PBS Frontline expose' on regional airline industry

[WayBack]

Am I not allowed to have an opinion?

Remind you of anyone? Hint : They're the ones insisting health care get pushed through, no matter who does and doesn't want it. They will do what ever it takes.
If you take his ideas and opinions, it fits them to a "T".

 

[acaTerry]

ALPA caused this problem. ALPA threw those guys at Colgan under the bus. They did it to preserve to pay and benefits of the senior pilots at legacy carriers. If you're junior at an ALPA carrier, piss off, you're furlough fodder. Regional Jets were a bargaining chip: 50 seats; 70 seats; 76 seats. Do I hear 85? 85, how about 90? 100? Son, you don't want to fly those little planes any way. They don't say Boeing on the side of them, there not REAL airliners. Just take another bite of that ******************** sandwich, I'll be retiring just as soon as I turn 60, no make that 65, then you can upgrade and enjoy this "PROFESSION" that I have preserved for you. Keep paying your dues kiddo.

In the last eight years about 10,000 entry level jobs at the legacies have become career positions at the regionals. That's ALPA!

A-frickin' men!! Finally. Someone who gets it.

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

A-frickin' men!! Finally. Someone who gets it.

Do you get it?

With your income, how many industries have you patronized that outsource and sub contract?

 

[Nevets]

There is nothing to counter. This is like a car with the the best safety ratings in the industry, then you find out it doesn't run.

Do the award winning safety features matter when the car can't fulfill it's purpose?

The industry is faltering as a means to an end.

So, in your analogy, piloting is the car. But people have been piloting since the inception of ALPA and its push to make piloting safer. ALPA has fulfilled part of its purpose by making piloting safer.

 

[RedDogC130]

if you can't be part of the solution...be part of the problem...seems like it is a bit backwards...regionals pilots wanting to work for the mainline but then take jobs that undercut the mainline flying but then hope to work for the mainline....weird.

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

if you can't be part of the solution...be part of the problem...seems like it is a bit backwards...regionals pilots wanting to work for the mainline but then take jobs that undercut the mainline flying but then hope to work for the mainline....weird.

Not everyone is good enough to be a MIL pilot..... besides UAVs are reducing the MIL supply of pilots for the airlines.

The future or near future of airline pilots for the regionals and majors, including SWA will be from the regionals.... your LUV FOs will be regional pilots.

 

[SkiDawg]

No, your 2% goes to a really nice magazine subscription, and we're not talking Playboy. It has a bunch of pictures of fat, balding guys with mustaches. Some times they have pictures of those guys holding a plaque, because they sold the most boxes of chocolates in order to raise money in order to get rogaine for mustaches.

There is also encrypted messages in this all so powerful magazine, revealing the proper gut to mustache ratio to achieve the highest rank at ALPA, Chief Moral Officer.
After your probation period along with your "We Are ALPA" pin, you also get your special ALPA decoder ring.

Careful though, reading too much of this magazine could cause rapid increase of body fat, severe delusions, spontaneous combustion, random limbs falling off, hairy ears, could even cause women to grow a mustache, Hair growth on soles of feet, Abnormal growth of nose, Crazy itches, Abnormally large pimples, Full Dialation of the right pupil, Fingernail to talon syndrome, Brown Nose disorder, Stinky Ears, Melted cheese ozzing from pores, Growth of mutated organs (third yellow eye, etc.), Obnoxious laughing, Changes in apearance that make you resemble your own mother and severe cases include your white shirt to turn yellow.

That's classic! One of the mainline US Airways guys told me that an old guy told him when he was young that ALPA was just good for a magazine. He said that at the time, he thought it was sour grapes, but now realizes how true it is, and frankly, I'm seeing it too.

As for the guy who was advocating for ALPA, c'mon dude. If safety was their #1 concern, they'd advocate for better regional pay and better schedules and less 16 hr duty and 6 leg days, which could lead to more disposable income, which could get people off of crew room couches and OVER crowded crashpads, which would lead to better rested pilots, which would lead to less fatigued pilots, which could prevent potentially fatal situations!!!!!!!

 

[WayBack]

As for the guy who was advocating for ALPA, c'mon dude. If safety was their #1 concern, they'd advocate for better regional pay and better schedules and less 16 hr duty and 6 leg days, which could lead to more disposable income, which could get people off of crew room couches and OVER crowded crashpads, which would lead to better rested pilots, which would lead to less fatigued pilots, which could prevent potentially fatal situations!!!!!!!

I guess you missed one of the chest thumpers posts. No matter how little one is paid, you are to be a professional pilot at all times. This means spend every single dollar of your pathetic paycheck, to go right back into working for the airline and then 2% to the union. Just remember what ALPA has said before. "The company may sign your check, but we fill out the amount!". Just remember that next time. Still not sure why Rez and Nevets can't figure how it is that ALPA is to thank for the low wages. Because it isn't the whole pilot group in there "negotiating" the wages.
They also don't see the connection between crap pay and safety. But of course, it's never ALPA's fault.

