Stop typing words my brain will explode

 

A DC9 is quite a bit different than an ancient twin. There's nothing wrong with a small amount of SJS as long as major career decisions aren't based on it completely. Any pilot that claims they could care less about flying some state of the art hunk of airplane is probably not being completely honest. As a practical person as far as a job goes I just want to be paid what I'm worth and not be a stranger to my family. If that means flying a freaking ultralight for a living then sign me up! But as a pilot and lover of airplanes I have to admit, flying a jet is pretty cool. But I'd leave it tomorrow for the right job.

And everyone rags on regional A or regional B but at the end of the day all regionals have their problems. They all have a limitation on just how good of a contract they can have with the pilot group to their own demise.

Regionals due to their contract carrier nature can't get too expensive to run otherwise they get priced out by another and the race to the bottom continues.

 

Just like you made that deduction all by yourself.

 

I agree but why not try and get on with a regional where you can fly a jet and get paid more?

 

It's not that simple when you start to consider all factors effecting QOL. The biggest one being base structure. Some regionals have better pay and marginally better contracts, but maybe you have to live in Newark...or somewhere else just as miserable and expensive. When you start counting up your expenses both financial and personal cost (i.e. friends, family, kids, where you want to live vs. where you don't, commuting expenses etc.) a few dollars less an hour may very well get balanced out.

RAH isn't for everybody, but regardless of 1st year pay or contract language it might be the right fit for a specific individual. Too many people get wrapped up in the politics of this airline vs. that. But at the end of the day people do what's best for them individually. Lot's of guys say don't go to RAH based on some kind of principle. But at the end of the day, if RAH offered them what they needed...they'd go there as fast as anyone else.

I wish it wasn't that way. I wish there was still a sense of national unity among airline pilots like there was 30 years ago. But that's gone. It was bought and paid for years ago when the unions sold us all under the bus for the sake of their own existence. Apathy and polarization have taken it's toll on America and pilots are far from immune from it.

It comes down to this: make your choice based on facts, not the testimony of disgruntled message board soap boxers.

 

Not to throw a wrench in that outlook but what if you don't get home based with the airline that you get on with?

 

You get the base your seniority can hold. Better pay or a better contract has no effect on that. Any airline you go to you need to accept that it may be months or even years before you can hold the base you want. That's life in the 121 world.

Every person has to decide what their priorities are and in what order. For my nephew, RAH is the right fit for his career right now. If it was me, I'd rather go back to CFI'ing than work at a 121 carrier again. To each their own but it's never a simple choice.

 

You don't get it.. most new people don't get it. I didn't really fully understand the situation either before I started years ago. It's extremely easy to look past everything negative just to get out of that piston engine deathtrap flying over the mountains at night. I get that, we were all there at one point (at least most of us were). But I did know that I wasn't going sell my soul and go to some crappy contract airline just to get into a big jet though.

This is the whole damn problem with the Regionals. They take naive people with SJS that are willing to get into a jet "at any cost", and exploit that to their advantage. Exactly like you are describing.. you don't care that the pay and contract sucks, you are aware of it, but you are willing to overlook all that. I know right now it may seem beter than what you are doing.. but trust me.. 6 months in, the new car smell wears off, and reality sets in. You won't be moving on in a couple years like you thought, upgrades won't come as quick as you thought. Sht happens.. things change.. and you will be WISHING you had a decent contract to rely on for things like: When your flights cancel, and your sitting there wondering why you are at work for 2 days but not getting paid. Contract quality is everything, it controls everything about your life and your paycheck. It is more important than any new hire prospect can ever possibly understand.

Who cares if it's a $2 pay raise from what you are doing now. Taking a job at an Airline which you will spend YEARS at, or even a full career, knowing full well in advance they have a sub-par contract and sub-par wages, just so you can fly a new "170", is detrimental to all of us. It hurts all of us in the long run. Why would they ever fix the problem if people are lined up around the block for those jobs?

Then those sub-par contract airlines take flying away from other airlines with better contracts. Then the better contract, better paying airlines lose flying, lose money, lose CA seats, and are basically just put in a situation were they are forced (in some cases at bankruptcy gunpoint) to either lower their contract/pay to compete with the other bottom feeders or lose their jobs.. and the downward cycle continues..

If naive people weren't flocking to those sub-par jobs in the first place, then the situation would start to reverse itself and improve.

 

I understand what you are saying, but there is a flaw in your reasoning. You are assuming that everyone that takes a job at RAH is suffering from terminal SJS, young or naive. While I'm not gonna argue that may be the case with some, with others that simply isn't true.

Some are experienced 121 pilots that have looked a the totality of their circumstances and made an informed decision, then went to RAH based on what fit their career needs. Also, believe it or not, there are worse regional airlines to work for. Places where RAH is a step up for their long-term career.

There seems to be a lot of anger towards people taking jobs at RAH around here. Let me ask you this? Do you believe that you the RAH union or anyone else will stop people from applying to RAH or any other airline some might categorize as a "bottom feeder?"

Let it go and turn all that frustration towards something productive. The problem isn't new hires, naive kids or SJS. The problem is zero unity, corrupt unions, the RLA and the obsession of corporate execs to increase the size of their profit margins by alienating their employees and refusing to share profit. If you waived a magic wand and made SJS go away forever, you would still have those other problems to deal with.

 

The comment was more directed to the newbies you always see around. Talking about how they don't want to fly a turboprop, gotta get in the biggest new jet with the quickest upgrade (lol, if they only knew how quick that changes), they don't care about the contracts etc.. Their questions are always something like: can I get the 170 or the CRJ7/9, I don't want the turboprop, how long is reserve, what is the upgrade time.. the end. Nothing else matters to them. Pay sucks, contract sucks.. they don't care.

I agree that there are extenuating circumstances that may make some choose that path. Having a domicile in your home town for example would be a big one.. or being furloughed, trying to stay current etc.. other than that.. not much.