Pilot Profession

[nostradamus]

I have been strolling around in my pilot uniform around airports for 20 years. The pilot that passes me in the concourse does not look at my face, (I do not blame them for that, it is not pleasant) character, soul or professionalism, he or she looks at my emblem, then judges. In aviation lingo, I am only as good as my last landing, or around peers these days, my last contract, company balance sheet or last airline incident. I am old and starting to fade, but it would sure be nice if we learned from our mistakes and try to leave this profession at least as good as we came upon it. This is not an easy task, sacrifice is necessary, not as an individual but as a group. The old saying, united we stand, divided we fall, well , why the hell did we not heed it. Complaining that one group should not have accepted something and turning around when the gun is at your head and doing the same thing is not going to work.

How about a dialogue as a cohesive group, that would it least cause a slight amount of indigestion to all airline management, that would, without greed, set a line in the sand for our hard earned ratings and ultimate responsibility. I would love to fly to Florida in the future with my O2 tank and wheel chair waiting at the end, and look at the pilots as I leave, and quietly, to myself, know that I did not sit there and #### and point fingers, in my career but tried to make it better.

Please try to judge my thoughts by their merits and not by spelling or grammar. There is another lore in aviation that I find applies to me, at first I wanted to be a pilot, now I r one. Lets take the first step. I would appreciate thoughts that look forward, not behind.

 

[nycbusdriver]

The charm, fun and glamour (yes, there WAS glamour) is gone. A victim of capitalism run rampant. A victim of greed.

I know you asked that we look forward, rather than backward. Looking forward is only worse. I am happy that I no longer view WHO I am as equivalent to WHAT I do for work.

Our best attempt at turning the tide is a shambles of politics and divisiveness: ALPA. We'll find NO answers there.

Every bright-faced, freshly-scrubbed young pilot who enters my cockpit looking for a jumpseat ride gets treated to my pleading that he or she continue with an educational goal outside of aviation. If I can save a few from this industry, I am quite satisfied.

I apologize to all of those young people who took my advice 15+ years ago to give the piloting profession a shot. Forgive me.

 

[Furloughedagain]

What is truly remarkable is that the pilot-factories can still SELL this product!!!

What are they TELLING these kids??? Where's the pot of gold at the end of the $20/hour rainbow?

 

[nostradamus]

Ok, thanks for the help so far. Hey I have a good idea, how about some ideas.

 

[MrAeroMan]

Here's an idea. Start an airline with a group of managers and groups of employees that trust each other to not throw the others under the bus when the inevitable down times appear. It'd be a novel idea but one the current union leaders and management would be hard to accept.

 

[Furloughedagain]

Ok, here's an idea. Lets address the supply/demand problem first.

Lets have ALPA petition the FAA for an NPRM which would require that FAR Part 121 aircrew meet at LEAST the requirements for part 135.

Better yet, lets require 2000 hrs TT, 500 hrs ME, 1000 hrs PIC (500 of which may be as a CFI)

This would prevent the pilot factories from promising "guaranteed interviews" and "lesson one to airline pilot in six months" etc.

I believe this would have a net effect of reducing the total number of pilot applicants at the regionals. Demand would increase and, in order to attract candidates, compensation and benefits would have to increase accordingly.

ALPA has learned the hard way that protecting the top-end is not working. Why not try working on the bottom end.

Build a strong foundation, and the entire structure will ultimately share in that stregnth.

 

[Capt Morgan]

Thank you Nostradamas,

We are in a dire time. Looking back can only remind us of what is lost. Looking at the present we can only see what is being lost. We must, as a whole, look forward. To that end, how can we choke off the supply of legally qualified workers both domestic and abroad? That is the focus point anyone should have when they want to start a "who is bringing down the industry" argument. Alpa, IBT, AFA, APA, and every other union should direct their efforts and that of their members toward that end, not the current infighting that is everyday business right now. Like it or not, the guy flying a 1900, E145, E170 is just the same as you. He got there the same way, and he only wants the same thing you want. We are all here now, no one wants to leave. We should all work to choke off the supply. Most important, don't forget that today's regional workers are tomorrows barely able to speak english outsourced replacement workers. I hope that now is the time to take real action against the new and upcomming problem rather than sit and B!tch about the problems of today.

