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Retiring NWA Captain Sums It Up

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AA767AV8TOR

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 6, 2006
Posts
258
Well , The good news is, Today I officially Retire from Northwest Airlines and I was hired last week for a Service Advisor job in the automotive division of Sears (which is the first real job I had while going to college and loved it and it's what I want to do in my old age)--pay is good and it includes full medical,dental,401k & profit sharing---should be more than enough even without the retirement money---may still consider the same line of work at a regular
dealership at some point, covering my six for now---- I'll be home every night---no more check rides--no FEDS or commuters on my jumpseat taking up my office space---no more 25% PENALTY for being
legitimately sick---no more scum bag hotels---no more old bitchy flight attendants---no more 14 hour duty days with 10 hour layovers---no more drafting my butt downline to fly the remains of somebody else's trip because they can't staff the airline
correctly---no more zero/zero approaches into blinding thunderstorms or blizzards--no more strip searches at the security checkpoints by high school drop-outs ( my I.D. means nothing )--no more subway sandwiches at the airport served by Somalis that can never get my order right. Can't sit down and have a hot meal between legs at a nice
restaurant cause there's not enough time---no more missed recitals, birthdays or holidays---no more 3:30 am (body clock) wakeup calls on the east coast--no more number 20 for take off behind 18 little
regional jets at LaGuardia---no more company bus rides from the employee lot in machines, where either the rear door doesn't work or the A.C. or heat is out of order---no more "fear and intimidation style management" to live under( the head honcho of the Sears store actually gave me the second and final intervie w ( not normal) " he actually wanted to meet me" and said I should consider a position in
management with my credentials and philosophies about how I believe people should be treated and that he was really happy to see someone like me consider a position with his company ..he told me I would be an asset to any organization, unlike my current employer, that has always "behind the scenes" regarded me and my peers as liabilities and
prima donnas..go figure ! I'm not unique. Most Pilots at this point still fit the same mold. Unfortunately that mold is slowly and methodically being reshaped by corporate robber barons into something they can shackle to a Yoke and, who they hope, will never question the methods to their madness.

The more I re-read this e-mail, the more I wonder why it has taken me so long to come to this decision to hang up flying---oh yeh, it's cause I couldn't touch my retirement money till now, penalty free....I'm finally ready for the simpler life with considerably less stress. It use to be that the Airline rewarded us for all these little inconviences we take for granted and the time we spend away from home
and family that was part of our daily lives in this profession. We made good money, had considerable time off and the benefits were to
brag about.That is no longer the case. My Plumber makes more a year now than I do. His labor rate alone is $95.00/hr when he set my kitchen sink last May and he's a high school drop out. His yearly
salary is based on a 160 hour work month (40 a week) --My $93.00/hr and annual salary is based on an 80 hour month (hard time in the air) which doesn't include all the on duty and time I am away from home.

I suspect the New Airline Pilot of the future will probably be one of those kids you remember in high school that got out of classes on a 2:30pm work permit to go learn a trade because they weren't particularly bright. Of course he'll have to be on some kind of Government program to pay for his training. There's no way he'll be able to come up with the
$100,000.00 in flight training costs to get his licences, and you'll never see another Military Pilot leave the armed forces for an Air Carrier position where it will take almost his entire career to reach
the salary he left behind at his Military job. I would not recommend this profession anymore to anyone I really cared about. My guess is the Airline industry will have to lower their Standards as well as
their requirements as the airplanes get more automated (the FAA will agree) if they're gonna get any applicants. Let the buyer beware when he takes his next airplane ride in the future. I have absolutely no regrets about getting out while the getting is good. I use to love my job and the adventure that every trip brought. It's just no fun going to work anymore. It's all about quality of life ---unfortunately, you don't figure that out till you're on the back side of the clock in most careers and in the Big Scheme of things, approaching your own ultimate demise.

Life is really too short to devote one extra minute of your time to a company as well as a profession that is not everything you had hoped for.. I'm baffled trying to think of another industry that has so
brutally passed on the increased costs of doing business to their employees rather than their customers. Even my garbage man is charging a surcharge for fuel to me rather than rape his employees.

I'm out - a - here.......

CS

ps: I will forward a short movie to some of you of my Northwest Uniform going up in smoke so no terrorist can ever use it. My Eastern Airlines uniform and my Navy uniform still hang proudly in my closet.....
 
Well I can not feel sorry for this person. I just got furloughed from a major airline after being there for a few years. I took a 30k pay cut! I now pay 400 a month for insurance for my wife and no more 401k no more pass privelages and no more 13 days off a month. I am now flying 35 year old lears that are not well maintained and now on the pager 24-7. I have 3 hard days off a month and no vacation for a year. So boo F#$@% who.
 
Just one example of why America is dead. Hard work and a professional skill are no longer rewarded.

The most highly rewarded skill in our country now is the ability to lie cheat and steal with a straight face and clean conscience. Unfortunately I don't qualify for that.
 
Adios Skipper - glad I will not have to listen to your whining, when your generation voted to outsource nearly half your airline's flying while bumping the retirement age to 65. Those two moves cost the rest of the profession at least a decade on getting their 4th stripe.

Besides, there are still enough good trips and good crews to make this job one of the better occupations out there. Living out of a suitcase is what you make of it. If you are sick of it, you made the right call and should have pulled the eject handle even earlier. If being a service writer is your dream, go live it.

(I think I read this post years ago... if it were a current NWA Captain, he'd have something to say about Delta one way or the other. ... I suspect necroposting.)
 
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He wasn't smart enough to find the spellcheck button, so I don't have a lot of compassion for him.

So many guys hit about 55 years old then start to get grumpy, then more grumpy, then they hate the job and their life.

It doesn't have anything to do with Northwest, or the TSA, it has all to do with some dude becoming a "get off my lawn you kids!" grump-ass.

I'm glad this guy has found his higher calling working at Sears.

Ten bucks says within 30 days he's telling war stories and within 60 days he's bitching about how Sears does stuff wrong.

Twenty bucks says this whole story is made up, too.
 
Adios Skipper - glad I will not have to listen to your whining, when your generation voted to outsource nearly half your airline's flying while bumping the retirement age to 65. Those two moves cost the rest of the profession at least a decade on getting their 4th stripe.

Besides, there are still enough good trips and good crews to make this job one of the better occupations out there. Living out of a suitcase is what you make of it. If you are sick of it, you made the right call and should have pulled the eject handle even earlier. If being a service writer is your dream, go live it.

(I think I read this post years ago... if it were a current NWA Captain, he'd have something to say about Delta one way or the other. ... I suspect necroposting.)

Great reply.

On my first furlough, got my non-flying business to making good money. But it was hard work.

At my airline job, once I complete the shutdown checklist, I'm done until the next ID/flight. No calls/headaches/bitchin etc. Don't get me wrong, I (we) should be paid more for this, ALOT more. I feel the planets are aligning in such a way that some leverage will be coming our way. Lets hope we take full advantage of it.

However, this (c)aptain and his minions had a large hand in degrading this profession to what it is today. But I do agree, while there will never be a shortage of applicants, the caliber of individual flying our aircraft in the future may be compromised. I sure hope I'm wrong.

Age 65, consessions to save his ass, and an "Ive got mine" attitude will be this (c)aptains legacy. Let's hope he adds the right amount of oil to my Hemi.

B
 
I'm glad this guy has found his higher calling working at Sears.

Seriously. Is there anything worse than listening to the other guy whine about everything the entire trip?
 

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