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MidAtlantic Captain Positions At 01/99 DOH
- Thread starter FurloughedAgain
- Start date
- Watchers 25
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On Your Six
Well-known member
- Joined
- Mar 8, 2004
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- 4,507
FurloughedAgain
Cabin Heating & Air Tech.
- Joined
- Jun 5, 2002
- Posts
- 1,657
decisions
Thank you everyone for your advice.
You know, like many of the pilots who post on this forum, I found myself spending the vast majority of my career as an airline pilot in a hurry.
I raced through college in order to get out into the real world. I hurried through flight instructing while racing to build the qualifications necessary to earn the coveted single-pilot night-frieght job. I rushed through flying night-freight and quickly moved on to the commuters. No sooner was I trained as Jetstream 31 first officer than I found myself interviewing at companies that flew Dash-8s... not relenting in my search for something "bigger and better" until I had been awarded a Saab 340 F/O seat.
A few years later when friends were leaving Chautauqua to go to (what was then considered to be) a low-end LCC, I followed. We assumed that DC9 first officer was far more valuable to us than Jetstream or Saab Captain time. It wasn't long before I was furloughed and was rushing once again to find work in the interim. Six months later I was in class at US Airways and a short three years later I found myself on the street once again.
Since then I've interviewed dozens of times constantly searching for that one missing qualification that might make the difference and turn the tide on my aviation "career". Perhaps that one extra type rating, or that extra few hours of PIC turbine, or that new qualification would make the difference between meeting my own career expectations...or spending my life wondering "what if?"
I think its time that I stop rushing around.
There is more to life than wearing four stripes and sitting in the left seat.
We now live in a modest home in a nice neighborhood in CVG. We've got a fenced in backyard for the dog and a wonderful group of friends and neighbors who make being home a heck of a lot nicer than being on a trip. My wife truly loves her new home and the thought of spending even fewer of those precious moments at home while commuting to MidAtlantic just doesn't pass the gut-check.
When I filled out my APL preference form I only included one choice -- MAA Captain. I made that choice with the belief that it would take years for that position to reach me. During that time I could distance myself from US Airways, sit back, wait, and watch to see if they could successfully restructure. If they could, then once they called I would return. If not, then I didn't have all of my eggs in one basket. Of course, that plan was derived during a time when Comair was growing by leaps and bounds and was one of the most stable choices in the industry for a long-term career ... if not the most financially rewarding. Since then Delta has chosen to grow the DCI family (ironically enough using my own former employer - Chautauqua - who I never would have imagined would have an all-jet fleet and multiple codeshares). Growth has come to a halt and attrition is near zero. Upgrade time at Comair now is more than likely approaching a decade.
Answering that phone call from US Airways was the hardest thing i've ever had to do. You see, I love that airline. I wanted to work for US Airways ever since I was a little boy (Allegheny at the time). The time I spent there was literally a dream-come true for me, and answering the recall -- to the left seat no less -- would have been a lot like coming home.
The fact is though that if I left Comair and went back to US Airways to fill another box ... to try (once again) to improve my qualifications with the hopes of moving on ... and then six months later found myself unemployed again, I dont think I could look my wife in the face and explain why.
So to those of you still waiting for MidAtlantic my seat is yours. I wish you and the entire US Airways family the best of luck with the hopes that you will be able to turn the tide and reinvent yourself as a lean, competitive airline.
In the meantime I think i'll stay here in the right seat. Hopefully Delta's realignment of RJ flying will not have too great an impact on Comair and I'll be able to finally sit back for a few years and enjoy the flying career that I've spent the last decade trying to build -- I'm just not going to rush around trying to fill boxes anymore.
Thanks again for all of your advice!
Thank you everyone for your advice.
You know, like many of the pilots who post on this forum, I found myself spending the vast majority of my career as an airline pilot in a hurry.
I raced through college in order to get out into the real world. I hurried through flight instructing while racing to build the qualifications necessary to earn the coveted single-pilot night-frieght job. I rushed through flying night-freight and quickly moved on to the commuters. No sooner was I trained as Jetstream 31 first officer than I found myself interviewing at companies that flew Dash-8s... not relenting in my search for something "bigger and better" until I had been awarded a Saab 340 F/O seat.
A few years later when friends were leaving Chautauqua to go to (what was then considered to be) a low-end LCC, I followed. We assumed that DC9 first officer was far more valuable to us than Jetstream or Saab Captain time. It wasn't long before I was furloughed and was rushing once again to find work in the interim. Six months later I was in class at US Airways and a short three years later I found myself on the street once again.
Since then I've interviewed dozens of times constantly searching for that one missing qualification that might make the difference and turn the tide on my aviation "career". Perhaps that one extra type rating, or that extra few hours of PIC turbine, or that new qualification would make the difference between meeting my own career expectations...or spending my life wondering "what if?"
I think its time that I stop rushing around.
There is more to life than wearing four stripes and sitting in the left seat.
