now they finally pay attention.

[JimmyKool]

"Federal investigators hammered Colgan Air executives about the pay of their pilots — in 24-year-old Shaw's case, she made between $16,000 and $20,000 a year, according to testimony — as well as whether they were discouraged from getting second jobs and felt pressure by the company not to call in sick."

 

[GOULET!]

Don't be fooled...nothing will change.

 

[NJAPLT]

Professional pilots deserve a professional wage. No pilot should have to work at Starbucks in their down time just to pay the bills.

I did the low pay thing for years at Great Lakes so I could climb the ladder, so maybe I'm part of the problem too....

 

[Flyer1015]

LOL! They just got grilled about how one can live in EWR with $16,000/yr, and the answer? Well, we are pretty much just a stepping stone for a major!

 

[Brody1]

If history repeats itself (as it usually does), the NTSB will expose all the factors, make the necessary recommendations, and the FAA will wait until the public has moved onto something more important (i.e. Britanny Spears getting arrested), and make no meaningful changes.

Here are a few things that need to be addressed (in no particular order):

- green on green, especially when there is a new aircraft type on property
- unreasonably punitive attendance policies for crew members
- commuter clauses for EVERY carrier. Most of us can't afford places like New York and L.A. on $16K a year, so we commute from someplace we can afford. Why be penalized for it?
- CASS for every carrier (same reason stated above)
- higher time for upgrade. I've seen too many captains who should still be FO's

I can keep going, but much of the obvious stuff has already been discussed on here ad nauseum. Be careful out there . . .

 

[xjgearbtch]

this won't change a thing, don't hold your breath.

 

[Jet_Dreamer]

Ha ha, the stepping stone thing is dead now. some pilots today will never leave their regional job. the goal to move on at a major may never become reality for most. a sad thought. hopefully things change and i am wrong.

 

[Browntothebone]

Professional pilots deserve a professional wage. No pilot should have to work at Starbucks in their down time just to pay the bills.

I did the low pay thing for years at Great Lakes so I could climb the ladder, so maybe I'm part of the problem too....

When regional pilots start acting like professionals then you can make that argument. These two were hardly "professional" pilots.

 

[Tarzan]

- higher time for upgrade. I've seen too many captains who should still be FO's

I got news for you. Plenty of these guys won't be helped by higher requirements for upgrade. I've flown with a few with over 10,000 hours that did not demonstrate good judgment. That being said, I've flown with CA's that have less time than I do I was extremely impressed with their judgment.

 

[BrickTop]

When regional pilots start acting like professionals then you can make that argument. These two were hardly "professional" pilots.

Not speaking about 3407 yet but this is why I've lost my sanity. For F#&K sake get rid of the G0damn hairgell and ipods. Quit plastering yourselves on overnights, iron that f*&ing garbage bag looking shirt, take off those ridiculous designer shades and read a f&*king manual from time to time! Above all wipe that MTV nurtured Ed Hardy wearing sense of entitlement of your front bumper and grill before I mop the floors of the lavatory with your test tube rejected a$$. I've had it...

 

[Brody1]

I got news for you. Plenty of these guys won't be helped by higher requirements for upgrade. I've flown with a few with over 10,000 hours that did not demonstrate good judgment. That being said, I've flown with CA's that have less time than I do I was extremely impressed with their judgment.

I agree with you. Realistically, however, we know that very little will change. 10K idiot captains will still slip through the cracks- it happens all the time. Would raising the minimums have prevented this accident. Maybe- or maybe not. In my experience, I think 2500 hrs is not enough.

 

[54fighting]

Not speaking about 3407 yet but this is why I've lost my sanity. For F#&K sake get rid of the G0damn hairgell and ipods. Quit plastering yourselves on overnights, iron that f*&ing gargage bag looking shirt, take off those rediculous designer shades and read a f&*king manual from time to time! Above all wipe that MTV nurtured Ed Hardy wearing sense of entitlement of your front bumper and grill before I mop the floors with your test tube rejected a$$. I've had it...

Part of being professional is also looking professional. I totally agree with you.

 

[NJAPLT]

Both of you guys calling regional pilots unprofessional just because they fly at a regional is pretty disgusting. I guess all of the professional pilots must have been born with 5,000 hours of multi-turbine time coming out of their a...

You both sound like a couple of bitter old men whining about kids and their skateboards tearing up the sidewalk.

Funny thing, I fly with people from all backgrounds here at the fractionals, and no one group is any less or more professional than the others.

 

[PeanuckleCRJ]

2500 hours certainly is enough- but that must be accompanied by a top notch training department, which these scumbag companies aren't willing to pay for.

 

[Jet_Dreamer]

When regional pilots start acting like professionals then you can make that argument. These two were hardly "professional" pilots.

i fly for a regional, and yes there are TO many of the pilots above you described. i take my job serious. i act professional. maybe other captains can explain this to their fo's. i do preach professionalism to the fo's i fly with on occasion. maybe the rest of us should do the same. if this approach helps, time will tell.

 

[SEVEN]

Not speaking about 3407 yet but this is why I've lost my sanity. For F#&K sake get rid of the G0damn hairgell and ipods. Quit plastering yourselves on overnights, iron that f*&ing garbage bag looking shirt, take off those ridiculous designer shades and read a f&*king manual from time to time! Above all wipe that MTV nurtured Ed Hardy wearing sense of entitlement of your front bumper and grill before I mop the floors of the lavatory with your test tube rejected a$$. I've had it...

Very well said. Enough is enough. Too many morons walking to the gate wearing a backpack. It makes me want to get sick.uke:
It's sad our passengers have to see this immature display. These kids need a tune up.

