Midwest Captain Writes About BUF Colgan Crash

[DH106]

Furloughed Midwest Capt. Scott B. Kaley, of Hilton Head S.C., wrote this in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinal, today, in the Editorial page (also at http://www.jsonline.com/news/opinion/39999982.html).

Lessons to be learned about flying experience​

An examination of recent events in the aviation industry begs the question "why?" Let's examine the two most recent airline disasters that had entirely different outcomes, US1549 and CO3407. It might be a prudent consideration before the Milwaukee traveling public books its next airline ticket.​

One of the nasty little secrets that the airline companies don't want the traveling public to know is that although the ticket was sold as a Continental Airlines flight, the actual company doing the flying was Colgan Airways of Manassas, Va. Airline companies really hate paying experienced airline pilot salaries and would rather subcontract flying out to the lowest bidder - as opposed to paying their own employees - as a cost-savings measure.​

Of course, the results are quite predictable when the combined flying experience aboard most mainline air carriers is greater than the combined ages of those flying at regional air carriers. US 1549 piloted by Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger that ditched into the Hudson River had a much different outcome than did Continental 3407, where it would appear that pilot error might be to blame.​

Experienced airline crews don't get paid because of the days when it's sunny and everything is going well. We get paid to ensure everyone entrusted to our care during flight goes home alive at the end of the day, regardless of the circumstances.​

As a furloughed airline pilot from Midwest Airlines with nearly 25 years and 15,000 hours of flying experience, I expect history to repeat itself until the traveling public stops falling for the bait-and-switch tactics the airline industry employs in the name of cost savings.​

Capt. Scott B. Kaley​

Hilton Head, S.C.​

Is it just me, or is he saying that only those flying BIG JETS for BIG PAY are safe behind the wheel? I mean he's right about "subcontracting to the lowest bidder," but has he really declared the BUF crash to be pilot error? What does he know about the crash that the NTSB and the rest of us don't?

 

[Capt.LongThrust]

Personally this piece of $hit should have his testicles ripped off and fed to him. While a furlough sucks, blaming a deceased crew for an accident that is far from being investigated, is disgusting at best. Plain and simple the US Air accident involved a lot of luck. The Colgan crew had no luck that night.

This clown and his airline were sold down the river by the "white night" TPG. Plain and simple. I would say take your 15k hours and 25 years and try to wow someone else. I would be careful lashing out like this Captain Kaley because Karma can be a real motherfuker!!

 

[Propsync]

I know I wasn't born with a ton of experience. That doesn't mean I didn't bust my a** to make sure I stayed alive, along with everyone else.

That said, where did this joker come from? Blaming without known facts? Upset your union has no scope and the airline has no future?

What about the experienced Midwest pilot that ran into powerlines? He was VFR into IMC at night in an R44. With 14,351 hours. Guess you needed 15,000 hours to stay alive.

Dishonor to him.

 

[kf4amu]

On one hand thats rather presumptuous, declaring pilot error.

On the other, the only people that work for such low wages are the least experienced pilots, since nobody else will hire them. Many pilots with thousands of hours have left the business since it's gotten so bad. Bringing this situation to the public's eye is a good thing, but stepping on the heads of the fallen is not the way to do it.

 

[pipe]

This guy lacks tact.

He doesn't lack a point.

The only thing worse than the public apathy towards this situation is the pilot apathy toward it. If we wait for management to set the standards, we'll be waiting indefinitely.

PIPE

 

[ron burgundy]

Furloughed Midwest Capt. Scott B. Kaley, of Hilton Head S.C., wrote this in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinal, today, in the Editorial page (also at http://www.jsonline.com/news/opinion/39999982.html).

