Sully to the rescue again!

[HA25]

I can't disagree more. As a third generation airline pilot, you should know that majors don't hire the "best of the best". They hire by internal recommendations. The majors have more applicants because they pay better but that doesn't mean they get the cream of the crop of those applicants. When I worked for a regional, I saw plenty of pilots get on with the majors who were horrible pilots with crappy work ethics while the respected pilots got shot down time and time again. I also saw guys with connections get hired with bare bones minimums while guys with 10,000 hours couldn't even get an interview! It's who you know, and nothing else. If you want to stroke your own ego then keep believing.

sadly, this is very true. I really wish this wasn't the case.

 

[inline]

so if it was on Fox, it would have been more true? eh?

Here we go again......another leftwinger with Foxphobia. Of course you and your ilk never ever admit that Fox,talk radio and the Internet is the only outlet for a contrary opinion. The Barry Hussein worshiping press is alive and well at CBS,NBC,Abc,PBS,NPR,and virtually every major newspaper in the U.S.

 

[HA25]

Here we go again......another leftwinger with Foxphobia. Of course you and your ilk never ever admit that Fox,talk radio and the Internet is the only outlet for a contrary opinion. The Barry Hussein worshiping press is alive and well at CBS,NBC,Abc,PBS,NPR,and virtually every major newspaper in the U.S.

not left or right... just smart. I get my news from all sources and take it with a grain of salt.

 

[Dan Roman]

not left or right... just smart. I get my news from all sources and take it with a grain of salt.

FMS.....1
Inline...0

Funny how people think a station that comes up with an "alternate" version of the news is a good thing. Wouldn't you have to twist the truth if you want to come up with an "alternate" version of the news?
I remember when the news was just that and there wasn't so many people out there trying to spin it 24 hours a day.

 

[Dumb Pilot]

There are a lot of very experienced, professional and dedicated pilots at the regional level as well, I think it is a disservice to cover all pilots working at the regionals (not by choice in many cases, mind you) with the same blanket.

 

[HA25]

There are a lot of very experienced, professional and dedicated pilots at the regional level as well, I think it is a disservice to cover all pilots working at the regionals (not by choice in many cases, mind you) with the same blanket.

It's not so much the pilots as it is the system that they work under. The corporate culture, the resources, the budget of the major airline training machine can't be matched by the commuter airline.

 

[Dan Roman]

What Dumb and FMS said. Obviously the Regional pilots are highly skilled. They operate in and out of the smallest, worst equipped airports and in and out of the largest terminal areas in all kinds of weather 365 days a year.
I think what Sully is saying, is the Regional airlines don't operate at the same level of safety because of the constant need to undercut each other to bid on flying. The don't have the same level of training as the larger carriers, their pilots don't get the same level of crew rest (Mesa pilot's sleeping on the airplane? wtf) and it is an entry level flying job so they do get a lot of very low time pilot's sitting in the right seat.

 

[waveflyer]

What Dumb and FMS said. Obviously the Regional pilots are highly skilled. They operate in and out of the smallest, worst equipped airports and in and out of the largest terminal areas in all kinds of weather 365 days a year.
I think what Sully is saying, is the Regional airlines don't operate at the same level of safety because of the constant need to undercut each other to bid on flying. The don't have the same level of training as the larger carriers, their pilots don't get the same level of crew rest (Mesa pilot's sleeping on the airplane? wtf) and it is an entry level flying job so they do get a lot of very low time pilot's sitting in the right seat.

Dan, just wanted to take this opportunity to agree with you. as an ex commuter and regional pilot, well said- though some of the real large regionals have excellent training, many don't and any money they spend on it is a liability come the next contract- so safety on the training end is debatable- the schedules are not- they were ridiculously unsustainable at every commuter or regional I've flown for

 

[Freebrd]

There are a lot of very experienced, professional and dedicated pilots at the regional level as well, I think it is a disservice to cover all pilots working at the regionals (not by choice in many cases, mind you) with the same blanket.

This! That's what I meant when I stated I disagreed w/ Sully. ASA has excellent training, but I understand not all regionals have excellent training also.

 

[Full of LUV]

This! That's what I meant when I stated I disagreed w/ Sully. ASA has excellent training, but I understand not all regionals have excellent training also.