 

[WayBack]

if you can't be part of the solution...be part of the problem...seems like it is a bit backwards...regionals pilots wanting to work for the mainline but then take jobs that undercut the mainline flying but then hope to work for the mainline....weird.

It is, but I guess it's all apart of the process. I agree it's pretty weird, especially since all the regionals are doing more and more of the flying and will continue to do so. You'd think they'd stay at the regionals, but it's the horrible pay they make for doing most of the flying...again, backward. Do all the flying, get the least pay.
But then they move on to the mainline, where they will turn around and complain about how the regionals are destroying the industry.

 

[buckeyes95]

ALPA created this situation. They fought against the B scale, yet in the end, what did they help create, a B scale. I don't even know if ALPA realizes what they have done. This used to be mainline flying on F100's, DC9's and like types. I have roots in the regionals and know that you earn your pay there. However, the pay and benefits has needed to be increased drastic amounts for years. This is where I fault ALPA.

 

[WayBack]

Do you get it?

Denial, get of out it.

 

[Balou]

16 hour duty days should be criminal ! Pilots should be limited to 9-10 hours duty and get paid every hour while on duty !! The last hours of a long duty day at night is a very dangourous situation regardless of flight hours or training ! When anyone is tired they just dont think as well or even react the way they normally would if they were well rested and alert !

 

[CX880]

ALPA created this situation. They fought against the B scale, yet in the end, what did they help create, a B scale. I don't even know if ALPA realizes what they have done. This used to be mainline flying on F100's, DC9's and like types. I have roots in the regionals and know that you earn your pay there. However, the pay and benefits has needed to be increased drastic amounts for years. This is where I fault ALPA.

Your right. It's just amazing that ALPA is ok with this and has been for decades. I still think they equate CRJ flying to flying a Metro.

 

[gnx99]

16 hour duty days should be criminal ! Pilots should be limited to 9-10 hours duty and get paid every hour while on duty !! The last hours of a long duty day at night is a very dangourous situation regardless of flight hours or training ! When anyone is tired they just dont think as well or even react the way they normally would if they were well rested and alert !

This one always makes me shake my head in disgust:

121.465 (b)(1) and in probably every airline FOM out there:
"No certificate holder conducting domestic or flag operations may schedule a dispatcher for more than 10 consecutive hours of duty"

 

[lookin4better]

if you can't be part of the solution...be part of the problem...seems like it is a bit backwards...regionals pilots wanting to work for the mainline but then take jobs that undercut the mainline flying but then hope to work for the mainline....weird.

+1!!!!

 

[doh]

Roger and I agree that there can only be one regulator. Right now there are many. Each flight department at each carrier and their respective POI regulate the safety of the system. That is too many. One operating certificate and only one. I'm sure Roger would agree!

 

[flyboyzii]

Story on AOL

http://www.gadling.com/2010/02/09/p...rontline-episode-regional-airlines-dont-want/

Found this on AOL this morning. Same story but at least the story is kind of making the news cycle in other areas rather than just on PBS.

 

[WayBack]

Roger and I agree that there can only be one regulator. Right now there are many. Each flight department at each carrier and their respective POI regulate the safety of the system. That is too many. One operating certificate and only one. I'm sure Roger would agree!

I agree, but it will never happen. The politics behind all of it are too much.

 

[buscap]

Awfully nice of Prater to take part in a total hack job piece of reporting. Absolutely no mention in the piece about the vast differences between many of the regionals. We're all lumped into the same bottom feeding untrained mess.

While not perfect, I would put ASA's training department and safety programs up against that of any carrier out there.

But that's how reporting goes. Prater should be ashamed for sitting his JABA THE HUT fat butt in front of the camera for a program which was going to unfairly defame many dues paying pilots.

Bad ALPA boss!! Bad bad ALPA Boss!!

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

Awfully nice of Prater to take part in a total hack job piece of reporting. Absolutely no mention in the piece about the vast differences between many of the regionals. We're all lumped into the same bottom feeding untrained mess.

While not perfect, I would put ASA's training department and safety programs up against that of any carrier out there.

But that's how reporting goes. Prater should be ashamed for sitting his JABA THE HUT fat butt in front of the camera for a program which was going to unfairly defame many dues paying pilots.

Bad ALPA boss!! Bad bad ALPA Boss!!

Do you favor brand flying be done by the major airline pilots or not? If so, how should it be done? And will be there be some pain?

For example... Say UAL/CAL/DAL said we are going to do the 76+ seat flying... we'll take the e-190s and fly them at mainline...

So managment says 'We got regional airlines that will fly them for regional rates, so if you mainline guys want them... here are the rates"

So mainline pilots agree to fly the regional jets at regional rates...

good, bad, ugly?