Lessons to be learned about flying experience​

An examination of recent events in the aviation industry begs the question "why?" Let's examine the two most recent airline disasters that had entirely different outcomes, US1549 and CO3407. It might be a prudent consideration before the Milwaukee traveling public books its next airline ticket.​

One of the nasty little secrets that the airline companies don't want the traveling public to know is that although the ticket was sold as a Continental Airlines flight, the actual company doing the flying was Colgan Airways of Manassas, Va.​

* Not a big secret when the name of the operating airline is located right next to the flight # on the website where most people buy their tickets. Also, labeled somewhere on the exterior of the aircraft. Flight Crews often have different uniforms than "mainline". Public just doesn't care. They only look at dep/arr times and the fare.​

Airline companies really hate paying experienced airline pilot salaries and would rather subcontract flying out to the lowest bidder - as opposed to paying their own employees - as a cost-savings measure.​

* TRUE!!​

Of course, the results are quite predictable when the combined flying experience aboard most mainline air carriers is greater than the combined ages of those flying at regional air carriers. US 1549 piloted by Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger that ditched into the Hudson River had a much different outcome than did Continental 3407, where it would appear that pilot error might be to blame.​

Experienced airline crews don't get paid because of the days when it's sunny and everything is going well. ​

* I should have stayed at the commuter level. I would make more $ 'cause I'd get paid for sunny days.​

We get paid to ensure everyone entrusted to our care during flight goes home alive at the end of the day, regardless of the circumstances.​

* And regardless of our wages.​

* Nobody wants to "ball one up".
We all get paid to do our job to the best of our ability and try not to bend a bunch of metal
​

As a furloughed airline pilot from Midwest Airlines with nearly 25 years and 15,000 hours of flying experience, I expect history to repeat itself until the traveling public stops falling for the bait-and-switch tactics the airline industry employs in the name of cost savings.​

* Yep, as soon as they figure that out, the skies will be much safer..Majors don't have a history of crashing..Just those damn regionals.​

Scott A$$WIPE. Kaley​

Hilton Head, S.C.​

Is

 

[Sig]

Well, gee!

It seems furloughed feller will have a hard time getting out of Hilton Head if I'm the captain!

Great to know who to look for. Enjoy the drive, Scott- if you get recalled and have jumpseat privileges.

** And his name is being distributed rapidly. Happy trails, sc... scumbag!

 

[Mike man]

This guy was born with 12,000 already in his logbook...allowing him to bypass the lousy jobs and walk right into a left seat job with Midwest.

He does have balls (that should be ripped of) for using a real name...
KALEY, SCOTT BXXXX
XXXX XXXXXXX XX
HILTON HEAD, SC, 2XXXX

 

[Stifler's Mom]

Can somebody please tell me at what point we all become "experienced" and "safe" in an airliner? I can't find mention of it anywhere.

Now, if you'll excuse me. I have to fill out my weekly NASA Form for work.

 

[spitfire1500]

Scott Kaley you need to STFU!!!

 

[DASH8AV8R]

I hope he tries to Jump with me and i have to refuse because it say UsAirways/Piedmont on the side of the A/C and i only have 10000 hrs.
I also see his Wife/daughter/mother is a flight instructor also.
If he has a problem with his management selling out to RAH so be it. But it is way to soon to call Pilot error. Have some respect and tact.uke:

 

[SFR]

Personally this piece of $hit should have his testicles ripped off and fed to him. While a furlough sucks, blaming a deceased crew for an accident that is far from being investigated, is disgusting at best. Plain and simple the US Air accident involved a lot of luck. The Colgan crew had no luck that night.

This clown and his airline were sold down the river by the "white night" TPG. Plain and simple. I would say take your 15k hours and 25 years and try to wow someone else. I would be careful lashing out like this Captain Kaley because Karma can be a real motherfuker!!

True, if the USAir would have taken off from Bogota or another like city the outcome would have been different...probably worse....

But either way, they did do a great job....combination of great decision making and a usable river there..

 

[Whine Lover]

"This guy lacks tact.

He doesn't lack a point."


Correct.


YKMKR

 

[kngarthur]

Furloughed Midwest Capt. Scott B. Kaley, of Hilton Head S.C., wrote this in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinal, today, in the Editorial page (also at http://www.jsonline.com/news/opinion/39999982.html).

