys willing to fly the 6-7 legs. This is a cycle that will never end and FYI... many regionals have a clause in there to hire mainline guys ASAP when they get furloughed and not make them resign their number. And you can admit it or not... but your 121 skills came from the regional airline you once worked for.

 

It is so unfair to you Comair crews, isn't' it? Or is it?

Mesa pilot.

 

Guys,

I personally know Selcall and know his history. The point he is getting accross is the massive expansion of the regionals and continued creep into large and larger airplanes is killing many people's chances of getting to a major and is a huge detriment to the volume of mainline jobs as well as their ability to draw the larger paychecks that everyone dreams of.

His career was put on pause at the regional level a good while simply due to this fact. Selcall has paid his dues over and over again, and he was one of the top notch captains I flew with when we were at a regional.

The fact is, he's got the big picture that many of you need to have- the fact that huge regionals and them getting bigger and bigger planes is killing this career from the bottom up. Sure, you'll get into your jet quicker just by sheer volume of jobs available, but shouldn't that 89,000 pound airplane's right seat pay closer to 100 bucks an hour then 25?

I see the comair guys complaining about everything, talking about the cockiness of the delta pilots while they are as bad and many times worse than those which they accuse. This is coming from an outsider to the delta system until I got hired there. I've followed comair through the years in my journey trying to get to a major...and there are some great guys there and the unfortunate others who bought the "comair is the best of the best and delta sucks" ideal. I see similar at asa.

The fact is we should all be pushing for smaller and smaller planes at the regionals and for reverse scope creep instead of vice versa. I pushed for that while i was at the regional level... and doing the same now.

 

I completely understand. What does ALPA think that we regional guys can do? We need some guidance. I've already said earlier that I would be willing to have my job axed if it meant the aircraft I was flying would be mainline only. I think that regionals shouldn't exist at all - have all airplanes with "Delta xyz" or "United abc" or "US Airways mno" all under mainline with a mainline pay rate.

I'm no union leader, all I do is get the blastmails.... how do we get our unions to be steadfast in this demand?

 

Selcall, I’m not attacking you personally, but just wanted to comment about your opinions of Comair and the regional airlines. First of all your comments are very hypocrite, you worked for a regional like the rest of us, yet you think the regional jet is an infestation to this industry. The only difference between you and I, is that you had the opportunity to jump ship to the majors and I do not have that opportunity as of yet.

You could also use some education in diplomacy; you are not getting your point across effectively by bashing Comair/Regional airline pilots. I completely agree with you that a regional airline flying larger jets is not good for the industry. I would love for all the regional flying to go back to the majors so we all have an opportunity to jump ship just like you did.

Stop being angry at the rest of the world and take some action. I would start with anger management and diplomacy classes. Then call your union rep and talk to them about scope and bringing back the flying to the mainline.

 

I can completly agree with the above statement. However, I wish the mainline pilots would have held scope. I feel they left the barndoor open and horses are running wild.

 

Are you referring to how every Delta group got an improved non-rev package except Comair, who for some reason got a reduced package?

Are you saying that is/isn't fair?

You sure aren't referring to Comair pushing 15-year Captains back on reserve, 10-year Captains back to FO, 6-year FOs off to JFK, and 3rd year FOs getting furloughed, because we deserve every bit of that.

 

Actually, this is false, you are not an employee of Delta. Your company, delta mainline is a wholly owned subsidy of Delta, the holding company. The union has the legal right to monopolize all of the flying at its respective company. In other words, if it was your flying, legally ALPA can take back the scope without section 6 negotiations. When mainline gives away scope, they are not giving their owned flying away, they are simply removing the part of their contract that they have with delta holdings to operate those aircraft,; their contractual flying. We, as in the regionals, have an agreement with the holding company to operate the aircraft as do you as well. Your company "mainline" is subcontracted to sell the tickets, pay for fuel, etc. This is why this career is in the garbage can, management is exploiting all aspects of the law to circumnavigate the union.

The question was, should comair have priority over other pilots families at mainline, No. Comair only has contractual rights to their respective company aircraft.