That's all we need.

 

This is not just airline management logic, but the logic of all publicly traded companies. Actual money spent matters less than perception. Stock prices are boosted by perception and emotion, and only occasionally by facts (though never by the whole story). Welcome to America!

 

Actually, an RPG isn't a threat to an airliner in cruise flight.

 

Obviously. what's keeping them from using it on a widebody on a 2 mile final?

 

I think you're thinking more of a TOW or a RedEye type guided missile.

 

Unless they have really, really good aim. And they're on Mt. Everest. We can't discount the possibility.

 

The most fundamental problem in the airline career right now is regional FO pay. There will never be enough spots at the major airlines to accommodate all pilots, and there will always be cycles of stagnation. These, of themselves, are not necessarily problems that need fixing. The problem is that spending a decade as a regional FO, often until you're well into your 30's and possibly 40's, has a decimating effect on your retirement, your career earnings, and the stability of any life that you can create, including planning for a family, because they don't pay enough. So yes, this is a more significant issue than whether a delta captain makes $200/hr versus $180. And yes, I understand that many at the majors are trying to play catchup from the bankruptcies and possibly from being in the regional ghettos themselves. However, this problem needs to be fixed at the source.
If regional FOs were making a reasonable, professional $60k+ from the day that they were hired, as they absolutely should be, then there wouldn't be such enormous pressure to take any captain upgrade anywhere to get to a major airline at all costs-- and feelings of acrimony, jealousy and dog-eat-dog backstabbing would be incredibly reduced.
If ALPA had any sense, if Moak wasn't completely disconnected from reality, and if half our reps weren't "that's business" types who have vague MBA ambitions of their own (since that allows them the psychological benefit of looking down on some of us), then this would be the focus in a huge way.
It's not "paying dues". It's insanity.

 

Many regional FOs are making barely $20k.
Tom Horton's exit bonus is $20 million.

Is Horton's "talent" for declaring bankruptcy worth 1000 years of a regional FOs life and labor? Because that's what it would take to equal them out. 1000 years of flying airplanes from the right seat.

 

Would you be willing to support a flattening of your payscales where your Captains make less but FO's make more? As you already know, your union, made up of mostly your senior pilots, control the payscales. The company doesn't really care how it is divided up (although they care more now that a pilot shortage is on).

Alpa doesn't represent you or your interests. Alpa represents Major Airline Pilots and their interests only. You guys have to absorb this. Don't get me wrong, Alpa is happy to collect your dues, but Alpa is basically saying you as a regional airline pilot benefit once you make it to the majors, not before. The less you get paid at the regional, the more you get paid at the major. Moak is not disconnected, lol. He doesn't care about you at this level. He knows perfectly well what goes on at these regionals, but its not something he truly concerns himself with.

 

I agree and would love to see that mentality become a foundation for our negotiations. Even at the major level, I think "first year pay" should be 1 or 2% below second year pay, which should be 1 or 2% below third year pay. Every legacy job should start at at least 100/hr. Regionals should be 50-60 right seat from day one.

But our biggest obstacle for that isn't management, its ourselves. Even in good times where theres money available and we have the leverage, we always choose to allocate it more towards the top. In due time, this weakens everyone. When things get bad and a seniority list if facing liquidation, they will take any deal to stay alive because no one can afford to start over. This weakens us all in the long run.