AA767AV8TOR
Well-known member
- Joined
- Mar 6, 2006
- Posts
- 258
In the meantime, if I go back or not, it makes no difference. If pilots at my company elect to stay for five years, I say more power to them. They've earned the opportunity to be there, they've been there longer, and unlike me, they can't simply go somewhere else and go to work. I can. In fact, I did. I'm working as a line pilot, mechanic, instructor, and check airman. I've got other jobs waiting for me, and whether I go back or not, I'll work, I'll stay busy, and I won't look over my shoulder and cry about what's fair and not fair. You should do the same.
Glad to see you such a talented and valued individual. Many find themselves in very different shoes. Loaded up with debt and virtually no job opportunities at any of the majors for the next 3-4 years, the environment is very bleak for most individuals. Again, this is worsened by the impact of Age 65. Due to this bleak outlook, many individuals will find themselves looking for greener pastures and leaving the industry for good. This is our future that is leaving the industry in sizable numbers. Again, this will have an impact on our future safety and is aggravated by Age 65.
Also, please tell me why a motivated and capable individual such as you cannot find a job over the Age of 60? Like you said, you were able to find a job. Why can't they?
Competitive minimums with my employer over the past year jumped to about 20,000 hours, with multiple type ratings and 15 years or more of international heavy experience. The hiring standards didn't go down. They've gone up. Plenty of pilots on the street who are more than qualified, who are looking for work...and by no consequence of age 65. It's happening globally. You need to open your eyes a little.
Perhaps you're the one that needs to open your eyes. Of course, with as many unemployed pilots running around and the very few employment opportunities available, hiring minimums at the better places of aviation employment are going to increase. For those companies at the top, it's a buyer’s market. It's the reason why minimums are higher at places such as LUV and FedEx. Good luck on trying to find a job there though.
Contrary to your opinion, hiring minimums at the low end of the aviation spectrum have decreased. American Eagle had new hires with as little as four hundred in the recent past. Quite simply, people don't want the job especially at the lower wage scales. Regionals are not the stepping stone they were in the past. Regionals are now the entire career and most people just don't see the economics in spending $100,000 - $120,000 (state universities are now running between $20,000 - $30,000 per year) for a job that starts at $20,000 and ends at $60,000. Again, Age 65 only exacerbates this problem.
Regional flying isn't long haul flying. Further, you're unable to show a connection between regional mishaps and age 65, because there isn't one. You're unable to back up anything you say...you can't even point to an NTSB report that would back you up...because you've been caught once more telling a lie.
Since it usually takes the NTSB at least a couple of years to issue an official report, you and I both know it is way too early in the ball game for any “official” conclusive reports to be made on the impact of Age 65. The rule has only been around for 18 months. What I do know at this early juncture is what I am able to see with my own eyes.
As for flying long haul...I understand what this means very well...having just come from an international widebody job flying long haul. You?
Flying long haul has nothing to do with age 65, of course.
Again, you’re wrong. At the larger carriers, due to the higher pay rates, most of the over age 60 crowd is very senior and is found flying long haul.
If you haven't figured out by now, I do fly long haul and over the years had the opportunity to flying thousands of hours with many individuals approaching their retirements. Let's put it this way, flying through 10 times zones is very hard on an individual's body. It only gets harder as one age. It's hard on my body even at 48.
I also used to fly with the old 2 stripers that flew well into their 60's and 70's. Some were great but some slept for virtually the entire flight. Have you have ever flown with someone over age 60 through 10 time zones and in the middle of the night. I have.
Moreover, if you are true to your views, you should also strongly support no age cap (Age 65 is also age discrimination). You should also support the view that all those that retired under Age 60 should able to return with their seniority intact. Both views, if you’re honest with yourself, would deny countless others their own careers in which they worked so hard to achieve, diminish safety, and destroy this once proud profession. But as we both know by now, you are both mean spirited and intellectually dishonest with those that have a different opinion than you.
Finally, this has developed into a circular argument. You have your views and I have mine. You can keep calling me “liar liar pants on fire” all you want, hide behind your keyboard, and keep presenting your distorted views, but it will never changed the fact the senior guys just pulled a fast one and screwed the junior pilots.
AA767AV8TOR