Yes, there are 3 or 4 going through major maintenance (stripped to the shell) and 3 or 4 going through routine maintenance. You didn't think every single airplane on the cert flies every day, right? 6-7 airplanes undergoing various phases of checks isn't that odd, I don't think.

You dont think were entering a new era? Okay. When else in history has airlines offered between 5 and 10 thousand dollar sign on bonus? When else in history has the number of applicants been so poor?

I am aware that the words "pilot shortage" has been around for a long time. Im also aware that we certainly have enough pilots out there to fill every regional seat and then some. Soooo why are we unable to attract applicants? Especially when there was a time when applicants would have been willing to pay big $$$$ to work at a regional. What changed?

To my eyes we are most certainly transitioning to a new phase (era) in aviation history. The reasons are most certainly debatable. But I certainly believe we are entering a change. How it will all shake out is anybodys guess.

Of course, for the sport of it, I would love to hear an alternate line of thinking that accounts for the facts. After all, isnt that half the fun of an anonymous internet forum? :cool:

Yeah that airline home basing thing won't work ever. But what might is the schedule. Where I work now, not an airline, people have quit to take on other flying opportunities with a pay cut because the schedule was better. Would be nice to see a 7 on 7 off type of deal like net jets. Except you'd begin and end your trip at your domicile. Would make regionals a little more attractive to work for.

7 on 7 off and you support that, well sorry but you are way wrong on this one maverick.

I've heard rumors that delta is looking into a sort of home basing. Not straight up home basing like netjets, Atlas, etc., but where you could live at a limited number of hub and high volume airports vs only the current domiciles. This would for example open up airports like ORD, MCO, LAS, DCA/BWI as available "home - basing" domiciles, in addition to Delta's current domiciles.

This may all be a pipe-dream, and we aren't delta. Though this could be the future of the industry. I could see where having lines built around airports like IAH, LGA, CLE, PIT being possible. Especially with a combination of PBS and a decent pairing generator. (We obviously have neither at this time) It would take airlines like Delta and United being on board with this type of basing structure, and other regionals doing this as well before it would trickle down to Trans States.

You're right, that wouldn't be feasible. I commute...If there's no open seats, no problem. I just call commuter clause pretty much every trip and get positive spaced to work. How's that for home basing? Have you flown on United lately? Have you seen an empty seat? Also we don't get commuter hotels, that's just another carrot dangled in front of us to pass their precious PBS. Forget getting that free standing, it had to be tied to some sh*t that nobody wants except the scheduling committee. But in order for us to make up for the piece of work contract we extended, we have to vote in PBS...an LOA that potentially brings more to the table than the MEC could ever negotiate with the contract.

What on earth are you rambling about? Did you forget your meds today?

He's talking about how we voted in a weak contract extension,

and how the union planned on pinning all the QOL improvements we wanted with the contract extension instead to the PBS loa thus essentially forcing us to vote yes to pbs in order to get the other qol stuff we should have like min day and commuter hotels or just not get anything at all.

And you'd still be negotiating today on that contract

I understand that. The union's strategy was that the company wanted pbs bad and so would be willing to agree to more on the pbs loa than they would have on the contract extension.

However, understand that instead we got cheaper healthcare and the fo's got a slightly higher pay scale but otherwise we are still negotiating on everything anyway. Or rather, we aren't because the company is "not interested in going back to the table at this time"

so i'm failing to see how this is much different than if we were still negotiating on the extension. Hasn't had any effect on my life at all.