And the cycle continues. Prior to 9/11 JB was a stepping stone. Not for all but for most. We're looking a the meaty part of the curve that a majority of us fall into.
When the "cycle is hot" meaning with the big players (major airlines with a domestic and international, narrow and WB flying) are hiring airlines like AT, ALLG, Spirit on down will be an intermediate stepping stone to the "gold ring majors". Most will go from regional/commuter (the airlines just under the "intermediate airlines" in the pilot job pecking order) to the big players but some will slide to the "intermediate" players before "moving up".
When the music stops (example post 9/11) mostly its the big players that stop and shed pilots first. The new big player becomes the old intermediate player that is still hiring. Example: Prior to 9/11 most (not all but most) want nothing to do with an airline like AT or National or Spirit unless we considered it an "intermediate step" to one of the Big 3 back then. Then 9/11 happened and they were the only game in town so they became the big player while the real big player licked its wounds. The regional/commuters became the new intermediate player. He11 even CFI/freight dog 135 got a bump to where commuter/regional had been back then.
Now the cycle has come full circle (or is about to) and the "real" big players are back(or are about to be back). There are only 3 left (AMR, DAL, UAL).
Just the pecking order. It's how it has always been and will always be.
Note: none of this is a put down on JB/Spirit ect. pilots who are staying put. Each pilot has to make their own moves based on their situation. Then luck and chance come into play as well. Can't blame a guy for squatting top 20% seniority at a place like Spirit vs. bottom UAL.
When the "cycle is hot" meaning with the big players (major airlines with a domestic and international, narrow and WB flying) are hiring airlines like AT, ALLG, Spirit on down will be an intermediate stepping stone to the "gold ring majors". Most will go from regional/commuter (the airlines just under the "intermediate airlines" in the pilot job pecking order) to the big players but some will slide to the "intermediate" players before "moving up".
When the music stops (example post 9/11) mostly its the big players that stop and shed pilots first. The new big player becomes the old intermediate player that is still hiring. Example: Prior to 9/11 most (not all but most) want nothing to do with an airline like AT or National or Spirit unless we considered it an "intermediate step" to one of the Big 3 back then. Then 9/11 happened and they were the only game in town so they became the big player while the real big player licked its wounds. The regional/commuters became the new intermediate player. He11 even CFI/freight dog 135 got a bump to where commuter/regional had been back then.
Now the cycle has come full circle (or is about to) and the "real" big players are back(or are about to be back). There are only 3 left (AMR, DAL, UAL).
Just the pecking order. It's how it has always been and will always be.
Note: none of this is a put down on JB/Spirit ect. pilots who are staying put. Each pilot has to make their own moves based on their situation. Then luck and chance come into play as well. Can't blame a guy for squatting top 20% seniority at a place like Spirit vs. bottom UAL.
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