Over AGE 60 PILOTS TO FLY IN UNITED STATES

[Flopgut]

Which right seats? What equipment? What do you do when there's a furlough? What about stagnation and the impact this has on mid-level seniority F/O's who can't hold CA, but want to bid bigger equipment and can't? How about the F/O who can't hold a line because there's a new F/O senior to him? Who makes up his loss in pay? Are you going to re-write the CRM curriculum to address new CA's flying with former CA's?

Let's talk union politics. Suppose in order to placate the top tier of F/O's that may get a chance at CA by continuing the injustice known as AGE 60, you have a new demographic of F/O's: 1) Those who can't get off of reserve because of your scheme 2) Those who move up a little, but are still facing the glass ceiling of widebody equipment because of your scheme 3) F/O's who used to be CA's but are thrown a "bone" which still punished them for the crime of turning 60.

Can you imagine any of these people showing loyalty and allegiance to the CA's in the union? This civil war will result in roll call vote after roll call vote with the F/O's taking every possible opportunity they can to stick it to the greedy CA's that came up with and sold this idea to the FAA and congress.

Conversely, we can take this rare opportunity of burgeoning prosperity at the airlines and do away with Age 60 while upgrades due to expansion continue. If there ever was a time that this rule could be changed with the minimum of pain, it's now.

Flop, you need to return to Lav A and continue working this idea of yours out, bud.

No one got into this business to be a semi permanent FO. No one. Additionally, there are currently NO career expectations for a 121 pilot past 60, so anything is a gift. An age 60+ pilot should be allowed to fly at the discretion of the rest of the pilot group. (Frankly, they should be re-interviewed) Surplus them to the bottom of the list below furloughs, or let them be intergrated with the new hires. If they can't get along with the captain or don't like their new situation, it can be handled exactly how it is currently dealt with. Its really no big deal, most of the age 60+ engineers I have worked with have been great. It is really their opportunity to display a degree of exemplary professionalism that is pretty rare. Most contributed to a very well run flight deck and elevated the abilities of those around them. Others fell asleep and ran the center tank dry!

Doesn't sound like your going to be equal to that degree of professionalism. The "rare opportunity" as you call it, is actually a low tide moment in this business when some pilots have been completely forsaken in deep furlough, or might be getting shot at in the desert, and mgt. can abuse pilot labor horribly. Now is the time when some want to help others get a fair share, and some like you want to continue whipping those who are down.

 

[Tejas-Jet]

That way when SWA starts flying international they can hire some captains with that sort of experience and staff them above you. They can be paid more than you, get better vacations than you, have more of the holidays off than you get, and enjoy more time with their families than you.

Let's pretend that you are right in that SWA will fly international. Why....oh why would they need to bring in captains with that sort of experience? There are already pilots at SWA with that experience. and, if they are senior enough, they could fly the international stuff...as Captains.

Other airlines have started flying international after having only domestic operations....the one I knew of went straight seniority. I personally wouln't bid international....my arse is only good for a 2.9-3.1 leg.

Tejas

 

[Bringupthebird]

No one got into this business to be a semi permanent FO.No one

So when is your CA upgrade class? You did bid CA didn't you?

Keep working on those schemes. I know deep inside is an great idea just waiting to get out. Just don't push too hard and have a stroke, we need you here.

 

[Flopgut]

Let's pretend that you are right in that SWA will fly international. Why....oh why would they need to bring in captains with that sort of experience? There are already pilots at SWA with that experience. and, if they are senior enough, they could fly the international stuff...as Captains.

Other airlines have started flying international after having only domestic operations....the one I knew of went straight seniority. I personally wouln't bid international....my arse is only good for a 2.9-3.1 leg.

Tejas

I can't wait to see day one at Mexico City for SWA. Not pretty.

 

[Tejas-Jet]

Keep doing 6 legs a day for 20 more years, and I bet you will look great and feel great!

What is it that makes you think that the trips at SWA have 6 legs a day? there are some that do...and if a pilot wants them, they are there....but I don't fly those kind of trips...and I know lots of guys who don't touch them either.

Tejas

 

[Tejas-Jet]

Do you want a 61 year old fireman carrying you down a burning staircase?

What if he was the only fireman that showed up? Then what?

Tejas

 

[Tejas-Jet]

I can't wait to see day one at Mexico City for SWA. Not pretty.

Are you gonna be there that day? Won't be a problem for me, I've been there before...plus , I'm bi-lingual.

Tejas

 

[Flopgut]

Are you gonna be there that day? Won't be a problem for me, I've been there before...plus , I'm bi-lingual.

Tejas

OK. I meant that to be more a jab at Jim's vision of his own "super seniority" than a jab at SWA's ability to fly international. But you have to admit, if you've been there or CUN, CZM, or SJD, "SWA derby" isn't going to easily translate to one runway, no taxiway, full proceedure airports. Throw a few heavies in the mix...I don't know...It'll be crazy.

 

[Flopgut]

So when is your CA upgrade class? You did bid CA didn't you?

Keep working on those schemes. I know deep inside is an great idea just waiting to get out. Just don't push too hard and have a stroke, we need you here.

Thanks, for the word of caution. I've been practicing by making submerged fecal oragamies of what I'm sure you look like.

BTW, an upgrade for myself is real close. Thats not going to change my mind on this issue. I'm sure thats hard for you to imagine.

 

[General Lee]

No they didn't. I was hired as a captain on the Dork because they ran out of people with sufficient Total Time to be covered by insurance. Sorry to raise the BS flag on you. The oldest person I flew with was a former CP from Britt and he was only in his 40's when I was in my early 20's.



Nice. Glad there are people around who are eager to "get rid" of their fellow pilots.



Hey Gen'l. How many fights has ALPA won in the past year? Past 2 years? Past 5 years? Do you see a pattern developing. I didn't think so.

Got rid of 2300? Oh you got 'em all right. They walk out the door with their full retirement and then you let them right back in so the company can save some training costs. All the while the furloughed and other people you claim will benefit from the continued discrimination against qualified pilots are sitting there planted on their thumbs. You're a regular bunch of Musketeers over there at DL, one for all... Yeah.

I guess I have to explain it all over again. The reason we brought back some early retired guys was because ALPA enforced the contract allowing only 24 hours notice to retire. So, at the end of each month, guys would take a look at the Gatt rate one more time and possibly bail out. If we lost 400 guys in one month, which was very possible, then we could conceivably lose all of the 777 captains and 767 captains, all in 24 hours, which would ground the fleets. Would that have helped our financial situation? Nope. So, we had to either drop the 24 hour required notice for something longer to get a bid out, or allow some guys below age 60 to come back for a set amount of time, and those guys were mainly check airmen who could give IOEs to new captains. But, you never thought of this type of situation, and instead opened your big mouth without thinking.

And, I saw some very senior pilots at Connection. I was told by one of my first Brasilia Captains that we had some near or over 60. If they left before you got there, then great. I have no clue what happened to them.

And, without ALPA, how would most of us do with contract negotiations? I bet you would be a great negotiator....... Yeah right.

Those 2300 pilots leaving DL was good for those guys, getting some of their promised pension, and great for the rest of us still around. We all got something, some got cash, some got to stay and not get furloughed or got recalled. We recalled about 900 people due to the retirements. Get your facts straight.

Bye Bye--General Lee