I'd agree with that.

I was commuting during the BK era, on ERVERY airline that was in BK at the time.

Now, with the regionals taking it royally in the cornhole, it's helps to foster a cynical/downtrodden/grumpy/p1ssy outlook and mentality.

But you know what? During the BK's, I ran into the EXACT SAME moods/behaviors/attitudes, whatever you want to call it while commuting/JS'ing on legacy airlines. They took pay cuts, they lost pensions, work rules went out the window, the hookers and blow contract 2000/2001 era was gone and now they're p1ssed. They're venting their frustrations on the regional/LCC pilots, treating FA's and gate agents like crap, whatever. You know, acting "juvenile".

Fast forward to now, with things looking the BEST they've looked since September 12th 2001. And pilots at the legacy airline level are "happy", less prone to being jacka$$es, etc.

Sadly, MOST people react the SAME way when under stress/duress. Doesn't matter where they work, what they're flying, how much they're making........

 

For so long it was just way to easy to get a job as a regional FO. Many got hired with 300 hours and no college was required. They got hired right into RJs and were of the entitlement generation. And the rest is history.

 

Agreed, sad reality of human behavior.

And although it's constitutes a smaller pile, there were times (similar to now) where the legacies hired (early-mid 80's) a healthy amount of mid-late 20 somethings. Yep, they took hits and declines in what this career used to offer over the course of their careers. But some of them were pretty "insulated" from many of the pitfalls experienced by pilots in later hiring waves. IE; they may have taken pay/QOL hits, but were able to hold onto their seat, domicile, fleet, NEVER furloughed, etc.

These guys usually have a sense of entitlement as well. Combined with being completely out of touch with reality in many regards. You were around back in the late 90's and through part of the dark decade, I'm sure you ran into AT LEAST a few yourself. You know, they'd say things like "we got guys on furlough?', or "have you applied? When I got hired that's all you had to do, you must be doing something wrong or have skeletons in your closet". Never mind the THOUSANDS of apps in the stack. Or my favorite "if you get hired, you'll probably have start out as a plumber". Never mind that the plane(s) his airline had that required an FE left property YEARS before.

I fear that the small demographic (that WILL turn in to a larger demographic in years to come) of pilots will be EXACTLY THE SAME moving forward. And when the next big downturn hits, they'll behave JUST LIKE their predecessors did come the crap show that could ensue. Entitlement, "it's all about ME", "screw the junior guys", what have you........

Pilots have proven themselves to be dumb time and time again, as well as make the SAME mistakes time and time again due to short memory spans or just overall lack of big picture thinking/experience.

 

Check out the FDX "wolfpack" thread. It's not just regional pilots...

 

Nope, and if we're talking FDX, you could include flying DP's, 4a2b, the high five/ND/gummers, etc. UPS? The pilots that pick up OT contrary to their CBA. When one is done with that, go to a UPS vs. FDX "who's better", or my favorite "who has it worse" contest. As mentioned, go to the UAL/CAL/UCH threads, go to a DAL vs. the world thread, go to a mil thread in a "point jet vs. trash hauler" debate, go to a mil vs. civ urinating contest, go the JB union drive threads, etc etc etc.

You can find ALL facets of pilots that exhibit behavior of the highest levels of douchebaggery. It knows NO bounds nor tiers......

 

1500 is ALOT of time. Most like to glorify their jobs that are relatively easy regardless of position or airline. All we really do is fly from point A to B and try to avoid bad wx. So what's the big deal? What we have now is nothing like it was before.

Flight Training Aircraft WWII
At the beginning of the war, flight training lasted nine months, with three months of primary, three months of basic, and three months of advanced training. Each pilot had 65 flying hours of primary training and 75 hours of both basic and advanced training. During the war, each phase was reduced first to 10 weeks and then to nine weeks. Primary training was accomplished in aircraft such as the PT-17, PT-19, PT-22 and PT-23 while basic training took place in mostly in the BT-9, BT-13, BT-14 and BT-15. Advanced training for fighter pilots took place in the AT-6, and training for multi-engine aircraft occurred in the AT-9 and AT-10 aircraft.

Many of these guys didn't have collage degrees nor took a cognitive, personality, or a knowledge test and still had stellar carriers. They did it without fancy auto pilots with FMS and a bit more happening then just flying between point A and B.

 

Don't lose any sleep over it, regional drivers are saints compared to helicopter pilots.

http://goo.gl/8UO80R

 

Hmmm, you forgot to mention the accident rates in those days!

 

I say what I say because it's cathartic.

Deal with it.

 

1500 is nothing. I had no idea just how little I knew at 1500 hours. Thankfully I had the real world experience operating single pilot IFR flying checks to help me to be slightly less of a liability to the captains I was flying with.