Alpa Doesn't Look As Good As It Used To

Doug Taylor said:
So lets get the revolution started.

We've got the bandwidth, the traffic and for lack of a better description, a brand name.

We'll ramp up the mentoring, hold more 'meet and greets', maybe even hit the newbies at the collegiate level to educate them.

Ideas?

Seriously. I think if we take the same spirit of NetworkJC with mentoring, social functions where people can meet one another and the roundtable discussions and broaden it out a few fold, we can probably start making a different in the profession a lot faster.

Talk is cheap, but action drives results, no? ;)
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Now you're talking!

I'm somewhat immobile until the first of the year, minus weekends.. but after that I'd be willing to offer up whatever time the company doesn't have me sitting reserve or flying.

If and when I get a place I'd be willing to host daytime events. I'm still living large at the company provided hotel.

Operation: Torch Bearer for a name? Sound too cheesy?

I have a few ideas already twirling around in my brain that I think may have merit.

I'd also like to come out and say that while differences in opinion are valued so long as they're logically sounded out, we need to identify key elements that are by nature divisive and contrary to a unilateral campaign.

Topics I think should be included: Union vs nonunion carriers, the paramount concept of pilot education, pilot training and proficiency, modernizing trends for old and new, and the pilot shortage.

Ab Initio pilot training may well be the next trend in the US airlines. What if labor groups got ahead of the trend and started awarding scholarships?
 
Alright MeritFlyer, you're one of the ExpressJet reps. You've been conscripted.
 
Firebird2XC said:
Now you're talking!

I'm somewhat immobile until the first of the year, minus weekends.. but after that I'd be willing to offer up whatever time the company doesn't have me sitting reserve or flying.

If and when I get a place I'd be willing to host daytime events. I'm still living large at the company provided hotel.

Operation: Torch Bearer for a name? Sound too cheesy?

I have a few ideas already twirling around in my brain that I think may have merit.

I'd also like to come out and say that while differences in opinion are valued so long as they're logically sounded out, we need to identify key elements that are by nature divisive and contrary to a unilateral campaign.

Topics I think should be included: Union vs nonunion carriers, the paramount concept of pilot education, pilot training and proficiency, modernizing trends for old and new, and the pilot shortage.

Ab Initio pilot training may well be the next trend in the US airlines. What if labor groups got ahead of the trend and started awarding scholarships?
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You've been conscripted too!

We're going to do this!

2008's going to be the year of "Lock 'n load or STFU!" :)
 
Doug Taylor said:
Alright MeritFlyer, you're one of the ExpressJet reps. You've been conscripted.
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Sounds great to me. I think there ought to be a [ALPA] Professional Pilot "Wannabe" Organization that promotes the importance with reps from each airline.

We'll call it.. Preparation H!!! Muhaaahaa muhaaahaa.
 
Doug Taylor said:
So lets get the revolution started.

We've got the bandwidth, the traffic and for lack of a better description, a brand name.

We'll ramp up the mentoring, hold more 'meet and greets', maybe even hit the newbies at the collegiate level to educate them.

Ideas?

Seriously. I think if we take the same spirit of NetworkJC with mentoring, social functions where people can meet one another and the roundtable discussions and broaden it out a few fold, we can probably start making a different in the profession a lot faster.

Talk is cheap, but action drives results, no? ;)
Click to expand...

#### yeah.
 
Doug Taylor said:
And you're one of my Comair reps. I'll probably knock SoulBrotha' over the head and drag him off to indoctrinate him next time he shows.
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Cool!:rawk:Get ready to lock and load!:yar: You won't even have to concript the wookie, he'll do it on his own!:D Mark, you've been volunteered sucka!
 
Doug Taylor said:
You've been conscripted too!

We're going to do this!

2008's going to be the year of "Lock 'n load or STFU!" :)
Click to expand...

Conscripted? I was already on board.

I think now we just need to generate a list of issues we think should be addressed... and fresh ideas for improvement down the line.

First off, some sort of focal point officer for our informal committee..

Doug, you willing to be the pivot man on this action? You're the only unilaterally known and respected among the lot of us.

That, and you've got experience organizing this sort of event, etc.
 
I think what we've got to do is start reaching out to a couple three members on the site or probably even grab a few well known (but well-mannered) members of other sites to represent certain carriers that understand how we roll here.

We need to consolidate information as well and I've already got a little bit of groundwork underway in which to make this happen, it's just that I've got to find that lull inbetween storms to work on it.

I've also got to get more people comfortable with talking. If I had a dime for every time I've been stopped in the terminal with "Hey man, love what you're doing with the website"/"Hey, register and come say hi!"/"Nah, I don't have anything to offer"/"Dumbass, you were a 'boat school' grad, a blue angel and now you're a 777 captain, you've got LOTS to offer" conversations, I'd be a millionaire.

I've got a billion other ideas, but let me consolidate them all into an easy to digest, braised hunk 'o meat.

More on this a little later. Throw me ideas in the meantime.
 
I'm a young pilot and I can see the benefit of the union organization. but I do agree that ALPA could use an image upgrade. to me I think that the defining problem is the overall attitude of the young regional pilot. I don't know how many times I have heard a pilot in training say that he doesn't care where he gets hired he just wants to to get hired. For me I've based a lot of my ambitions on specific regionals where I beleive I will be able to make a decent living, live where I want to, and be treated like a professional. The days where a pilot should just be happy to have a job are over. The union organization brings the power of numbers to improve the life of everyone. Air travel is going to be 3 times what it is now in the coming years and pilots are a finite supply. Pilots in the end should have a lot of bargaining power considering no company can operate without them. Regionals are lowering minimums like crazy because of this fact. So then I have to ask why so many pilots are willing to sacrifice everything to work for a regional that treats them like Sh#t. Unions might be the old way to doing things but it is an effective way of doing things. It's a place where pilots can come together as a single entity and strive for a better way of life. It's in the best interest of pilots young and old to work together to better this profession period. We need (young pilots) to not just be happy to have a job.
 
