SWA lands at wrong Branson Airport

[PCL_128]

You are turning this into some sorta troll fest.

Not at all. But if you want to go around telling other people what decisions they should be making in their lives, don't expect them to take it too kindly.

 

[JT12345]

Yeah well I should have just went private with this. I am tired from a long week, and did not think it would go on and on.

I will just say I have run into so many pilots who got out of it cause they could not break out of the General Aviation level only to get back in years later. I know you might find that hard to believe, but I have been in this during some hard times, and yeah we had some hard times, but not really at this level. The furloughs were short for us, and even shorter at PNCL. It is really rare for someone to just walk away at this level, and I would think the regret later on would be that much worse. It is however not unheard of. It is more about guys getting fired and spending thousands to get their jobs back.

This was not about being kind, but I hope it helped. I have not read everything on this troll board, but I doubt anyone else called you out on leaving. It is so self loathing on FI.

Anyway I should have went private with it. Mistake.

_______________________________________________

Yeah this turned into a hijack of the thread, but it is 22 pages long already.

 

[Bob_Sacamano]

Mid 6 figures? $500,000 a year to fly 200 hours? Where do I sign up?

Funny awhile back when we were discussing Spirit you called me a quitter for leaving United and its BS union problems behind. Maybe now you are getting s sense of what I felt a few years ago. Anyway if you can find a Part 135 charter gig for a few years it can pretty easily shoehorn into a nice coprporate gig. Mid six figures, nice equipment, fly 200 hours a year. It sure beats working for a living. The airlines seem like a bad dream.

I will admit flying 135 was not a lot of fun but it was over pretty quickly. You can't help but make contacts sitting around FBO's. Once you get an in, stuff like contract work or better paying jobs seem to fall into your lap. It's really nice to be able to choose from a few job offers rather than go to the bottom like changing airline jobs and with contract work its easy to make an extra $800 to $1200 a day when you want to. Just a thought.

 

[Denizen]

Mid 6 figures? $500,000 a year to fly 200 hours? Where do I sign up?

It is pilot "mid six figures"- that is about 105K including per diem.

 

[PCL_128]

Anyway I should have went private with it. Mistake.

No problem.

 

[Chest Rockwell]

You would be wrong. As usual.

Thanks for proving my point. That was too easy.

 

[AirCobra]

Mid 6 figures? $500,000 a year to fly 200 hours? Where do I sign up?

Sorry should have said mid $100,000's

 

[AirCobra]

I lowered my expectations of this industry years ago. I put a lot more importance and satisfaction in other things. It makes this so much easier.

Maybe you mistake my passion for how feked up PNCL was operationally when I got there compared to this place. I like to think my advocacy helped with the positive changes there, but for some of it unfortunately it took an accident for others to see what I was talking about. I wonder about where we are going recently too with recent news in that respect. As for AAI you have not seen me on the radar much like message boards or making stinks. Out of the lime light as much as I can. And why be in it with the FOQA data we have.

You are dodging the QOL issues.

I am already retired. When I get older I will have to slow it down some cause I will be slower physically. But hopefully the kids are on their own. As for just a job. That will happen if I lose my medical and have to come out of retirement. I do not let the Stevos and double breasted suites define retirement. That is a subjective thing and that I give back to you.

I am trying to find out where you think these greener pastures are at? The grass is not always greener on the other side.

This QOL issue is a made up thing in your head. The poor little single guy can't handle the commute to Callie or Vegas for a few years. Are you f'ing kidding me?

Fek= f'ing btw.

Doing this just for the money. Well did you realize the odds on that before you signed up for the long haul. And you are how old? Doing this just for the money is the sad part, and I still think you are full of sh!t just like the others spewing this "woe is me" cry baby crap. You just started shaving when you upgraded in the CRJ you young fek. I can't believe a guy with 30+ years left is crying about QOL.

Give me a feking break.

You are giving them what they want.

I see what you are saying but airline flying does not have to be the end all in aviation. I though I would be an airline pilot all my life until I actually did it. I got furloughed (horrible at the time but now probably the best thing that happened to me) and wound up with 135 gig, then a corporate job and never looked back. When I listen to what you guys put up with I just shake my head and ask "why?"

There are a lot of other avenues to explore. I have friends that went into aircraft sales, production test flying, instructing, CBP, or consulting and never looked back. We laugh about the airline BS we used to put up with and worry about. It all seems so trivial now (I mean no offense, I know its your livelihood).