We now live in a modest home in a nice neighborhood in CVG. We've got a fenced in backyard for the dog and a wonderful group of friends and neighbors who make being home a heck of a lot nicer than being on a trip. My wife truly loves her new home and the thought of spending even fewer of those precious moments at home while commuting to MidAtlantic just doesn't pass the gut-check.
When I filled out my APL preference form I only included one choice -- MAA Captain. I made that choice with the belief that it would take years for that position to reach me. During that time I could distance myself from US Airways, sit back, wait, and watch to see if they could successfully restructure. If they could, then once they called I would return. If not, then I didn't have all of my eggs in one basket. Of course, that plan was derived during a time when Comair was growing by leaps and bounds and was one of the most stable choices in the industry for a long-term career ... if not the most financially rewarding. Since then Delta has chosen to grow the DCI family (ironically enough using my own former employer - Chautauqua - who I never would have imagined would have an all-jet fleet and multiple codeshares). Growth has come to a halt and attrition is near zero. Upgrade time at Comair now is more than likely approaching a decade.
Answering that phone call from US Airways was the hardest thing i've ever had to do. You see, I love that airline. I wanted to work for US Airways ever since I was a little boy (Allegheny at the time). The time I spent there was literally a dream-come true for me, and answering the recall -- to the left seat no less -- would have been a lot like coming home.
The fact is though that if I left Comair and went back to US Airways to fill another box ... to try (once again) to improve my qualifications with the hopes of moving on ... and then six months later found myself unemployed again, I dont think I could look my wife in the face and explain why.
So to those of you still waiting for MidAtlantic my seat is yours. I wish you and the entire US Airways family the best of luck with the hopes that you will be able to turn the tide and reinvent yourself as a lean, competitive airline.
In the meantime I think i'll stay here in the right seat. Hopefully Delta's realignment of RJ flying will not have too great an impact on Comair and I'll be able to finally sit back for a few years and enjoy the flying career that I've spent the last decade trying to build -- I'm just not going to rush around trying to fill boxes anymore.
Thanks again for all of your advice!
KeroseneSnorter
Robust Member
- Joined
- Oct 26, 2003
- Posts
- 1,530
Furloughed,
I know what you mean. 3 years ago I would have jumped at one of the J4J offers, but after being out of the airline biz for a while I am seeing the regionals for what they are.
Flying Corporate I am actually (gasp!!) seeing my kid grow up!! And I have been home for the past 3 Christmas, and Thanksgiving holidays.....something that I had missed every year for the previous 7 years. And to top it off the pay is much better than any of the regionals. So like you, instead of jumping at one of the so called "good deals" I find myself wondering how they are actually getting anyone to fly those things for the wages offered! Although it appears that there are darn few takers for the job from anybody that has anykind of experience. Mostly just the older guys that were furloughed later down the line with 10 or 12 years in at U and have not found anything better yet.
Yet everyday I see the kids coming through that think 60 grand is a fortune to fly left seat in an RJ and be gone away from your home and family for 200 + days a year. And they are willing to pay 100k to learn how to do a job that has a starting wage of 18 k.
Strange how it came to this, considering that your average motivated high school student makes better money than that working part time after school.
So like you, barring any unforseen events I will not be accepting any of their generous offers, I prefer working somewhere that actually appreciates the experience I have and is not just looking for a warm body.
I know what you mean. 3 years ago I would have jumped at one of the J4J offers, but after being out of the airline biz for a while I am seeing the regionals for what they are.
Flying Corporate I am actually (gasp!!) seeing my kid grow up!! And I have been home for the past 3 Christmas, and Thanksgiving holidays.....something that I had missed every year for the previous 7 years. And to top it off the pay is much better than any of the regionals. So like you, instead of jumping at one of the so called "good deals" I find myself wondering how they are actually getting anyone to fly those things for the wages offered! Although it appears that there are darn few takers for the job from anybody that has anykind of experience. Mostly just the older guys that were furloughed later down the line with 10 or 12 years in at U and have not found anything better yet.
Yet everyday I see the kids coming through that think 60 grand is a fortune to fly left seat in an RJ and be gone away from your home and family for 200 + days a year. And they are willing to pay 100k to learn how to do a job that has a starting wage of 18 k.
Strange how it came to this, considering that your average motivated high school student makes better money than that working part time after school.
So like you, barring any unforseen events I will not be accepting any of their generous offers, I prefer working somewhere that actually appreciates the experience I have and is not just looking for a warm body.
On Your Six
Well-known member
- Joined
- Mar 8, 2004
- Posts
- 4,507
Furloughedagain,
Well said. Your post was very profound - I think we are all looking for a little security and sometimes we rush to take advantage of opportunities that "might" lead to something else. In this business, nothing is for certain.
Comair is a great airline and I am happy that you are finding some peace.
Well said. Your post was very profound - I think we are all looking for a little security and sometimes we rush to take advantage of opportunities that "might" lead to something else. In this business, nothing is for certain.
Comair is a great airline and I am happy that you are finding some peace.
Mahalanobis
New member
- Joined
- Jun 9, 2004
- Posts
- 1
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