Ditto UPS Captain. Despite the clown's tantrum, I too have never been furloughed nor unemployed -- and feel very lucky and grateful not to have been. I have also felt lucky and grateful that I've been hired after every airline interview I ever had. My company has quite a few guys still on furlough and feel my no.1 task as a union member is to get those guys back on payroll and the company back in the black. They were hired in good faith, were protected by no-furlough clauses and through absolutely no fault of their own, they were furloughed. Absolutely zero reflection on them personally, but a risk in this industry. Although it's little consolation, I guess they can now call themselves the proverbial "real" airline pilot.
Mugsy - Your explanation is perfectly plausible. Don't take anything on this board as a "slam," just realism, especially in the state of the industry now. I was in similar circumstances when I retired from the USAF -- not much recent flying time - but, hiring was hot and I was able to get a Part 121 job flying heavies worldwide and built a lot of time pretty quickly -- albeit at not a "major" paycheck. I think my military background, plus 1000 hours or so of part 121 experience and a heavy type-rating (and in-company recommendations) made me "competitive" for a major airline. If times were then what they are now, I probably wouldn't be "competitive." I was certainly "qualified" but not necessarily "competitive." Getting yourself competitive for a major would probably be a matter of getting a bunch of current military PIC time or Part 121 experience (maybe at a second tier company) and waiting for major hiring again. Also, we all hope that US Air and America West survive as employers and don't release a bunch of guys to the street. Right now US Air alone has over 1000 pretty senior, superbly competitive guys on furlough. Depending on the future, if those guys start believing that they won't be going back to US Air, some will be willing to resign seniority and start over at another major. It's a complicated and uncertain situation right now. Only you know what your best course is. But, make that decision based on a realistic assessment of your competitiveness and the industry situation. Go to the Air Inc convention and expecially the military transition seminar. Good luck.
Mugsy - Your explanation is perfectly plausible. Don't take anything on this board as a "slam," just realism, especially in the state of the industry now. I was in similar circumstances when I retired from the USAF -- not much recent flying time - but, hiring was hot and I was able to get a Part 121 job flying heavies worldwide and built a lot of time pretty quickly -- albeit at not a "major" paycheck. I think my military background, plus 1000 hours or so of part 121 experience and a heavy type-rating (and in-company recommendations) made me "competitive" for a major airline. If times were then what they are now, I probably wouldn't be "competitive." I was certainly "qualified" but not necessarily "competitive." Getting yourself competitive for a major would probably be a matter of getting a bunch of current military PIC time or Part 121 experience (maybe at a second tier company) and waiting for major hiring again. Also, we all hope that US Air and America West survive as employers and don't release a bunch of guys to the street. Right now US Air alone has over 1000 pretty senior, superbly competitive guys on furlough. Depending on the future, if those guys start believing that they won't be going back to US Air, some will be willing to resign seniority and start over at another major. It's a complicated and uncertain situation right now. Only you know what your best course is. But, make that decision based on a realistic assessment of your competitiveness and the industry situation. Go to the Air Inc convention and expecially the military transition seminar. Good luck.
