Stopping the slide

[threegreen]

we work in an industry that does not raise wages but instead lowers the minimum qualifications for the job when applicants run thin...

nothing useful to add just venting.

 

[fastbird]

Excellent point and that's why we all need to take five minutes and log onto both of these sites and take a political stand.

www.house.gov and www.senate.gov

Just input your zip code and it will bring up your political hack's web link and from there you can pen your note.

Not that many years ago, ALPA was on board with "One Level of Safety" regarding the differences in maintenance standards between Part 121 and Part 135 Scheduled Air Service. That push brought many companies to Part 121 standards.

Now, we must complete that task and bring one standard of experience to the cockpit. Will there be scammers and log book padders? Probably; but they already exist so there is no expectation that they will go away either. Will there be rich daddies who can buy all the flight time little precious needs to meet the minimum? Sure and they were lucky to be born into that situation.

Am I frustrated? Yep. Is this my way of venting? You damn skippy it is.

Now, let's get some pilots organized and make a difference. If we do nothing, then nothing will change.

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

Excellent point and that's why we all need to take five minutes and log onto both of these sites and take a political stand.

www.house.gov and www.senate.gov

Just input your zip code and it will bring up your political hack's web link and from there you can pen your note.

Not that many years ago, ALPA was on board with "One Level of Safety" regarding the differences in maintenance standards between Part 121 and Part 135 Scheduled Air Service. That push brought many companies to Part 121 standards.

Now, we must complete that task and bring one standard of experience to the cockpit. Will there be scammers and log book padders? Probably; but they already exist so there is no expectation that they will go away either. Will there be rich daddies who can buy all the flight time little precious needs to meet the minimum? Sure and they were lucky to be born into that situation.

Am I frustrated? Yep. Is this my way of venting? You dang skippy it is.

Now, let's get some pilots organized and make a difference. If we do nothing, then nothing will change.

I will say it was much easier to bring one exisiting regulation into another existing regulation......

What you are suggesting is creating a regulation. In addition, you are dealing with market forces...something that America holds dear as unbridled. I think the better way to go about your efforts is create tougher training criteria. If it weren't so easy then the mid life shoe store manger who is having a crisis won't get here so fast....

 

[Tank Commander]

I have question for someone who is alpa and union savvy. I was in my opps the other day listing to a conversation between two pilots. One was unhappy about alpa and made the comment that he was ready to tear up his membership. The other pilot made a statement that kind of confused me. He said it didn't matter because they would still take their dues out of his check.
Is that true? and if they do still take dues out of your check what are you paying for when you are not a represented member? Just curious.

 

[PCL_128]

I have question for someone who is alpa and union savvy. I was in my opps the other day listing to a conversation between two pilots. One was unhappy about alpa and made the comment that he was ready to tear up his membership. The other pilot made a statement that kind of confused me. He said it didn't matter because they would still take their dues out of his check.
Is that true? and if they do still take dues out of your check what are you paying for when you are not a represented member? Just curious.

Pinnacle is an "Agency Shop," meaning that you are required to at least pay "contract maintenance fees" to remain employed. The fees are virtually identical to the standard dues you pay as a member, so it doesn't save you any money to not be an ALPA member. Some of the more senior MEM pilots are not members because they left the union years ago as a form of "protest."

Basically, you are free to work at Pinnacle without being an ALPA member, but you still have to pay because you work under the contract that ALPA works hard to negotiate and maintain. If you fail to enroll in dues checkoff and don't pay anything, then you will eventually be removed from the seniority list and terminated as a result.

 

[Way2Broke]

WE ARE ALL DOOMED!!!!! DOOMED!!!!! I'm serious, and don't call me Shirley.

 

[fastbird]

NRPM the FAA does it all the time. It's the mechanism you're refering to and it's how the FAA internally makes changes to the FAR's.

We can lobby AOPA, ALPA, and other alphabet organizations for support too. It doesn't hurt to ask! And, it doesn't hurt to seek political clout.

The average bill doesn't generate even 1000 emails or phone calls from constituents to either call for support or call to reject the proposal. With 66,000 ALPA members plus Teamsters and APA...we should be about to get a couple hundred pings per member of congress.

It's worth a try. Things won't get better if we do nothing.

 

[Tarzan]

Here's one battle plan that ALPA hasn't indorsed and I don't hear about anyone else writing to congress over it.

Make Part 121 carriers have to hire to the same min standard at Part 135.
I've written my congressmen and senators. I'd challenge every Part 121 pilot worth their salt to do the same.

I guess ALPA would be more concerned about dues right now than down the road but if the pilot supply was tightened down considerably, wouldn't that drive the price of a pilot up?

I can bet that there are more than a few pilots out there that if they didn't have that short time in a pilot mill, they'd have never made it to the time required for 135 mins. And yes, I did have the time when I got hired at the regional level.

I guess I'll be writting a letter here shortly, to Duane, my congressman and senator.

 

[100LL... Again!]

Getting that strong political message is OUR job. If enough people BOTHER to write it will make a difference. We also have to put our limited dues paying pressure on ALPA to support the movement too.

True, this won't end the ability for someone to buy enough hours. But, it might provide a little help against SJS and the pilot mills.

Think Econ 101, when supply is high the price is lower. We have too many pilots willing to work for peanuts! That is a supply problem, just like our companies have a supply problem with over capacity and they can't raise ticket prices.

If you can't think of what to write, PM me and I'll send you a copy of what I composed.

FB

I have been saying this for a while. I'll do you one better - require an ATP to fly for an airline. And stop allowing incompetents pilots to get their ATP on a $900 weekend at a certificate mill.

ATP rides with FAA or Airline check airman only.

That certificate is WAY too wasy to get. It is meaningless.

 

[Tank Commander]

PCL 128,
Could you define "Agency Shop,"

 

[PCL_128]

PCL 128,
Could you define "Agency Shop,"

From wikipedia.com:

[SIZE=-1]Agency Shop - A place of employment where workers must pay union dues whether they are a member of a labor union or not. This mandatory payment is sometimes called the Rand formula. The first agency shop was established at the Ford Motor Company plant in Ontario, Canada, in 1946. [/SIZE]

 

[fastbird]

100LL...I agree with your assessment and that could very well be the next step. But, first...let's try and get some momentum behind a leveling of the standards that already exist.

 

[100LL... Again!]

You want to lower 121 to match 135? That can't be what you mean???

 

[Tank Commander]

So, whats the purpose? Revenue generator? Are all airlines with ALPA representation Agency Shops? and if not why? Who determines what airlines will be Agency Shops?

 

[fastbird]

Requiring 1200 TT to be hired as a 121 pilot just like a 135 pilot is lowering the 121 standard in what way? I use this section because all my Part 121 flying has been on an IFR flight plan.

[FONT=Arial,Helvetica]FAA FAR 135.243c Operating Requirements[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Helvetica]Certificate holders may not use a person, nor may any person serve, as pilot in command of an aircraft under IFR unless that person--[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica](1) Holds at least a commercial pilot certificate with appropriate category and class ratings and, if required, an appropriate type rating for that aircraft; and[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica](2) Has had at least 1,200 hours of flight time as a pilot, including 500 hours of cross-country flight time, 100 hours of night flight time, and 75 hours of actual or simulated instrument time at least 50 hours of which were in actual flight; and[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica](3) For an airplane, holds an instrument rating or an airline transport pilot certificate with an airplane category rating; or[/FONT]
(4) For a helicopter, holds a helicopter instrument rating, or an airline transport pilot certificate with a category and class rating for that aircraft, not limited to VFR.