Rez O. Lewshun
Save the Profession
- Joined
- Jan 19, 2004
- Posts
- 13,422
Too Many "Private Pilots" when it comes to Air Line Pilot Careers
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Air Line Pilots spend allot of time getting qualified and staying qualified. A private pilot’s skill set doesn't work for Air Line Pilots. Neither does it work for Air Line Pilot Careers.
Can we really be effective in protecting, promoting and prospering in our Air Line Pilot Careers if we function at a private pilot level?
To perform at an Air Line or ATP level we spent allot of time in the books and gaining experience. Have we spent time in the airline career books? Have we spent time getting airline career experience? Only you can answer this question for yourself.
Experience in Air Line Flying doesn't mean experience in Air Line Careers.
This career education and experience applies to new regional FO's and Legacy carriers. While one would expect a UAL, DAL, CAL and NWA pilot to be quite proficient at managing their Air Line careers, that expectation falls flat.
Pilots of both ALPA and CAPA [CAPA includes APA, SWAPA, IPA, NAP and IBT] operate at a private pilot level when managing their careers. This is not to be an insult but a reality check. Let's understand were we are and were we need to go.
We have to redefine what it means to be a participant in Air Line Pilot Careers. Over the course of 70+ years of Air Line Flying the general membership as operated at idle while a small few do all the work.
From Flying the Line Vol I pg. 227
It is easy to see that if the membership did more, more would get done. As read, this was during the 1950's! Much hasn't changed. The membership is still complacent and takes for granted the hard earned benefits that seem to be expected.
Time for a change? YES!
Many are calling for radical changes in the union representation paradigm. Keep in mind that any change, even radical change, is going to take an increased level of membership participation.
I say the change starts with the membership. Let's change what it means to be a career Air Line Pilot. Let's change what is expected of a member. Let's require more activity, participation and innovation. Let's quit loading up the elected leadership with all the problems and solutions.
Let's liken this to a flight deck emergency. As the FO or FE do we simply look at the CA and say "You're the CA, you figure it out". No, our training says we all participate. We all work together and solve problems as a team.
Thus, would you show up to fly jets at a private pilot level? Would you handicap your fellow pilots by not knowing your books and HOW the airplane works?
Then why would you handicap your fellow pilots when it comes to our careers.
We need to go from private pilot career to ATP career......
Count me in........
.
Air Line Pilots spend allot of time getting qualified and staying qualified. A private pilot’s skill set doesn't work for Air Line Pilots. Neither does it work for Air Line Pilot Careers.
Can we really be effective in protecting, promoting and prospering in our Air Line Pilot Careers if we function at a private pilot level?
To perform at an Air Line or ATP level we spent allot of time in the books and gaining experience. Have we spent time in the airline career books? Have we spent time getting airline career experience? Only you can answer this question for yourself.
Experience in Air Line Flying doesn't mean experience in Air Line Careers.
This career education and experience applies to new regional FO's and Legacy carriers. While one would expect a UAL, DAL, CAL and NWA pilot to be quite proficient at managing their Air Line careers, that expectation falls flat.
Pilots of both ALPA and CAPA [CAPA includes APA, SWAPA, IPA, NAP and IBT] operate at a private pilot level when managing their careers. This is not to be an insult but a reality check. Let's understand were we are and were we need to go.
We have to redefine what it means to be a participant in Air Line Pilot Careers. Over the course of 70+ years of Air Line Flying the general membership as operated at idle while a small few do all the work.
From Flying the Line Vol I pg. 227
Inevitably, a new generation arrived made up of pilots less steeped in the past struggles and more content about the professional status ALPA had created for them. The new generation was also increasingly indifferent to ALPA and its administration. Pioneer pilots, by and large, paid close attention to ALPA affairs, and they couldn’t understand the lackadaisical attitude of the younger pilots, partially when it came to governance at the local level. By the late 1950s, many pilots simply took for granted that somebody else would do the hard work needed to sustain ALPA. While complacent pilots golfed or pursued second careers, a minority ran ALPA’s local affairs on each airline.
Although most of these individuals were dedicated to making ALPA work, on some airlines a few pilots used ALPA as a gimmick for personal aggrandizement. The indifference of the rank and file and the poor attendance at local council meetings meant that a minority on any airline could, with proper planning, seize control and eventually dominate the master executive council (MEC) itself. The danger was that a well-organized clique could speak for an indifferent majority of pilots.
It is easy to see that if the membership did more, more would get done. As read, this was during the 1950's! Much hasn't changed. The membership is still complacent and takes for granted the hard earned benefits that seem to be expected.
Time for a change? YES!
Many are calling for radical changes in the union representation paradigm. Keep in mind that any change, even radical change, is going to take an increased level of membership participation.
I say the change starts with the membership. Let's change what it means to be a career Air Line Pilot. Let's change what is expected of a member. Let's require more activity, participation and innovation. Let's quit loading up the elected leadership with all the problems and solutions.
Let's liken this to a flight deck emergency. As the FO or FE do we simply look at the CA and say "You're the CA, you figure it out". No, our training says we all participate. We all work together and solve problems as a team.
Thus, would you show up to fly jets at a private pilot level? Would you handicap your fellow pilots by not knowing your books and HOW the airplane works?
Then why would you handicap your fellow pilots when it comes to our careers.
We need to go from private pilot career to ATP career......
Count me in........
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