I actually agree with you about the ipod thing. I think it's pretty rude to the guy you're flying with and disrespectful to the owners who are paying a ton for your professional service.
However, what's with your dig on Regional Pilots? Your name is ACA Terry. Isn't that Atlantic Coast Airlines? Flew for United as United Express? Isn't that CL65 in your aircraft flown a CRJ that ACA operated? I'm not putting you down...just wondering why your busting on former regional pilots if you were one.
I take no offense at all to your post. My beef isn't with regional pilots, I was on myself for years. But with the ones of today, in particular the ones who were career changers rather than the "kid at the airport" types. I see them with their blue sunglasses (inside the terminal), green or red backpacks jacked up like they're going camping, plugged in with white wires coming out of their ears, and God help you if you're a passenger asking for any kind of help. You'll get the "I'm far too cool to be bothered by you" look, with a shrug of the shoulders. I just think that yesterdays regional pilot took the job and the public eye more seriously. Sure we had fun, but we were more concerned with the publics perception of us. We knew that their perception of us dictated the kinds of letters they wrote to our management (which was important during contracts), and that ultimately, the passengers were our paycheck. I just don't see todays regional pilots as professional aviators, but rather as a bunch of spoiled kids who slapped down $80,000, instructed 3 months and now see the world as owing them a living.
I know there are a bunch of regional pilots out there who are not fitting of this opinion (I taught many a good student at an academy), but that they are dwindling in population and the refills are really weak and immature.
Look at the Pinnacle pilot who was arrested last week, and how about 80% of his peers are sticking up for him in here. But if he crashed a plane from a mess-up, he'd be hung to dry. So its this:
**get arrested for running around naked in someones yard, you're cool. Made a conscious and deliberate choice to get drunk, naked and stupid. But...if you
**have an accident....you're stupid. And there is nothing to learn here because all these regional kids COULD NEVER make such a mistake. After all,
they passed a checkride!
It's the immaturity and short sightedness that kills me. I see it all the time now at NJA in my fleet. We hired a fair number of regional FOs last year because that's all we could get with that silly domicile system. Now I inherit about 400% to 500% more dirty, unstocked airplanes. Passengers complain more and we have had ridiculously high numbers of reminders from the CPs about uniform issues (which isn't that hard to follow...we don't even wear hats!).
So you see, it drives me nuts that I have to fly with a guy who required electric stimulation 24 hours a day, won't do his job, and sees everyone else as the problem. Hope that clears my position more.
