Freedom callsign?

[bobbysamd]

More non-P-F-T

Wisconsin, Skywest(yeah, the non union guys) and Horizon have NEVER been PFT.

I was a street interview at Mesa in 1990. Nothing about P-F-T. Also at WestAir/United Express, about the time that Mesa bought it. No P-F-T. I also was a street interview at Comair and a street cattle-callee at Express I. No P-F-T. I was an AE street interview in the fall of '90. No P-F-T. I had a colleague who was a Wings West hire. She was not P-F-T.

Just the same, there were still a bunch which were P-F-T. My recall of P-F-T history says it began with great force about the second quarter of 1991. That's when so many commuters, including Comair, adopted such "programs." It may have abated a little in 1994 and more so in the late '90s when the airlines decided they needed pilots again and had plenty from which to choose.

 

[Freight Dog]

So if I understand you right, the only way to get an airline job in the U.S. is to flight instruct??? If one doesn't "pay their dues" then they should be black-balled or shunned.

Flying4food,

I never instructed. I don't even have CFI ratings. Yet, I spent a lot of time on the Internet looking for jobs, making phone calls, trying to get ahead in this industry. I made it. I worked my way up thru flying skydivers, flying air tours, cargo, now at a regional in the left seat. NOT ONCE did I pay for flight time after my commercial pilot license. I got paid instead.


Some of you don't realize how good we have it in this free country, the ability to debate topics such as this, this right to get an education, it's all about choices. And to think that someone would sit on a hiring board and deliberatly sabotage someone's attempt at employment, based soley on an opinion!! Is that right?? To think you would deny a qualified person a chance at a job, not based on his/her qualifications and skills, but his/her training or how it was obtained, because you don't believe in it.

I would deny a person employment due to lack of integrity, you bet. If a Gulfstream B1900 "grad" was interviewing and I was the interviewer, I would ask him a couple of simple questions:

What did you contribute to your previous job? What positive contributions did you make to our profession?

I can bet you that a CFI would not have a difficult time answering these questions. I'll bet you that a Gulfstream guy would choke, but it would be interesting to watch them.

 

[Freight Dog]

You are right. It is. I didn't even think of it until you said it. Thanks for pointing it out.

 

[captjim]

Way to go US Airways!


US Airways MEC update for Wednesday, December 18, with one new item:
The MEC reconvened its fourth quarter meeting today in PIT and took action on 15 items, including the following:

The MEC conducted an MEC vice chairman election and elected Captain Kim Snider as MEC vice chairman. Effective January 1, 2003, Captain Snider will succeed Captain Bill Pollock, who will assume the office of MEC chairman on that date. The remaining term is from January 1, 2003, to March 22, 2004.

The MEC directed the MEC officers and Negotiating Committee to inform US Airways management that the MEC, especially in light of our ALPA pilots’ significant financial contribution to the survival of US Airways, objects to any potential or contemplated code sharing arrangement with Freedom Air unless its pilots are represented by ALPA. The US Airways MEC supports the actions of ALPA International’s Executive Council and Executive Board in opposing the formation of Freedom Air as a non-union entity, and directed that all furloughed US Airways pilots be notified of the Executive Board, Executive Council and MEC’s opposition to Freedom Air. Any pilot on the US Airways seniority list that accepts employment with Freedom Air will lose all US Airways MEC-sponsored ALPA privileges, including but not limited to jumpseat, health insurance, web access, furlough administrator access, and ALPA-provided job search programs. If applicable, the US Airways MEC will file Article VIII charges against any US Airways seniority list pilot accepting or remaining in employment with Freedom Air after February 1, 2003, for engaging in action detrimental to the Association.

This MEC action is in response to Mesa’s establishment of Freedom Airlines as a non-union, alter ego runaway shop carrier, operating small jets on a separate operating certificate while the Mesa pilots are in contract negotiations. Mesa Group management is using Freedom Airlines to undermine the collective bargaining strength of the Mesa, CC Air and Air Midwest pilots.

