There is no requirement for us to "keep up with demand." If airline management teams want to increase their route structure, route foot-pritnt, or frequency to destinations that is a marketing and business decision. Airline pilots and pilots unions MUST remain focused on safety, quality, and standards. We MUST NOT fall prey to listening to the talking heads in management.

The supply chain (time line) of producing pilots is well published. Airline managements that wish to expand beyond the limitations of the supply chain would be acting in a reckless and capricious manner if they chose to do so.

DEMAND is not our problem. Management teams and former CEO's that have lots of stock options will continue to remind us of "demand" and the "needs of the traveling public to travel more", and their fundamental right to "affordable air travel," and their "fundamental rights to more seats and less crowded airplanes."

Anytime you hear a CEO, or former CEO, or airline executive or airline lobbyist talking about the limited supply of pilots and the increased demand for air travel ask yourself this question? Is not the aviation profession cyclical? Is it always an upward trend in hiring, or are there periods of time whereby the business models demand for pulling out of destinations, reducing block hours? have their been period of time when airlines hired great numbers of pilots only to furlough?

This profession is and has been unstable. Pan Am, Eastern, TWA all fantastic places to work, all crown jewels of the airline business in this country are gone. Regulation, de-regulation, and regulation have run their course, as well as the long lasting and ever present reminders of what Carl Ichan and Frank Lorenzo did to our profession. We need to be mindful and watchful that those types don't come back.

If our beloved "Gordo" is speaking of "supply and demand" he is doing so to represent stock-holders and his primary goal is to lower the price of pilot labor. YOU MUST UNDERSTAND Gordo is a lobbyist in this regard and who he represents? Any cost savings from management to lower the price of a pilot WILL NOT be passed on to either the labor force or the traveling public. They will be passed on to management in the way of bonuses, deferred compensation, and stock options.

The two primary BIG costs for airlines are pilot labor and fuel. Both will likely go up. Management needs to deal with that. "Joe Six Pack" may want to go from Chicago to Orlando and back for 99 bucks, but hey, "Joe Six Pack" may need to go out and work some over time and be ready to pony up 189. Our job is NOT to subsidize the industry, or the profession, and we do that by NOT buying into supply and demand talk. Where was Gordo and his buddies while we were eating Ramen noodles and sleeping on a cold hangar floor in the tool room in the 90's? Screw him. He got his, and now I want mine. I can't believe we were so stupid and gullible to buy this guy a Harley Davidson motorcycle.

 

Your beloved Gordo, don’t lump me in with the (insert adjective here) who worship at his alter.

 

That wasn't my intent.

I take Gordon for what he was. He was a "talker" he had great charisma and the ability to relate to anyone in a room. He remembered people, and faces and names. He could simply translate the boards business model into a way that the employees could buy into.

Here's the deal. Gordon was charged with "attaining and maintaining a labor cost advantage." He not only did that, but found a way to get employees to "like it." He found a way to communicate with the rank and file and appeal to their "inner love of the company" and put the company first, second, and third. You, the employee come in fourth place in Gordon's mind.

He was on the record in an MEC meeting stating "I would have paid you more, you just have to A. Ask for it, and B. make me do it."

Running an airline becomes easier if you can trick your employees into making less than their counter-parts at other airlines (competitors). The same charm he used to remove the panties off of young flight attendants was used on the entire airline. in terms of pilot land, he simply picked our pockets while simultaneously distracting us with things like "working together." He used the scabs very effectively and essentially had a behind the scenes negotiating team both lowering our career expectations and our contractual demands.

Absolutely amazing he was a former US Navy Mechanic. But hey former enlisted guys from the military have a way of relating to the rank and file. Hitler did it. Wasn't he a Corporal? He convinced thousands to kill millions. Gordon simply convinced us to give up millions so the airline could save billions.

 

Better reread your history. It was a deal between Quesada and C.R. Smith who wanted to get rid of the senior prop pilots because they were having too much trouble converting to the 707.

 

... or Smith was concerned that they were unable to fly jet aircraft safely and lobbied Quesada to consider adopting age limits. Your version of the story is the conspiracy (using the word 'deal') theory peddled by those who wanted to get rid of age 60.

 

Then he should have just made them shave. Problem solved.

 

That is a mis-characterization of Bethune and his job. He wasn't hired to "attain and mantain" a labor cost advantage".He was hired to keep the airline operating and out of bankruptcy. We were literally a couple weeks away from paychecks bouncing airplanes being seized.

He was a good talker, but what he did best was to make policies that got people to work and like their jobs. He also hired senior managers who were the same, with maybe one exception. He wasn't Ivy League or a lawyer. Same with his senior ops executives, like Brenneman, Kellner, Moran, etc. All left with the merger and some went to Delta. The one exception I mentioned was Smisek- he was a lawyer.

As for employees willing to work for less..there was no "trickery" involved..it has more to do with job satisfaction than temporary bragging rights about pay rates. Employees didn't love the company...they liked coming to work and the relationship they developed with the customers and other employees. They were the company.

People who love money first, can't understand it, never will. This is why we see so many unhappy employees who are at or near the top paid in the industry.

Bethune left the Navy as a Lieutenant.

For a pretty accurate short synopsis look here;https://www.avgeekery.com/avgeek-spo...ntal-airlines/

 

Europe is FILLED with fake pilots that never did anything, just hacks. Airfrance stall clowns etc.. we are next.

 

Close.

Brenneman is a Harvard MBA.

 

Oh you’re right. I was thinking bout undergrad. It was Kansas or Iowa maybe.

Met him on a flight from SFO to IAH, while he was a consultant, before he was hired. In the F/C galley we chatted enroute and I asked him about school. He didn’t mention Harvard. I was not impressed that first time I met him, to be honest.

He later won me over. Or should I say his policies did. I don’t pay much attention to what executives say.

He’s written a pretty good synopsis of the turn round that is accurate.

http://https://www.emporia.edu/business/community/kbhf/contemporary/greg-brenneman-2012.html