Disgruntled furloughed Midwest pilot accuses "regional pilots" being inferior airmen

[Abernathy]

It's the honest truth. Hussien Obama will fix it all, hell, he even said he was going to cure cancer. Just need to throw more money at it.
Couple more bucks and we'll never have another plane crash.

You dumb rednecks.

He can't fix in 1 year what your hillbilly ruined in 8.

 

[McNugget]

You dumb rednecks.

He can't fix in 1 year what your hillbilly ruined in 8.

That's right! It will take some time to get new taxes in-place, so we can generate the $$ needed to spend our way out of debt!

 

[lionflyer]

This guy truly is a moron. AAL in littlerock....experienced pilots, Tenerife experienced pilots, air florida in Washington DC experience pilots.........you truly cant replace arrogance.

Littlerock was a fatigue issue (which the FAA hasn't done $hit about). It could get any one of us. I also wouldn't say the Air Florida guys were experienced.

 

[geojet707]

SOURCE: Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel
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.

Well sport, I guess you were born with the 15,000 hours of experience that commanded your salary as an REAL airline captain at a REAL airline. I must assume that you didn't ever fly in either the civilian world or as a military pilot at an entry level wage and with just the minimums for the job. I must finally conclude then that you have never endangered your passengers, wingman or just the general public as you eluded regional pilots do when you took those early steps in your career. Yeah, you must be a joy to fly with. I surley don't miss flying with you Capt. Roger Ramjet types.

The crew of flight 3407 are gone and the reasons are still under investigation. Do us all a favor and honor them as fellow aviators and not the reason for your job loss. That crew said goodbye to family members that day as we all have done when we go away on a trip. Their goodbye was forever for those left behind. In the future get a punching bag, use it to vent your regional airline frustrations and keep your trap shut about flight 3407.

 

[brokedash]

I'm not sure the comparison the author uses acurately describes the situation. One thing Sully had going for him was the river being available for ditching. The Colgan flight had entered a 'pandora's box' area if you will, where landing was pretty much all that was left and then the rug got pulled out from under them with no room for possible recovery.

The author is more correct in his assement of of bundels of flying being doled out to regionals all in the name of making money for hedge fund owners and the corporate tycoons that run most of the nations big airlines. It is a problem that started with the RJ revolution and as long as neo-conservative corporate raiders run most of the airlines, it will stay status qou with more work being doled out to regionals, less better paying jobs at the big guys, where many in this profesion aspire to be.

 

[FDJ2]

That's right! It will take some time to get new taxes in-place, so we can generate the $$ needed to spend our way out of debt!

Speaking of debt, it took the US over 200 years to accumulate $5B in debt., Bush and the Republicans doubled the national debt in only 8 years.

The good news for Republicans is that Bush and the Republicans were able to outsource 26% of US manufacturing jobs in 8 years. That ought to make the Republican crowd happy.

 

[acaTerry]

The good news for Republicans is that Bush and the Republicans were able to outsource 26% of US manufacturing jobs in 8 years. That ought to make the Republican crowd happy.

Now just a minute...Clinton opened that floodgate up with his visionary NAFTA plan. It was the crack that made it easy to break the dam

 

[Hobit]

And the Dems won big in 2006. Where have they been?! What have they done to stem the problems?

BOTH 'teams' are responsible for current issues.

BOTH 'teams' are more interested in their own personal political careers.

 

[acaTerry]

And the Dems won big in 2006. Where have they been?! What have they done to stem the problems?

BOTH 'teams' are responsible for current issues.

BOTH 'teams' are more interested in their own personal political careers.

I agree.

 

[sunlitpath]

How does this ding bat explain all the horrible crashes at major airlines? For example, Continental in Denver, Southwest in Chicago, American Airlines 2002 in NYC (that guy who kicked the rudder back and forth until the tail fell off). Who's inferior now? Regional pilots operate more flights to more challenging airports than any one else, and we do it with an incredible safety record. Go cry in your milk, you dorky, jaded, major airline pilots...