Ex-United pilots weigh future without pension

[WhiteCloud]

he11, anybody can get a line of credit, buy that new BMW (or lease it), sign up for that country club membership (via credit card), and get a no-payment down loan (at a super high interest rate) on that mansion. Now go buy some Gucci suits (use above credit card again) and put a fur coat on your wife (same credit card). At the bar, go ahead and buy a round of drinks for all your "friends"

The thing that amazes me is that some folks think having all this crap is actually cool. I like what they say about these folks down in Texas....Big hats....no cattle.

 

[Spooky 1]

Geeze guys/gals. Can we put this string to bed? We have drawn and quartered every retired airline pilot who is living in a big house or drives something other than a 1968 VW. I hope none of you ever get divorced and certainly not remarried so that your finances are all in perfect working order when you retire at what ever age you choose to do so. I think this string started out about some UAL pilot who was taking a hit because the pension was going away. I assume that was both dollars and medical? That is a big hit no matter how you have prepared your you finances. Not exactly something that anyone would want to encounter. The fact that it was being reported in the press only makes it a little more suspect in its presentation. Sounds like we have some real socialists on this board. A few would appear to be very envious of a very small fraction of the airline community that have reaped the big rewards and may be falling back on some difficult times. I am sure none of them will be living like trolls under any bridges although it would appear that some on this board would enjoy seeing that happen.

For the record, I have been married for 25 years and my two kids are grown, well may be not grown up but you know what I mean.

 

[bafanguy]

Spooky 1,


Bull's eye !! I just hope the lesson to be learned from the plight of the UAL/USAir pilots will, in fact, be learned by the younger ones. And bashing these unfortunate UAL guys does nothing ( I do agree, however, that talking about it to the press was a huge mistake ).

People who aren't staring retirement in the face have a hard time identifying with the inevitable, and far-reaching, reality of it. And, it can be a very harsh reality if one doesn't prepare; that prep work starts on the first day of one's first job and takes about 25/30 years to complete. What's happened to the aviation industry lately only makes that planning/discipline more critical.

It's like the EAL guys used to tell us: "What goes around, comes around". Well, it's here now.

 

[PastFastMover]

And for safety's sake, do not allow anyone over 60 to be PIC.

I am always willing to learn. Could you please explain what you mean by the above. Do you have any studies to support your statement or is this just a gut feel. Not that it matters, but how old are you?

 

[Andy]

I am always willing to learn. Could you please explain what you mean by the above. Do you have any studies to support your statement or is this just a gut feel. Not that it matters, but how old are you?

I am 44 years old. In case you want information on my UAL status, I was hired in Jun 00 and furloughed in Mar 02. I have about 1500 pilots to be recalled before I go back to work with UAL.

The reason why I oppose over 60 PIC is because if you allow over 60 PIC, you automatically allow over 60 SIC. Read the accident report of the crew that was supposed to take George Bush Sr to South America. That's why I'm opposed to over 60 PIC.
Spooky1 invoked the name of Mike Melville (63 YO) who flew the first x-prize flight. He did not fly the second. The ground crew called for an abort during the uncommanded roll problems, which he ignored. I don't want someone who ignores black and white calls in the same cockpit as me.
Here's a link: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6126386/ (eighth paragraph)
Yes, in public, Mike did a great job. If I were Burt Rutan, I would have beaten him to death with a tire iron. If I were Mike's copilot, I would have gone to pro standards. However, I would prefer to go to pro standards as the captain than the copilot, because 1) I would be more likely to go to pro standards, and 2) my voice would probably carry more weight as a captain.

Too many of us don't know when it's time to hang up the spurs. I hope that I'm not so full of myself that I try to physically intimidate someone 20 years my junior over the internet by saying that I'd pick their 'sorry fat a#s off the bar floor.'
The ego factor alone among pilots is a dammed good reason for the age 60 rule.

 

[Spooky 1]

Here we go again

Andy..............Pleeeze, your first paragraph says it all. This is a job issue not a performance issue with you at least. I have no problem with that just as long as we recognize for what it is, then we can sort it out based on those facts not the perfomance issue that you mention.

I have not seen any accident report on the Glll down at Hobby? Can you direct me to this site? I know that both of these guys were older and this might have been a factor in the accident, but so far I have not had that confirmed as a cause or even a contributing cause.

Probably know a lot more about Space Ship One than you do as well as he crew who flew the two missions. Lets leave it at that, other than to say it is a very big part of the company that I work for. Burt Rutan has complete confidence in all of his pilots no matter what there age in this case. I would not give a lot of creedence to any reporting on aviation subjects via CNN.

Suggest you get over your short career at UAL. Actually I will do you a favor, if you PM I will share with you some hiring going on up here in the NW that you might be perfectly qualified for with your background. PS you might have to fly with an occasional 60+ pilot though. Fortune 100 company with all the bells and whistles.

 

[skykid]

Suggest you get over your short career at UAL. Actually I will do you a favor, if you PM I will share with you some hiring going on up here in the NW that you might be perfectly qualified for with your background.

That's the kind of brotherhood that makes this a great profession. Would you go a step further and pay for my type rating? Now that would be a favor. Thanks.