I mean if you guys are wrapped up in 2% versus 2.3% or if you are going to be 4300 or 4301 on a seniority list, did you think of exploring different opportunities? There is a lot of different opportunities out there if you can get out of the mindset that if things don't work at Air Express you will have to go work at Express Air.

 

[dicko]

Yeah, I'm starting to give more credence to the distressed carrier title

You know when that title was earned, right dicko?

Every carrier involved in a purchase/merger of another carrier is deemed distressed by the FAA. You'd know that, since you're a self proclaimed veteran of the industry.

SWA was having issues in flight ops long before AirTran was saved. What's your next excuse Wave ? A unicorn wearing an AirTran hat buggered you on the way to work ?

Have any AirTran pilots been involved in your last string of events ? The answer is ....... No.

 

[slaquer5]

I see what you are saying but airline flying does not have to be the end all in aviation. I though I would be an airline pilot all my life until I actually did it. I got furloughed (horrible at the time but now probably the best thing that happened to me) and wound up with 135 gig, then a corporate job and never looked back. When I listen to what you guys put up with I just shake my head and ask "why?"

There are a lot of other avenues to explore. I have friends that went into aircraft sales, production test flying, instructing, CBP, or consulting and never looked back. We laugh about the airline BS we used to put up with and worry about. It all seems so trivial now (I mean no offense, I know its your livelihood).

I mean if you guys are wrapped up in 2% versus 2.3% or if you are going to be 4300 or 4301 on a seniority list, did you think of exploring different opportunities? There is a lot of different opportunities out there if you can get out of the mindset that if things don't work at Air Express you will have to go work at Express Air.

You sound like your still trying to convince your self you made the right choice .

By how much your on an airline Fourm , I think you have a long way to go in convincing yourself.

 

[jonjuan]

You sound like your still trying to convince your self you made the right choice .

By how much your on an airline Fourm , I think you have a long way to go in convincing yourself.

Bingo. Air cobras thinking is so out dated. Must be his old age.

 

[AirCobra]

You sound like your still trying to convince your self you made the right choice .

By how much your on an airline Fourm , I think you have a long way to go in convincing yourself.

Nah jut trying to let others know there is another world out there if airline flying doesn't do it for you anymore. I make more money and I am home a lot more. I am pretty happy. The only complaint is how much more paperwork I have to do.

 

[PCL_128]

I have noticed that my corporate friends are a lot happier with their jobs than most airline guys. However, that also comes along with the fact those guys are a lot more willing to move wherever their job takes them. And most of them slogged it out for many years in crappy charter jobs before making it to those good gigs.

 

[SWA Bubba]

Every carrier involved in a purchase/merger of another carrier is deemed distressed by the FAA. You'd know that, since you're a self proclaimed veteran of the industry.

SWA was having issues in flight ops long before AirTran was saved. What's your next excuse Wave ? A unicorn wearing an AirTran hat buggered you on the way to work ?

Have any AirTran pilots been involved in your last string of events ? The answer is ....... No.

Wait... I get it-- you used to use a unicorn as your avatar. Stop buggering the Southwest guys on their way to work, already!

Bubba

 

[AirCobra]

I have noticed that my corporate friends are a lot happier with their jobs than most airline guys. However, that also comes along with the fact those guys are a lot more willing to move wherever their job takes them. And most of them slogged it out for many years in crappy charter jobs before making it to those good gigs.

True at least for me. I had to move to the Northeast and spent three years flying charter. It was not a great job but it beat being furloughed and making no money. I had more time off with the charter job but you couldn't count on any sort of set schedule, just random days off each month. It was interesting though. I got trained in a new aircraft, went to a bunch of weird places, and operated more independently, so in most respects it never got to be the same old grind. The key though with getting hired for a corporate job was already having the type rating.

 

[waveflyer]

. The key though with getting hired for a corporate job was already having the type rating.

Great. You're gonna hear it from general lee now...

 

[waveflyer]

Every carrier involved in a purchase/merger of another carrier is deemed distressed by the FAA. You'd know that, since you're a self proclaimed veteran of the industry.

SWA was having issues in flight ops long before AirTran was saved. What's your next excuse Wave ? A unicorn wearing an AirTran hat buggered you on the way to work ?

Have any AirTran pilots been involved in your last string of events ? The answer is ....... No.

Still your fault dicko

And your unicorns wear the hat?

What are they? Rapist Unicorn Kernals?

