Street CA

[Lear70]

I never said that all the pilots didn't want to fly and I sure as hell didn't call the PILOT GROUP Lazy. I said I have had experiance with some. There is a *BIG* difference between not wanting to fly an extention, not wanting to pick up open time and not wanting to fly what you are allready scheduled. I also *HATE* junior manning people. I would rather extend (at least you're allready working) or better yet try to get someone to pick up the trip.

I appreciate you having some sympathy for the workforce, I really do. But 80% of the pilots at this airline commute (h*ll, 60% or better of ALL AIRLINE PILOTS EVERYWHERE commute); it's just a reality of airline life.

When you extend a pilot, you're basically killing a day off for him/her because, as you probably know, the pairings this airline creates start early and end late. Add an extension and now the pilot gets back into domicile too late to make their last commute home, has to buy a hotel room, then spend the first half of his/her day off trying to get home - might as well have been a work day except (even worse) the pilot didn't get paid for it.

Management likes to say, "It's your choice not to live in your domicile" and conveniently ignore the fact that MOST of the pilots in this industry DON'T live in their domicile. Just another way Pinnacle disregards its employee group's Quality Of Life.

No I'm not a pilot, but many of my friends are at various carriers. I know what you guys go thru. There aren't alot of guys on the line that have any clue what goes on in Skd on a daily basis. I think we (like several other carriers) should send our schedulers on FAM rides so new hire schedulers can see the crews in a daily "routine", I also think that New Hires should have to come spend a day in scheduling and see what really happens.

I'll go you one better. I believe a crew scheduler should have to ride along for a week, either high speeds or reduced rest 5 day trips. Management should have to do it for an entire month away from home like we do. Then they should be extended for another high speed every other week. Unfortunately I don't think it would do much good, but at least they would understand why our days off are so sacrosanct.

I also believe wholeheartedly in pilots coming down there to see how you guys (schedulers) are made to staff with inadequate crew resources to get the job done. It's not your fault it's like this, and more pilots (and f/a's) need to see it; but at the same time I hope it would put faces to the names of the crews that keep getting hosed on their days off.

p.s. I didn't have time to respond to your question in your P.M. this morning, I was trying to get out the door for my commute (missed my first one 'cause of a blown tire on the highway but made my show time in DTW). Rich Murphy is the name, MEM CA, nice to meet ya'.