"6000 airline jobs...created in 2002"

[enigma]

Here's a good example of AirInc's deceptiveness. I acquired the current issue of FLYING magazine and found this paragraph in the "datalink" section.

"AIR, Inc. says that airline hiring, hit hard by the flying
slowdown following the attacks of September 11th, is
regaining strength. A recent job fair sponsored by AIR, Inc.
attracted 16 airlines, including 5 majors. AIR, Inc, forecasts
that 6000 airline jobs will be created in 2002."

Please notice that Air, Inc did not mention pilot jobs even though this paragraph was found in FLYING magazine. Nor did it mention a pilot shortage.

It seems that my friend the publisher is correct when he says that Kit Darby doesn' t mention the words "pilot shortage" anymore. However, I consider these types of press releases misleading and damaging to our profession even though they could be truthful.

Out of curiosity, does anyone know what percentage of AIR, Inc. clients are pilots? I suspect that over 90% of AIR, Inc.'s subscribers are pilots.; In other words, AIR, Inc. makes its living off of pilot wannabees, not off of other job seekers in the industry. I would also guess that AIR, Inc. would not exist if it were only intended to offer info. on "airline jobs". Therefore, I would suggest that any information that AIR, Inc. disseminates IS intended for the consumption of potential PILOTS, (as opposed to "airline" workers like rampers, cleaners, caterers, etc)

My personal conclusion is that AIR,Inc. is intentionally mis-applying the facts and is therefore guilty of no less than fraud. I'm neither lawyer, judge, nor jury and have no legal expertise, so I could be using the wrong legal term (fraud) to express my beliefs; but whatever the correct term is, AIR, Inc. is scr-w-ng a lot of people.

That's my 2 pennies.
8N

 

[FL000]

Every American has the inalienable right to be duped. Buyer beware!

 

[na265]

Kit Darby is using peoples ignorance about the industry against them. People don't understand that to become a profesional pilot takes more than going to school and getting your ratings. It has to become yor lifestyle and a bull headed drive to make it. He should be hung out to dry! If you want another fine example, it has been discussed many times here before, the new FLYING has an article about those dirt bags running TAB Express. What a joke!

 

[publisher]

As said

While I debated with Enigma over Kit ever saying that there were pilot shortages, I do not like the way he puts together job fairs and what he charges for them.

The above quote regarding his job fair was and is in my personal opinion misleading. He does not charge airlines to go there. United goes because he is a captain for them and it costs them nothing even though none of these except Southwest was actually hiring./

AEPS job fairs are different in that the companies pay to be there. As a result, if they are not really serious, usually they will not be there. In addition, he charges a ludicrous amount to go when you can get into AEPS and meet the same Comair people for $20.

If these airlines were really hiring, OK maybe, just maybe it is worth it but that is not the case. As Southwest said they were creating 4000 jobs, he is probably technically correct, just not being honest with his members or outsiders.

 

[pilotyip]

Support of Kit Darby

Kit Darby provides a valuable resource to any pilot looking to find a job or change jobs, I wish they had been around when I was between jobs years ago, the information the show gives out is timely accurate and it is from the employers them selves. I would ruffly 30% of our pilots are from Air Inc contacts, and as an employer I get to see the guy up front before I give them an application, they get to talk to me to find out if they really fit the requirements of flying boxes. Saying Kit is ripping pilots off is in the same category as saying interview prep courses or ATP/FE prep courses are ripping off pilots. It is not up to the people on this board to pass judgment on what someone does in pursuit of their career.

 

[Guest]

To Enigma,

While you're considering your lack of legal knowledge, go find yourself a dictionary and look up the word SLANDER

 

[Data]

6000 Jobs...

Screwing a lot of people? For charging a measly few hundred bucks for information useful for interviewing? The newsletter is pretty nice, shows who is hiring, who isn't. The stuff they send you in the membership packet has all of the airline information you need to send resumes and contact the appropriate HR people. The magazine has articles on airlines that are hiring, who to contact, what the interview is like etc. The career counseling is useful, it's staffed by a bunch of ASA guys that can generally answer your questions. The technical guide to airline interviewing book it useful, math for mental pilots is good...rather mental math for pilots. Hell, I don't see where I got screwed. Nobody there has promised me a job, I haven't been duped into thinking there is this big shortage and I'm set. I realize that it's going to be up to me. I went to a job fair last year in Atlanta and thought that it was going to be a great way to start getting my resume out, you can stand in line and speak with every rep that is there, sure things have changed because the market's bad but would I rather send in 20 resumes or stand in 20 lines and hand over a resume? I think my odds are better standing in line. While I'm not quite to the level to be competitive I think I'm a little further down the road that before I got all of the air inc propaganda. I haven't seen where I got jipped.

 

[publisher]

original post

Let's go back to the original post here and not get off on the tangent of the other things that Kit provides.

What I am saying is that the statistics quoted are probably accurate but not necessarily in good faith.

At his recent Los Angeles show, he indicated on his web site that United was going to be there for pilots and mechanics. That American Eagle was there for pilots. That Alaska was there for pilots. All of these have indicated no hiring plans for balance of year.

To count companies like United as being there implies recruiting and that is not what was happening. I believe in the merit of job fairs and the personal contact. Not the point. Kit publishes a good many stats like 70% of all pilots hired last year were Air Inc members. And where do we get that number.

I think we owe it to those that come to these things to tell them what is going to be there. That means if we have some companies that are going to be there just to answer questions and provide info, let's call it that. If they are actually hiring people, let;s call it that. If Aeroservice or TAB are there to sell type programs, let's indicate that.

Kit has some good stuff and frankly there is no reason to not be up front about who is there and what for. For $175 or whatever, you should know.

 

[enigma]

apology offered if required

Good Point.
Perhaps I should have left out the part about screwing a lot of people.

I really don't know what the legal definition of slander is, but I imagine that it would hinge upon my presenting something false about someone else and representing said falsehood as fact in a manner designed to damage that someone else. I have not offered any lies about AIR, Inc., only an opinion.

Another point I should make is that the purpose of my post was to point out the misleading information that AIR,Inc generates.. and I stand by my assesment. I only mentioned AIR, Inc.'s owner because another poster who goes by the handle "publisher" had previously defended Mr. Darby, and I wanted to give the publisher credit for correctly quoting Mr. Darby. In essence, the information I offered exhonorated Mr. Darby from previous allegatations of lying. It was my way of saying I, and others, was wrong.

If you know what I said to be slander, I will publicly apologize.
regards,
8N

PS. I took your advice and looked in the dictionary. It seems that you didn't look up slander either. Slander refers to ORAL statements. Libel on the other hand is: a published statement, which without due cause has the result, or is intended to have the result, of bringing its subject into disrepute. Using that definition, it would have to be proven that my statements were made "without due cause". Still, If it was legally libel, I'll apologize.

To Enigma,

While you're considering your lack of legal knowledge, go find yourself a dictionary and look up the word SLANDER

 

[enigma]

DATA

Hey DATA,
My reference to screwing a lot of people was my opinion about the effect AIR, Inc. has on our wages by continually encouraging new entrants into the industry when there are already too many pilots. You and I and most everyone else who is not a senior pilot at AA, DAL, UAL, NWA, CAL and SWA(ok everyone at SWA) has been affected by the oversupply of pilots. If there were no oversupply, you wouldn't have to stand in line.

I agree with you that the information supplied by AIR, Inc. concerning contact names, etc has value. I'm just campaigning against the misleading news releases they put out that encourage wannabees. Then those wannabees enter the business only to find out that they have to raise their kids on food stamps.
Thanks for your input.
8N