 

[Dan Roman]

I see what you are saying but airline flying does not have to be the end all in aviation. I though I would be an airline pilot all my life until I actually did it. I got furloughed (horrible at the time but now probably the best thing that happened to me) and wound up with 135 gig, then a corporate job and never looked back. When I listen to what you guys put up with I just shake my head and ask "why?"

There are a lot of other avenues to explore. I have friends that went into aircraft sales, production test flying, instructing, CBP, or consulting and never looked back. We laugh about the airline BS we used to put up with and worry about. It all seems so trivial now (I mean no offense, I know its your livelihood).

I mean if you guys are wrapped up in 2% versus 2.3% or if you are going to be 4300 or 4301 on a seniority list, did you think of exploring different opportunities? There is a lot of different opportunities out there if you can get out of the mindset that if things don't work at Air Express you will have to go work at Express Air.

Amongst all this crap on here this is very good post. Lot's of very interesting, non airline jobs and resulting lifestyles out there. And plenty of Airline Pilots whose life is a train wreck. Nothing wrong with a good airline job and nothing wrong with plenty of other gigs out there. No doubt the best job is probably some cushy corporate job out there.
The worst are the pilots that think their airline is the best, everyone should be applying to their airline, etc. etc. Almost as bad is the wankers that, like you said, get wrapped up in "2% here vs. 2.3% there".
The happiest, most successful pilots out there enjoy flying airplanes to fund a nice life that doesn't have one's identity wrapped up in who they fly for.

 

[Dan Roman]

You sound like your still trying to convince your self you made the right choice .

By how much your on an airline Fourm , I think you have a long way to go in convincing yourself.

With all due respect Slaquer it sounds to me like he has got it figured out and you may be the one wearing SWA warrior spirit t-shirts on you days off?

 

[Dan Roman]

Amongst all this crap on here this is very good post. Lot's of very interesting, non airline jobs and resulting lifestyles out there. And plenty of Airline Pilots whose life is a train wreck. Nothing wrong with a good airline job and nothing wrong with plenty of other gigs out there. No doubt the best job is probably some cushy corporate job out there.
The worst are the pilots that think their airline is the best, everyone should be applying to their airline, etc. etc. Almost as bad is the wankers that, like you said, get wrapped up in "2% here vs. 2.3% there".
The happiest, most successful pilots out there enjoy flying airplanes to fund a nice life that doesn't have one's identity wrapped up in who they fly for.

And that doesn't mean I don't like my airline, on the contrary, I'm quite loyal to it, wouldn't trade jobs with any pilot out there....I just don't have a lot of tolerance for those pilots that think the whole world revolves around "their" airline.

 

[DTW320]

Amongst all this crap on here this is very good post. Lot's of very interesting, non airline jobs and resulting lifestyles out there. And plenty of Airline Pilots whose life is a train wreck. Nothing wrong with a good airline job and nothing wrong with plenty of other gigs out there. No doubt the best job is probably some cushy corporate job out there.
The worst are the pilots that think their airline is the best, everyone should be applying to their airline, etc. etc. Almost as bad is the wankers that, like you said, get wrapped up in "2% here vs. 2.3% there".
The happiest, most successful pilots out there enjoy flying airplanes to fund a nice life that doesn't have one's identity wrapped up in who they fly for.

Totally agree with this. If someone is driven by a real love of aviation, not just a love of a good job, there are many other options out there besides major/legacy flying.

The only caveat I would add however is that I've yet to hear about the non-121 flying gig that offers as much time off, and by that I mean time off that requires no thought whatsoever to anything related to the company you work for, or that doesn't require you to do a lot of non-flying BS in support of your position.

Of course, at the airlines there are the guys who create all of that BS for themselves by climbing ladders in the training dept or chief pilot's office or other management type thing. I'm glad there are folks who enjoy that since I don't. One of the major reasons I got into this was so I wouldn't have to sit in an office 40+ hours a week dealing with a boss. Even AirCobra admitted that he doesn't like the extra paperwork compared to an airline job..

 

[jonjuan]

Totally agree with this. If someone is driven by a real love of aviation, not just a love of a good job, there are many other options out there besides major/legacy flying.

The only caveat I would add however is that I've yet to hear about the non-121 flying gig that offers as much time off, and by that I mean time off that requires no thought whatsoever to anything related to the company you work for, or that doesn't require you to do a lot of non-flying BS in support of your position.

