No, but you guys had hot chicks in your classes!

Go Ducks!

 

I'd like to hear more explanation of this.
I'd say that a military pilot has done a pretty good job of putting in his/her dues after a minimum of 8 years after wings.

USMCFLYR

 

Johnnyjetprop -

You seem to share the same feelings towards this idea as someone else who recently sent me the following e-mail. This was part of a response sent after forwarding the story/picture of the obese passenger (in another thread). This person is a frequent air traveler but in not connected to the aviation industry in any way. I just thought his comments about Airlines being "public utitlities' were in line what you said. Your thoughts?

USMCFLYR

 

This isn't a bash military pilots response. What I have seen is a bitterness on the part of those military pilots who desire to work at a major and haven't been able because the airlines aren't currently hiring. I sense that some (a minority) feel that they should be working instead of those currently hold the jobs. I see this when you see threads on the senority system and I have seen it in real life too.

There are many pilots who have paid their dues. Military pilots will be the first to be hired when (not if, I'm an optimist) hiring starts again.

 

Then those feelings are driven by the market.
No different from a pilot who feels he has spent his time (dues) in some other type of flying job that usually leads to a major and then isn't able to because of hiring trends or market conditions. By reading threads on APC it doesn't seem to be a military pilot problem - but an experienced pilot problem.

USMCFLYR

 

My take is that you'll never see regulation again. The politicians and the public are hooked on cheap air travel. While deregulation has gutted the pilot profession, it's been great for the public. My company started flying transcons right after deregulation. The fare was $200 round trip. That was in the late 70's.

Airlines are tough to compare to a public utility because generally there is only one power or water company. As long as there are two or more carriers, there will be some form of competition. On that thin basis, deregulation will continue.

As a trade unionist, I think it's time for the unions (ALPA, IBT, APA, SWAPA, etc.) to recognize that we need minimum pay rates by seat and aircraft type. The problem is that the pilots of today are not trade unionists. I doubt that the pilots of most carriers would vote a union in, if they had to vote.

 

I'll show an example. He was Guard though not AD.

I was riding the company shuttle from the training center to the airport. Several interviewees got on the van to catch their flights home. They were talking amongst themselves when this individual turned and asked how I liked flying for brand X. He then noticed my uniform had the accoutrements of the regional carrier vice mainline. He smiled and said maybe one day I would have enough experience to fly for brand X.

I asked about his quals and he said he had 1100 tt and flew the viper. I congratulated him on his achievement and told him I hoped to gain more experience even though I had more PIC and over 4 times his total.

99% are not like this. The one that are give a bad rep for the rest.

 

And I would hope that we are all smart enough to not take the actions of a single and apply to all. I like to work on the majority system. In another thread where people are willing to string up the airline profession because of the actions of a certain crew would be another example where we should known the difference.

USMCFLYR

 

I too have bee laid off more times than I can count. You quit after a rough patch. I got news for ya, aviation is full of rough patches.

Sometimes you have to take a step backwards to able to take 2 steps forward. Its true not only in this career but many others as well.

I went to college and graduated about the same time as you and experienced a lot of the same things career wise. I just can't believe the BS story you like to paint "about how it was until you got your shot" and since it didn't work out the way you planned you said "I quit". Plain and simple, stop making excuses.

 

Can you really say that aviation has "worked out" for you either?

You posted that "I too have bee laid off more times than I can count" and "aviation is full of rough patches". Perhaps it is time to "step back" and take stock of what has been expended for what has been gained?

At what point does the blind continuance of this career becomes self destructive behavior?

I did not quit. I was laid off and was not prepared to sacrifice more of my families security and happiness for the jobs that were available at the time. By 36 years of age and a lifelong devotion to aviation I should have had better value to the industry. By then I had already expended the best years of my life and too many resources. An aviation career is becoming a series of rough patches woven together to become a poorly preforming career.

It is really worth it to endure all the hardships and loss to merely be able to claim that at 45 you were able to fly a big plane? What about financial security and quality of life? Had I been able to get hired again by one of the companies that I tried for I would be laid off again by now. When does it end? For some never.

I wanted something better for myself.

Skyhigh