 

[flying4food]

Wow, Freight Dog is that statement policy at your current employer or is that your personal position and stand?? That you would deny a person employment based on integrity of the pft question?? I wonder if the cheif pilot or director of Ops feels the same way?? What about the CEO and shareholders?? It sounds like you are making decisions for the company based on your personal feelings??

I would think that type of policy would be up to the management of said company. It seems as though you have taken it upon yourself to set policy and standards. Maybe you should look within for the answer to the integrity question???

 

[Intruder One]

All of the post here ring very true,but these type of things are also happing at companies other than regionals,Jet Blue for instance has low time pilots on several post.They have no union and make much lower wages that will hurt the industry in the furture,Whats next,JB 2 then JB 3.low cost start ups hurt everyone.Do you think those guys feel gulity,not one bit read some of their post under majors.Yet most are giving them jumpseats with open arms,sure step on board and let me help you get to work so you can slowly ruin the industry,and put my company out of buniness.There are pilots that will sell us all down the river at every level its not just at the regiomals.

 

[PCL_128]

Wow, this post really picked up the last few days I was away from the internet. Several people have said that it is easy for me to change my mind about PFT after I have already beniffited from it and got a job. You know what, you're right. I can't argue with that, nor will I try. If you want to think that I am being disingenuous, go right ahead. If I'm asked about GIA during a future job interview, I'll just tell them the truth: I was told by marketing people at the beginning of my career that GIA was the best way to an airline job, and being unfamiliar with the industry, I believed them.

After working at GIA for a couple of years and spending time on this board, my opinions have changed about the PFT issue. If you want to believe I'm lying, that's fine. Think what you want. Ironically though, working at GIA is what made me so militant on union issues. Having worked in a non-union company managed by scabs has changed my views on many things. It really makes you understand how important unions like ALPA are.

Someone mentioned that I would not be so willing to forgive a scab or a Freedumb pilot if they said they are sorry for what they did, as I have. Not true. I know one EAL scab who crossed the line in '89. He was hired off the street, he was not a previous EAL pilot. He was not familiar at all with the issues surrounding EAL or any of the other airlines at the time. He was simply a pilot living in FLA that got one of Lorenzo's mass-mailers that offered pilot jobs to anyone with a comm/multi inst and a specified amount of TT. He thought it was a great opportunity because he didn't understand everything behind it. He later came to regret his decision after he learned how things work in this industry and why EAL pilots were striking. I hold no grudge against this pilot. However, I don't just forgive anyone because they say they regret what they did. I want to know the reasons they regret it. I know another EAL scab who claims to regret his decision to cross the line. His reason? It hurt his career. He doesn't care that he stabbed his fellow pilots in the back, all he cares about is his career going down the toilet. I DON'T forgive him.

Bottom line is this: You can forgive me or not. There's nothing I can do to make you forgive me. I now realize that a company making profit off of someone trying to get a job is completely immoral. I also understand that a pilot trying to get ahead by using his checkbook is wrong. Unfortunately, there's nothing I can do to make what I did a few years ago go away.

People can change, the past cannot. I've changed alot of my opinions after spending a few years in this industry. My past however has not changed, and never will. I can't change that, I'm sorry.

 

[Freight Dog]

Wow, Freight Dog is that statement policy at your current employer or is that your personal position and stand?? That you would deny a person employment based on integrity of the pft question?? I wonder if the cheif pilot or director of Ops feels the same way?? What about the CEO and shareholders?? It sounds like you are making decisions for the company based on your personal feelings??

I would think that type of policy would be up to the management of said company. It seems as though you have taken it upon yourself to set policy and standards. Maybe you should look within for the answer to the integrity question???