Lessons to be learned about flying experience​

An examination of recent events in the aviation industry begs the question "why?" Let's examine the two most recent airline disasters that had entirely different outcomes, US1549 and CO3407. It might be a prudent consideration before the Milwaukee traveling public books its next airline ticket.​

One of the nasty little secrets that the airline companies don't want the traveling public to know is that although the ticket was sold as a Continental Airlines flight, the actual company doing the flying was Colgan Airways of Manassas, Va. Airline companies really hate paying experienced airline pilot salaries and would rather subcontract flying out to the lowest bidder - as opposed to paying their own employees - as a cost-savings measure.​

Of course, the results are quite predictable when the combined flying experience aboard most mainline air carriers is greater than the combined ages of those flying at regional air carriers. US 1549 piloted by Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger that ditched into the Hudson River had a much different outcome than did Continental 3407, where it would appear that pilot error might be to blame.​

Experienced airline crews don't get paid because of the days when it's sunny and everything is going well. We get paid to ensure everyone entrusted to our care during flight goes home alive at the end of the day, regardless of the circumstances.​

As a furloughed airline pilot from Midwest Airlines with nearly 25 years and 15,000 hours of flying experience, I expect history to repeat itself until the traveling public stops falling for the bait-and-switch tactics the airline industry employs in the name of cost savings.​

Capt. Scott B. Kaley​

Hilton Head, S.C.​

Is it just me, or is he saying that only those flying BIG JETS for BIG PAY are safe behind the wheel? I mean he's right about "subcontracting to the lowest bidder," but has he really declared the BUF crash to be pilot error? What does he know about the crash that the NTSB and the rest of us don't?

No, what he's saying is that the airlines are so cheap that they hire inexperienced pilots from pilot factories in order to save money. Well the fruits of those actions are beginning to show. And people who do get furloughed can't afford to start over at the bottom at 22k/year and have an ipod wearing, hair gelled, backpack wearing punk captain talking down to him.

 

[Flyprdu]

No, what he's saying is that the airlines are so cheap that they hire inexperienced pilots from pilot factories in order to save money. Well the fruits of those actions are beginning to show. And people who do get furloughed can't afford to start over at the bottom at 22k/year and have an ipod wearing, hair gelled, backpack wearing punk captain talking down to him.

I agree. This was a stab at the corporate culture who farm jobs out to the lowest bidder... not the pilots who were a part of this tragedy.

You guys are so touchy. Spew your umbrage at corporate... not a pilot who has the guts to call them out on it.

 

[jetflier]

GEESH! This is an age old arguement !! There is never a winner. I have seen the military vs the civillian, high time vs the low time. What it all amounts to is being safe,...no matter who you are. A former student pilot, much wiser once told me a phrase that makes lots of sense,...the rule of the 6 p's,....prior planning prevents piss poor performance.

Pete's gone now, but his rule lives on....

 

[MCDU]

Truth of the matter is that the Colgan crew was very low time. The Capt was in his late 40's with a little over 3000 tt and about 150 in type!

The outsourcing that this Midex pilot is seeing has left him a bad taste, and lots of anger. He is observing the decline in this industry over the last 10 years and in doing so making many pilots mad as hell.Including me. The truth hurts.

Most major crashes in the last few years have been screw ups involving PFT pilots who would not be flying airplanes without paying their way to their job.

Flying is alot safer at the majors now. I remember omega, NDB approaches and monochrome radar screens and no EFIS. Flying has gotten alot easier and the majors now require lots of experience before they get hired. Thats why Majors are safer then ever and the regionals are lagging inspite of all the safety improvements like EGPWS and Auto Cal. radars, autopilots etc.


M

 

[JumpersAway]

It's a numbers game, and a simple one at that- the more regional/commuter flights there are, the more exposed they are to having an accident. There have been many, many accidents involving mainline, experienced crews. The Northwest Airlines runway incursion at DTW, the American Airlines accident in Columbia, and the Little Rock MD-88 to name a few. All of those had what we would term highly experienced crews. But for some reason, the regionals/commuters are living under a microscope.

Bottom line, my training is as valid as the next guys. The FAA isn't cutting me any slack and filling out a "Regional Pilot Just Learning To Fly" form when I completed my ATP and Type.

That Q-400, Saab, and Beach 1900 is probably more difficult to fly than that A-320, B767, etc.

I concur with everyone else on this Midwest D-bag.......total lack of tact, class, or brotherhood. Shame on him for his misplaced anger regarding his job outsourcing. I ache for those guys, but this guy can go to H###.

 

[Fubijaakr]

I think its a little early to be declaring this a pilot error accident. While pilot error is possible, other factors may have come into play, factors that even Scott couldn't have handled.

He probably should have waited for the results of the investigation before he published this.

 

[Captzaahlie]

Regardless of his point he is still a p. o. s. as far as I am concerned.... his comment can wait until the investigation is over. That would be the professional way to handle it.