 

[777forever]

Not speaking about 3407 yet but this is why I've lost my sanity. For F#&K sake get rid of the G0damn hairgell and ipods. Quit plastering yourselves on overnights, iron that f*&ing garbage bag looking shirt, take off those ridiculous designer shades and read a f&*king manual from time to time! Above all wipe that MTV nurtured Ed Hardy wearing sense of entitlement of your front bumper and grill before I mop the floors of the lavatory with your test tube rejected a$$. I've had it...

What the heck is wrong with wearing designer shades?

 

[SennaP1]

2500 hours certainly is enough- but that must be accompanied by a top notch training department, which these scumbag companies aren't willing to pay for.

Agreed.

 

[SEVEN]

What the heck is wrong with wearing designer shades?

Nothing wrong unless these cocky young pricks are wearing them inside the terminal or behind their head.

 

[SennaP1]

Very well said. Enough is enough. Too many morons walking to the gate wearing a backpack. It makes me want to get sick.uke:
It's sad our passengers have to see this immature display. These kids need a tune up.

I've seen the "kids" BUT I've also seen PLENTY of Major (nee Legacy) pilots pulling the same stuff.

-Non Backpack wearer.

 

[PeanuckleCRJ]

Many of the major guys carrying backpacks have that for "cockpit defense," if you catch my drift.

 

[SennaP1]

Nothing wrong unless these cocky young pricks are wearing them inside the terminal or behind their head.

I've never seen this. Although I admit I don't look too hard for it.

My "work" sunglasses cost me $17.99* and stay in my Flightcase.

*100% UV protection & non-polarized.

 

[SennaP1]

Many of the major guys carrying backpacks have that for "cockpit defense," if you catch my drift.

NDB, I know.

 

[jp222]

When regional pilots start acting like professionals then you can make that argument. These two were hardly "professional" pilots.

"Those damn kids" mentality from those in the heavy metal needs to end. Show some initiative and leadership and the young pilot will follow, in-fact I think the young pilots are desperately looking for someone to step up and show them the way. Sully comes to mind when I listened to his testimony to congress. Instead of talking down to the young pilots try to offer something constructive that will help.

 

[SEVEN]

I've never seen this. Although I admit I don't look too hard for it.

My "work" sunglasses cost me $17.99* and stay in my Flightcase.

*100% UV protection & non-polarized.

I just saw it last week. Guy wearing a backpack. Looked like he was on his way to Geometry class. Unbelievable. Some guys just don't give a crap about looking professional in front of the flying public. This on top of the latest crash, does not help our cause at all.

 

[SennaP1]

"Those damn kids" mentality from those in the heavy metal needs to end. Show some initiative and leadership and the young pilot will follow, in-fact I think the young pilots are desperately looking for someone to step up and show them the way. Sully comes to mind when I listened to his testimony to congress. Instead of talking down to the young pilots try to offer something constructive that will help.

You must of missed the memo that we are not to like Sully anymore because of something he said *

*East v. West.

 

[SennaP1]

I just saw it last week. Guy wearing a backpack. Looked like he was on his way to Geometry class. Unbelievable. Some guys just don't give a crap about looking professional in front of the flying public. This on top of the latest crash, does not help our cause at all.

I know what you mean about looking professional in public. I strive for that, that is the last thing that this profession should lose. I see it all the time in the dirty shirts, wrinkled pants/shirts. Tie hanging off, etc. etc.

I think however that may be the way they are though even when not in public.

 

[FLYLOW22]

Part of being professional is also looking professional. I totally agree with you.

And being treated professionally.

And being paid professionally.

It's all interrelated, you see.

This is just the tip of the iceberg, the culmination of the wonderful mass transit bus system with wings that deregulation has created.

There will be MUCH more bloodshed. There will be billions in equipment and property destroyed. Countless lives...

I just hope that the bottom line $99 fare was worth it.

This new reality like a wish from the devil being granted... with strings of course.

Joe Nosepicker: "I want low airline fares. It's my RIGHT to fly."

Satan (Gov't): "Sure.... Open it up. Free skies, CHEAP fares. (No money to pay professionals to be professionals. Oh well, by the time anyone notices, it'll be a decades long fight between management and unions. The public will lose interest... so long as the FARES ARE CHEAP!!).

Joe Nosepicker: "Yay!!!"


I watched the animation. Read the transcript. What occurred was a low altitude stall due to many of our most glaring issues as a "profession" today... if we can still call this a profession.

Complacency.

Inexperience.

Fatigue.

PRIA.

Low pay and poor working conditions.

ETC.

ETC.

ETC.

There will be more crashes like this to come. Avoidable.

The system is set to accommodate low fares for the masses, not to achieve the highest level of safety for those individuals on a particular flight at a given time.

 

[OHGOON]

Agreed that attacking a whole group of pilots for the sins of a few is ignorant!

It however is no secret that most regionals leave a lot to be desired in terms of treating their folks as professionals. Insisting on a pressed shirt and a spiffy tie hardly makes anything professional. If it did, then used car salesmen would be held in much higher esteem by all.

As long as this industry continues to engage in its headlong rush for the bottom, there will be bottom feeder operations who will skate by, relying solely on the self motivation of its current pilot group to compensate for their incompetence and greed.

This is not a new development either. Since the early days, this industry has taken the "going above and beyond" mentality of its employees for granted. This is so ingrained that most of us do not even recognize this as a problem. We willingly accept substandard simply because for the most part, we know no other way.

Sad state of affairs!

 

[Caveman]

Many of the major guys carrying backpacks have that for "cockpit defense," if you catch my drift.

Oh. I get it. If you're a legacy guy with a backpack it must be for a 'legitimate' (wink, wink) reason. But if it's a regional youngster they're just unprofessional, because we all know there's no way a regional puke could be carrying a backpack for a 'legitimate' (wink, wink) reason.