Pilots at Low Cost Carriers Gloat over Major Airline Pilot job losses.
The MCGRWL-HIll Companies Aviation Leek and Space Lechnology
Donald Hall/Washington
Even though Tom Smith had several DUI's, no College Degree and very little flight experience he forked over $12,500 to attend Valuejet Airlines DC-9 training in Miami Florida. "I remember it like it was yesterday" said Smith, 35 of Atlanta Ga, "I couldn't get hired by Delta so the next best thing was go ahead and work at Valujet" For Smith it worked out well as several of the Legacy Airlines such as United and USAirways went into Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection soon after the September 11 attacks in 2001, laying off thousands of highly skilled aviators, meanwhile Valujet who renamed itself Airtran remained profitable through the turbulent years after 2001, albeit on the backs of underpaid pilots like Smith.
Smith, like many of his co-workers now gloat about how good they have it at Airtran. "I am a B-717 Captain and even though I would never ever been hired at Northwest, I get to gloat about how good I have it while the Northwest guys are in a hurt locker " remarked Lye Puckett, 53, of Macon Ga. "Heck they think we are Scabs, and even though I forked over a ton of cash for this job I feel pretty good about myself" "This is where I want to be" gleemed Tyrone Webb, 37, Atlanta Ga. If United offered me a job today, I would say NO! I have always wanted to work here at Airtran this is my career choice" But for Webb it is not that easy, even though most Major Ailrines are not hiring, once hiring resumes after all the thousands or recalled pilots are back to work, Webb would stand little chance of obtaining an interview at one of the Major Airlines, why? "Qualifications and background" says Allen Boyed of Aviation Consulting LLC, in Evergreen Colorado, these guys were very substandard applicants in the late 90's they couldn't get hired at a McDonalds let alone Jetblue.
Bob Kundig, 34 of Lancaster PA, was one of the many of Furloughed pilots who found themsleves out on the street shortly after 9/11. "I just laugh at those comments, it really is funny since most of them would sell their mother to fly a Boeing 777" "As for me, I know soon I will be back to work and those clowns can kiss my six!" Kundig, a former Naval Aviator that flew F-18's in Desert Storm remarked about how some of these guys really are pretty childish, which makes sense they never were hired at American, Delta or United.
"I thank the Human Resource Department over at the "G.O." that some of these guys are not wearing the Delta wings of gold, says Capt. Don Onufer, "I wouldn't want to fly with any of them" Paul Detrick, 38 of Erlanger KY who is a Pilot for Comair Airlines turned down an offer of employment with Airtran last week "I didn't want to limit myself by working with some of those guys who are former Eastern Scabs, I went on strike for 89 days and I know what it is like to be stabbed in the back by a SCAB" Detrick stands a pretty good chance of flying for a Major Airline as he was an intern for United in the mid 90's. "United told me to get some Pilot in Command time and don't pay for my job and they would gladly hire me into a Flight Officer position"
Airtran may be profitable now, but with United's TED and Delta's Song along with regional carriers such as Comair and Skywest that may change. Airtran couldn't operate Airbus aircraft hainvg to rely on Ryan International Airlines to do such flying. Pilot training was cited as one of the major downfalls to Airtran operating an Aribus Fleet. "They couldn't make it through the course" said Pierre Windsor of Duluth MN. "I ran the ground school with Airtran and Atalntic Coast Pilots, the ACA guys passed the Airtran guys failed miserbly" stressed Windsor, 58 a former Air Canada Check Captain. "It all comes down to the quality of people you have hired as Pilots" says Retired General Robert E. Lee, who now works for Delta Airlines as a Pilot recruiter, "We look for a solid Employment record and good solid flying skills along with an Education, of course if you are on a Scab list Forgettaboutit! " Mr. Lee who sometimes moonlights as a Delta Airlines spin doctor is widely considered an Expert on Airline Buisness models and trends.
For now the Airtran pilots like Smith, Puckett, and Webb can Gloat about their luck in the industry but if history proves correct again, what comes around goes around, even for the Airtran Pilots.