Of course, at the airlines there are the guys who create all of that BS for themselves by climbing ladders in the training dept or chief pilot's office or other management type thing. I'm glad there are folks who enjoy that since I don't. One of the major reasons I got into this was so I wouldn't have to sit in an office 40+ hours a week dealing with a boss. Even AirCobra admitted that he doesn't like the extra paperwork compared to an airline job..

You need to network more, then. Many, many, many corporate flight departments fly very very weekends or Holidays. I know quite a few -91 guys who are in their own beds 24-25 nights a month and have all major holidays off. How many 121 guys can say the same? Of those who can, how many years after being hired at a major can they claim the same? I know many 121 major guys who are in their 40s who can't get thanksgiving and Xmas off. One thing to get them off have them off with little kids at home, quite another to have them off when the house is empty.

 

[SpauldingSmails]

I could have sworn this was once a thread about a plane that landed at the wrong airport.

 

[dicko]

I could have sworn this was once a thread about a plane that landed at the wrong airport.

No. It's a thread about sodomite hat wearing unicorns. As always, the most important point is - none of this is my fault.

 

[vixin]

I had one of those great corporate gigs. Then China and India drastically undercut the industry and away went the corporations I flew for. Went from 5 planes to one to none. Great group of guys to fly and we had a blast. But that's business. We don't make much in this country anymore.

 

[scoreboardII]

And that's coming to 121 aviation. Watch Norwegian Air get approval to do international to the US. They use foreign crews from Thailand, offshore tax loopholes and rules. Once they start, an all new drag out fight for international flying will begin.

 

[Dan Roman]

And that's coming to 121 aviation. Watch Norwegian Air get approval to do international to the US. They use foreign crews from Thailand, offshore tax loopholes and rules. Once they start, an all new drag out fight for international flying will begin.

Every time I think our industry is starting to stabilize there is something new, like this! I always er on the optimistic side so.....I like to think that the foreign airlines are offering some pretty good incentives and hopefully will have to pay a premium to get pilots in the future and US carriers will also have to compete for pilots. I know I know, but I gotta throw something positive out there.
I see were Norwegian is going to have pilots based in the US, anyone know what they are paying?

 

[slaquer5]

With all due respect Slaquer it sounds to me like he has got it figured out and you may be the one wearing SWA warrior spirit t-shirts on you days off?

I was flying Lears at 21 yrs old . Right out of college .

It was considered a good corporate job.


Corporate sucks .

Dan .
SWA has not given shirts away for many many years .


Now Dan continue your SWA bashing .

 

[Flopgut]

And that's coming to 121 aviation. Watch Norwegian Air get approval to do international to the US. They use foreign crews from Thailand, offshore tax loopholes and rules. Once they start, an all new drag out fight for international flying will begin.

Unfortunately things like this Norwegian Air deal and the Abu Dhabi C&BP pre clearance facility become harder to ward off in the face of US favoritism toward SWA. It's no less unfair *trade* practices to allow SWA their own FIS than these other things. I'm afraid that when the routes SWA expects to get are made official, some other area of US international airline presence (more than likely legacy oriented) will have to be forfeited. Not trying to send the SWA guys into hissy fit mode necessarily, this is why we are losing on these issues.

 

[DTW320]

You need to network more, then. Many, many, many corporate flight departments fly very very weekends or Holidays. I know quite a few -91 guys who are in their own beds 24-25 nights a month and have all major holidays off. How many 121 guys can say the same? Of those who can, how many years after being hired at a major can they claim the same? I know many 121 major guys who are in their 40s who can't get thanksgiving and Xmas off. One thing to get them off have them off with little kids at home, quite another to have them off when the house is empty.

No matter what the thread, you just can't ever seem to even come close on reading comprehension.

I never said a word about weekends and holidays. I said total days off PLUS the lack of ANY duty of ANY kind when outside of the cockpit. Most folks I know at the majors average 18 days off a month. In all of my "networking" I've yet to meet the corporate pilot who can say the same. And back in the day when I did fly weekends and holidays and found myself in warm, tropical locations, especially on holidays, there seemed to be a large number of corporate a/c sitting at the FBO's. And I don't think they were based there. And sleeping in your own bed at night? I've flown high value 1 day turns with guys who don't do anything else. One told me he hasn't done a layover in over 10 years. Your friends in their 40's who can't get xmas off? How old were they when they got hired? Could they be more senior in another airplane/seat/base? Lots of choices folks can make at your average 121 gig. Not so much in corporate IMO.

But I'm just correcting your BS juan......my original point is still valid....there are lots of options besides 121 flying for people that love aviation.

Good luck with your "networking"