Got it, ASA rocks.....now how do I schedule my flights to ONLY fly ASA as my Delta subcontractor in the future?

 

[waveflyer]

Got it, ASA rocks.....now how do I schedule my flights to ONLY fly ASA as my Delta subcontractor in the future?

Exactly.

One of the biggest pressures we can apply is the consumer fraud aspect. Only frequent fliers know the differences between regional carriers- many non frequent fliers are surprised as all get out that they aren't flying on a mainline airplane- esp as the RJs get bigger. I've been flying airliners of all sizes for close to two decades and I just asked a cousin who she flew to Seattle. "Alaska"
"It was skywest"- "who?"

To me code share is too convoluted for consumers to make educated choices. And that's wrong.

 

[rigger]

Ahhhhh when did sully ever work at a regional? He worked in the silver spoon era of major airlines. Has no idea what the safety aspect is at a "regional" I've been at both...not a whole lot of differance. Some days suck more than others.....at both

 

[waveflyer]

Ahhhhh when did sully ever work at a regional? He worked in the silver spoon era of major airlines. Has no idea what the safety aspect is at a "regional" I've been at both...not a whole lot of differance. Some days suck more than others.....at both

I'm sorry - but I've been at both twice- once each before 9/11 and again after-

I would say that domestic lines at legacies are still a bit better than at big regionals- the lesser regionals schedule in flat out unsafe ways- reversing sleep schedules, scheduled reduced rest-
The proficiency of knowing the home base so well does make up for some- but tired and underpaid (ie: financially pressured to work more to meet basic needs) is always going to be less safe than rested and well paid

 

[IBNAV8R]

I'm sorry - but I've been at both twice- once each before 9/11 and again after-

I would say that domestic lines at legacies are still a bit better than at big regionals- the lesser regionals schedule in flat out unsafe ways- reversing sleep schedules, scheduled reduced rest-
The proficiency of knowing the home base so well does make up for some- but tired and underpaid (ie: financially pressured to work more to meet basic needs) is always going to be less safe than rested and well paid

Bottom line is that customers don't really care.

Oh, they'll whine about the "small" plane or parrot whatever they hear on some TV spin-special (during ratings week) but none of that seems to matter when they see they can save $5 each way.

 

[elguapo9]

True story:

When I was at Shuttle America, a friend managed somehow to get an interview for a new Chief Pilot position that had just opened up. The exchange went like this:

Interviewer: "What do you consider our #1 priority?"

Applicant: "Safety."

Interviewer: "Actually, it's ontime performance, but safety is in the top three."

He never did find out what was the other item in the top 3, and whether safety was #2 or #3.

The problem isn't the regional pilots, it's the regional management.

 

[Bringupthebird]

Isn't that the same Sully that worked for an airline with one of the WORST safety records in aviation?

 

[charlie2]

Isn't that the same Sully that worked for an airline with one of the WORST safety records in aviation?

Hey Birdie we are dangerous and don't forgoet it.

 

[charlie2]

I'm sorry - but I've been at both twice- once each before 9/11 and again after-

I would say that domestic lines at legacies are still a bit better than at big regionals- the lesser regionals schedule in flat out unsafe ways- reversing sleep schedules, scheduled reduced rest-
The proficiency of knowing the home base so well does make up for some- but tired and underpaid (ie: financially pressured to work more to meet basic needs) is always going to be less safe than rested and well paid

In the 90's I worked for one of the best "regionals" and I thought the training was good. When I got to stupidways I was really impressed with the training. One quick example ( and there are many) my regional thought it was fine to have many 13 or 14 line emergency memorey items (only because a fleet captain said he could do it) but at the real airline I joined basically says we want our pilots to do it right so have a small amount of memory stuff and then we grab a checklist (QRH) to do the rest right.

 

[waveflyer]

Bottom line is that customers don't really care.

Oh, they'll whine about the "small" plane or parrot whatever they hear on some TV spin-special (during ratings week) but none of that seems to matter when they see they can save $5 each way.

No- passengers assume our industry is regulated well enough- they just trust the system

 

[Bringupthebird]

Hey Birdie we are dangerous and don't forgoet it.

What "we"? My airline had ZERO fatalities during it's entire history. So much for "we".