Glad something I was talking about in the crashpad rubbed off on someone :).

I have an extremely limited exposure to see how ALPA works, but here is what we, as jetcareers.com, need to do in my mind.

We need to form a group of guys to set up a meeting with ALPA National in Herndon, VA. Go to ALPA National as a cross section of union represented pilots from the smaller regionals to the majors. Tell them we want to start, a partnership with ALPA and jetcareers.com, a pilot mentoring network where we go talk to those in training or at aviation related schools.

From what I have gathered a majority of those, at least during the Colgan drive, that voted no, came from 'fast-track' programs such as Ari-Ben, ATP as well as aviation related schools such as ERAU. We explain to ALPA that we need to be the ambassadors to these schools and programs. As ALPA members, demand an associate membership be set up that would allow any one sign up for. The associate membership would include an ALPA mentor, the ALPA magazine, Flying the Line Vol. 1 and 2, and other ALPA goodies.

From what I have seen, ALPA has the resources, they just need more volunteers. We go to them with the people/volunteers I think they would be more than willing to do what we want.

It rolls uphill in aviation. We have to raise that bar at the regional level and it will follow to the major level. We have to change the attitude of guys getting jobs at regionals. Yes, they should be thankful that they have a job, but they have to be wanting to make it better for them and those that follow them.
 
Seggy said:
Glad something I was talking about in the crashpad rubbed off on someone :).

I have an extremely limited exposure to see how ALPA works, but here is what we, as jetcareers.com, need to do in my mind.

We need to form a group of guys to set up a meeting with ALPA National in Herndon, VA. Go to ALPA National as a cross section of union represented pilots from the smaller regionals to the majors. Tell them we want to start, a partnership with ALPA and jetcareers.com, a pilot mentoring network where we go talk to those in training or at aviation related schools.

From what I have gathered a majority of those, at least during the Colgan drive, that voted no, came from 'fast-track' programs such as Ari-Ben, ATP as well as aviation related schools such as ERAU. We explain to ALPA that we need to be the ambassadors to these schools and programs. As ALPA members, demand an associate membership be set up that would allow any one sign up for. The associate membership would include an ALPA mentor, the ALPA magazine, Flying the Line Vol. 1 and 2, and other ALPA goodies.

From what I have seen, ALPA has the resources, they just need more volunteers. We go to them with the people/volunteers I think they would be more than willing to do what we want.

It rolls uphill in aviation. We have to raise that bar at the regional level and it will follow to the major level. We have to change the attitude of guys getting jobs at regionals. Yes, they should be thankful that they have a job, but they have to be wanting to make it better for them and those that follow them.
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Sounds like we have a real idea here. Would this be something we could convene in the January timeframe? Preferably late Jan? I should be out of IOE by then.

In the meantime, I have some ideas on a variety of issues and I'm sure everybody else does, too. With ALPA backing, I think we could really start a positive trend in a variety of areas in the profession.
 
The best timeframe to approach ALPA I would say would be in March/April. By that time HOPEFULLY, the USAirways/America West debacle will be over, and the powers that be will have the time to devote to this.

What issues do you have? I think we keep it simple at first. We approach ALPA as a group who want to mentor and help those coming up the training pipeline. Then we specifically talk issues to those we are mentoring.
 
Doug Taylor said:
So lets get the revolution started.

We've got the bandwidth, the traffic and for lack of a better description, a brand name.

We'll ramp up the mentoring, hold more 'meet and greets', maybe even hit the newbies at the collegiate level to educate them.

Ideas?

Seriously. I think if we take the same spirit of NetworkJC with mentoring, social functions where people can meet one another and the roundtable discussions and broaden it out a few fold, we can probably start making a different in the profession a lot faster.

Talk is cheap, but action drives results, no? ;)
Click to expand...

Ya'll need any help from the gays? We've got a real young group over at Gayviator, that is in either in 61 or 141 training. Or a first or second year regional FO, or about to start there training.

Some key words to remember there are young people, and new to the industry, or just starting out training for their future. A pretty good captive audience me thinks!

Lets bring Gayviator and Jetcareers together on this issue that will affect all of us the same no matter our sexual preference.

I'm in if asked, and I'm sure that Jace would agree as well!

Gayviator & Jetcareers working together= teh awesome!
 
I just had a thought. All these guys who are now flying out there in the regionals who are anti ALPA or against inhouse "NMB" recognized form of representation are the future major airline pilot force. If they are this way now, what will they be like when they eventually get to a unionized major? Management groups are going to love these pilots. If they don't go to a unionized major airline, then they will populate those "protoscab" airlines that Velocipede preaches about, which in turn degrades the whole proffesion.
 
I will come out of my cave of abuse to say that I was surprised by this post Firechicken. I was afraid it was an Anti ALPA thread, but you have me impressed. Good post. I wish you guys the best of luck.

I'm about an eject button away from taking a job at Marine Max with the recent events unfolding here. I'm forced into a financial corner that I will soon need to jump out of. I bombed one interview, and the last interview started rolling downhill when the guy said that Colgan is where their company wash outs go and pretty much my 121 experience is about the same as 500hrs and a Jet course. Naturally this set the tone for the HR portion of pretty much them wanting me to drool over an RJ. Not gonna happen. I'm a Beech driver, but whatever.

I'm on the edge of turning my back to this entire industry and walking for good. But goodluck to you guys.
 
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