Aviation Leek and Space Lechnology www.AviationNows.com/awsl
The MCGRWL-HIll Companies Aviation Leek and Space Lechnology
Donald Hall/Washington
Even though Tom Smith had several DUI's, no College Degree and very little flight experience he forked over $12,500 to attend Valuejet Airlines DC-9 training in Miami Florida. "I remember it like it was yesterday" said Smith, 35 of Atlanta Ga, "I couldn't get hired by Delta so the next best thing was go ahead and work at Valujet" For Smith it worked out well as several of the Legacy Airlines such as United and USAirways went into Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection soon after the September 11 attacks in 2001, laying off thousands of highly skilled aviators, meanwhile Valujet who renamed itself Airtran remained profitable through the turbulent years after 2001, albeit on the backs of underpaid pilots like Smith.
Smith, like many of his co-workers now gloat about how good they have it at Airtran. "I am a B-717 Captain and even though I would never ever been hired at Northwest, I get to gloat about how good I have it while the Northwest guys are in a hurt locker " remarked Lye Puckett, 53, of Macon Ga. "Heck they think we are Scabs, and even though I forked over a ton of cash for this job I feel pretty good about myself" "This is where I want to be" gleemed Tyrone Webb, 37, Atlanta Ga. If United offered me a job today, I would say NO! I have always wanted to work here at Airtran this is my career choice" But for Webb it is not that easy, even though most Major Ailrines are not hiring, once hiring resumes after all the thousands or recalled pilots are back to work, Webb would stand little chance of obtaining an interview at one of the Major Airlines, why? "Qualifications and background" says Allen Boyed of Aviation Consulting LLC, in Evergreen Colorado, these guys were very substandard applicants in the late 90's they couldn't get hired at a McDonalds let alone Jetblue.
Bob Kundig, 34 of Lancaster PA, was one of the many of Furloughed pilots who found themsleves out on the street shortly after 9/11. "I just laugh at those comments, it really is funny since most of them would sell their mother to fly a Boeing 777" "As for me, I know soon I will be back to work and those clowns can kiss my six!" Kundig, a former Naval Aviator that flew F-18's in Desert Storm remarked about how some of these guys really are pretty childish, which makes sense they never were hired at American, Delta or United.
"I thank the Human Resource Department over at the "G.O." that some of these guys are not wearing the Delta wings of gold, says Capt. Don Onufer, "I wouldn't want to fly with any of them" Paul Detrick, 38 of Erlanger KY who is a Pilot for Comair Airlines turned down an offer of employment with Airtran last week "I didn't want to limit myself by working with some of those guys who are former Eastern Scabs, I went on strike for 89 days and I know what it is like to be stabbed in the back by a SCAB" Detrick stands a pretty good chance of flying for a Major Airline as he was an intern for United in the mid 90's. "United told me to get some Pilot in Command time and don't pay for my job and they would gladly hire me into a Flight Officer position"
Airtran may be profitable now, but with United's TED and Delta's Song along with regional carriers such as Comair and Skywest that may change. Airtran couldn't operate Airbus aircraft hainvg to rely on Ryan International Airlines to do such flying. Pilot training was cited as one of the major downfalls to Airtran operating an Aribus Fleet. "They couldn't make it through the course" said Pierre Windsor of Duluth MN. "I ran the ground school with Airtran and Atalntic Coast Pilots, the ACA guys passed the Airtran guys failed miserbly" stressed Windsor, 58 a former Air Canada Check Captain. "It all comes down to the quality of people you have hired as Pilots" says Retired General Robert E. Lee, who now works for Delta Airlines as a Pilot recruiter, "We look for a solid Employment record and good solid flying skills along with an Education, of course if you are on a Scab list Forgettaboutit! " Mr. Lee who sometimes moonlights as a Delta Airlines spin doctor is widely considered an Expert on Airline Buisness models and trends.
For now the Airtran pilots like Smith, Puckett, and Webb can Gloat about their luck in the industry but if history proves correct again, what comes around goes around, even for the Airtran Pilots.
Aviation Leek and Space Lechnology www.AviationNows.com/awsl
TC