The opinions I have stated are my opinions and mine alone. As I said, I would choose not to hire someone who lacks ethics and integrity. I did not say PFT, although a PFT-er would raise flags, and personally if I was sitting on an interview board, I would not look at that candidate favorably. There are plenty of people who honorably went and paid their dues through hard work, and I would be more than likely look at them more favorably than someone who just paid $$$$$ to put flight time in their logbook because as I said, hard work shows ethics, drive, dedication and integrity, all of which are the qualities that I expect in an airline pilot and a union member.

I guess you could call it a matter of personal preference, however, if and when I sit on an interview board, you can rest assured that I will judge any potential candidates on those qualities in addition to others.

 

[azpilot]

Wow, Freight Dog is that statement policy at your current employer or is that your personal position and stand?? That you would deny a person employment based on integrity of the pft question?? I wonder if the cheif pilot or director of Ops feels the same way?? What about the CEO and shareholders?? It sounds like you are making decisions for the company based on your personal feelings??

I would think that type of policy would be up to the management of said company. It seems as though you have taken it upon yourself to set policy and standards. Maybe you should look within for the answer to the integrity question???

If you think people are hired, in any industry, based on credentials only you are extremely naive. People get hired for a variety of reasons. How well will they work with others? If a team environment, like a cockpit, how well will they work with the team? Do they have the same standards as current employees. For example, Delta used like a certain type of pilot, ex military. This is a generalization for sure but these things come into play when you are interviewing for a job. There are no pieces of paper that require anyone to hire a certain candidate based on a resume alone.

Don't you think the people that hired Freight Dog hired him in part based on their personal feelings? Wake up.

I am sure some folks don't care where you worked or what you stand for or lack thereof and you will be able to get hired. I do know for a fact that if you work at Freedom today it is extremely unlikely you would ever get a job at America West, Southwest and quite a few other places.

I have hired people who were less qualified based on experience on paper but seemed to have a better attitude and desire to learn. Guess what I have not once been dissapointed with the decision and all of these folks have been successful elsewhere.

- AZPilot

 

[climbhappy]

bright idea to deal with PFTs

why couldn't or any pilot group plan to strike for unfair labor practices. when there are so many contract issues anyway, why can't this be one of them.

the industry as a whole or every alpa carrier could strike. then and only then will we ever know if alpa really has the KAHUNNAS, it purports to have. they sure as crap didn't help me at CC air/

 

[Cornelius]

B@tch talk is inevitable in aviation. It happens to the airline I'm with right now just because we taxi safe, and it will continue with Freedom as long as they exist. I find it hard to believe that the Feds can track an aircraft transmission and will prosecute you. If there's b@tching on the radio, make sure its over company freq.

 

[Stiffler]

I agree with the mighty Cornelius in that there is no way the Fed's can track you over the radio. If so, it's some secret military technology that they don't want us local yocals to have. After all, if they could track transmissions, we'd know who the dumbarses are with the stuck mike all the time.

BTW, if they put a stop to "certain transmissions" by tracking people down, it will put an end to some of the most entertaining one-liners of all time.

Also, since this thread has to do with Freedom Air, I'd like to point out my crew's motto for the month (as we have one every month, and you must use it every day in some shape or form)
"F^(K 'em all and let God sort 'em out"

The stiffmeister

BTW Cornelius - I support the "prudent" taxi! Keep it up! I for one want to see a better contract for ya'll there. Rock out with your c()ck out! Ya'll get no complaints from me! DEN Rules!

 

[Soulfly]

Freedom

Thought I would point out to everyone here that there is a way to track which aircraft is transmitting. Not if they are blocking intentionally; just which aircraft is transmitting. This only applies to aircraft with a SELCAL system installed. Anytime you transmit your unique SELCAL code is transmitted also. The Feds could sit at home with some very basic equipment and track this.

Not really difficult.

Fly Safe...............

 

[KFFA]

And the goverment has given us the trust to carry guns in the cockpit. GOD Help us! We are going to be shooting ech other down out of the skies. I can see it now on the front page..."4 Airline pilots arrested for hiring Muslim Extremest to shoot down a Freedom Air Jet"