I don't mean it is time to abandon the MAA fight, I am only saying that as pilots we should put the same effort in to making life hell for those who run schools like Comair Academy, Purdue , Embery-Riddle, Gulf Streame, ect.... They should have been hit with the same fuel costs right? Where is the balance. Tighter regs and and more oversight. Does ALPA even look at these schools and the programs they offer? Do they provide any guidence to the FAA about these programs or about the quality and standards they offer? What about higher limits on 121 pilots? How about ATP mins just to sit in the right seat? Let's do something now to stop this 5 years down the road instead of fighting with eachother over the unchangable situation now.

 

[Capt Morgan]

Furloughedagain,

Sorry for repeating you. I was very slow to type my response. I must point out again the threat from non-citizen workers. That is the next RJ-Regional issue and if we miss that ball it is over for all of us. I am curtain that management is sitting around hoping we do nothing so that they can use cheap forgien labor to make the next big cost reduction in the airline industry.

 

[fatherabraham]

Nostradamus,

Solution: the nearly impossible task of reinsituting a union with morale values that unions had 30 years ago in our country concerning representation for all of seniority, not just the " I've got mine, screw you " mentality of late ( hopefully sans the corruption examples).

Remember 15 years ago when a pilot would strive over significant hurdles and sacrifice to attain wings at a major airline? When you would know much of a controllers career and education but strive for more? Consider paste below:

"In Aviation International News September 2005


(About air traffic controllers) “...average salaries well in excess of $100,000 per year... New York Tracon, where last year the average annual salary was $160,536 and where 25 per cent of controllers will earn more that $200,000 this year. ... actual controller time on the job - three hours, 40 minutes per day.â€￾ You gotta love it, 200 grand and a 3+40 MAX DAY."


Surprised afer 2+ hours the JEALOUS pilot bashers have not shot you to pieces yet.

FA

 

[Mtnman928]

The charm, fun and glamour (yes, there WAS glamour) is gone. A victim of capitalism run rampant. A victim of greed.

I know you asked that we look forward, rather than backward. Looking forward is only worse. I am happy that I no longer view WHO I am as equivalent to WHAT I do for work.

Our best attempt at turning the tide is a shambles of politics and divisiveness: ALPA. We'll find NO answers there.

Every bright-faced, freshly-scrubbed young pilot who enters my cockpit looking for a jumpseat ride gets treated to my pleading that he or she continue with an educational goal outside of aviation. If I can save a few from this industry, I am quite satisfied.

I apologize to all of those young people who took my advice 15+ years ago to give the piloting profession a shot. Forgive me.

[post="305764"][/post]​

Tell them to become an auto mechanic. I just had my motorized antenna replaced. The part was $43.00, the labor $200.00. They worked on it just over an hour.

Mtnman

 

[Seatacus]

The charm, fun and glamour (yes, there WAS glamour) is gone.

[post="305764"][/post]​

It's not just pilot jobs that this is true........

 

[jbragg476]

pilots are a bunch of pus@@es who have brough this upon themsleves... No sympothy here

 

[jbragg476]

sad when a flight attendant union or an IAM will take a stand over ALPA

 

[foreright]

Simple solution.....Control scope!

 

[Emil.Howes]

ALPA could not make a stand at US Airways
APA could not make a stand at American Airlines
ALPA could not make a stand at United
ALPA could not make a stand at Continental
ALPA could not make a stand at Delta
ALPA could not make a stand at Northwest

If the pilots unions will continue to capitulate, then there is no bottom.
Just be happy that you will be 50 cents above minimum wage and have a job!!!
We Mechanics (whom are left) will be 5 cents below you on our race to the bottom!!!

One of the wisest comments I received from a pilot was while I was walking the picket line in SFO.

JMHO,
-Emil