Big Sky guys...

I dont think the "just quit" option is as easy at it sounds. The seniority factor is reason enough to stick it out sometimes. If you could take your X number of years seniority to another airline, youd see alot more people telling a company to "shove it". I can certainly understand someones disdain for commuting to work when once upon of time they were living in base. If they happned to close the base that i just moved to, i would not be a happy camper either....

....with that being said, MCO closed a long time ago and its time to "throw goose's dog tags to sea" and let it go. I think with JC now being gone possible they are looking for someone else to complain about.
 
I dont think the "just quit" option is as easy at it sounds.



Nah. It's just that easy. Things are so black and white, ya know.

MTSUav8r said:
Before, when I wasn't an airline employee, it was "You have to work for an airline" to understand. How predictable!

Lloyd, man. You know I've got respect for ya, but sometimes you might actually have to take the rose colored glasses off and listen to the people that have been/are there. Life at CHQ and PCL aren't even REMOTELY the same. Just b/c they're both airlines doesn't mean things are equal at both. Both have different contracts, different pilot groups and (most importantly) different management teams. I highly doubt the CAL guys working under Lorenzo were saying "Eh, we're just like the rest of the airlines out there."

BTW, I'm sure that you have learned that there are some things in the airline would that you might not understand until you've actually done it. Flying wise, everything's pretty similar to any other flying job. It's all the politics that make it....interesting.
 
Life at CHQ and PCL aren't even REMOTELY the same.

But his response will be "You had a choice in which company to work for."

Which I do agree with to some extent, you DO have a choice. That being said, PCL didn't look so bad when you went there and Colgan didn't look bad when I chose to come here. I was happy at first. There was no report that the 1900 was leaving, the ALPA drive was on and the company was taking BIDS for Q400 transitions. Then it snow balled. Maybe I was too vocal about my displeasure with this place and the way they treated us on the Beech, but again, while I love my job and love to fly, I HATE being treated like a piece of s***. Colgan does not deserve a steady flow of incoming pilots, young and starry eyed like I was.

And while everyone was saying "Shut up or Quit", well damn, I guess no one has ever been in that situation. Its much easier to get another 121 job while working for a 121 carrier. It took me a few months to FINALLY get an interview setup with my number one choice company.

** And I should also add, that aside from being a contract CFI, Colgan was my FIRST civilian job after being in the military. So I do have a level of tolerance that the military puts into you. But many times I was recalled and had to work on my off days in the Coast Guard, and I never once complained because I signed up for it and I was always ready for the call. I was in shock when I found out that this place likes to the do the same thing. My mentality was bulls***!! For 4 years I sacrificed every day of my life to the U.S. Government and I did it PROUDLY. In no way am I going to sacrifice every day of my civilian life to some half ass company that doesn't care one bit about its employees while being paid less than HALF of what the military was paying. I looked forward to the freedom that Civilian life offers, and Colgan tries to impede on that.
 
CHQ guys aren't all that happy anyways, at least the ones I spoke with daily for a couple months in Houston. It's about perspective I guess.
 
CHQ guys aren't all that happy anyways, at least the ones I spoke with daily for a couple months in Houston. It's about perspective I guess.

Its about expectations and personal needs. I know XJT guys that are unhappy, yet I look at their situation and see that its leaps and bounds better then my situation. Its just a matter of what you expect and what you need. I expect that I will enjoy my days off with no bother from the company, my need is to be able to pay my bills, spend time with my wife and have a reasonable commute to work. Hopefully my next endeavor can satisfy those. If it can, then anything else that comes with the job is just part of the job.
 
Its about expectations and personal needs. I know XJT guys that are unhappy, yet I look at their situation and see that its leaps and bounds better then my situation. Its just a matter of what you expect and what you need. I expect that I will enjoy my days off with no bother from the company, my need is to be able to pay my bills, spend time with my wife and have a reasonable commute to work. Hopefully my next endeavor can satisfy those. If it can, then anything else that comes with the job is just part of the job.

I am careful with expectations. They always seem to not be what you've "heard" or thought.
 
But his response will be "You had a choice in which company to work for."

Which I do agree with to some extent, you DO have a choice. That being said, PCL didn't look so bad when you went there and Colgan didn't look bad when I chose to come here. I was happy at first. There was no report that the 1900 was leaving, the ALPA drive was on and the company was taking BIDS for Q400 transitions. Then it snow balled. Maybe I was too vocal about my displeasure with this place and the way they treated us on the Beech, but again, while I love my job and love to fly, I HATE being treated like a piece of s***. Colgan does not deserve a steady flow of incoming pilots, young and starry eyed like I was.

And while everyone was saying "Shut up or Quit", well damn, I guess no one has ever been in that situation. Its much easier to get another 121 job while working for a 121 carrier. It took me a few months to FINALLY get an interview setup with my number one choice company.

** And I should also add, that aside from being a contract CFI, Colgan was my FIRST civilian job after being in the military. So I do have a level of tolerance that the military puts into you. But many times I was recalled and had to work on my off days in the Coast Guard, and I never once complained because I signed up for it and I was always ready for the call. I was in shock when I found out that this place likes to the do the same thing. My mentality was bulls***!! For 4 years I sacrificed every day of my life to the U.S. Government and I did it PROUDLY. In no way am I going to sacrifice every day of my civilian life to some half ass company that doesn't care one bit about its employees while being paid less than HALF of what the military was paying. I looked forward to the freedom that Civilian life offers, and Colgan tries to impede on that.

Great post!! Very good perspectives and insights.......
 
I am careful with expectations. They always seem to not be what you've "heard" or thought.

True, but expectations drive life's choices. For example, 25' Seas, 40kts winds, 35 degrees, capsized boat 40 miles off shore, at night. You better have the expectation that:

a.) Its COLD
b.) Freezing spray will be on the deck
c.) Falling overboard would be deadly
d.) Mission success rate for survivors will be low
e.) Possible roll over when transiting the inlet

Prepare accordingly.



Sure that scenario has nothing to do with career choices, but its an exaggerated example of how expectations drive choices. You want to work for a company that will come as close to meeting or exceeding your expectations as possible, keeping in mind this is the real world, and every job/company has its downfalls. There are probably some things at XJT that don't meet your expectations, but I'm sure much of it does, and despite a few things that maybe you don't like, they are not enough to spoil your happiness with the job and company you work for.
 
Of course.

The guys that want to live in base. Whatever base that is, and their choices may have only been 1 company.

Easy as pie. :)

You can't use that logic, Surreal. They still had a choice - as much of a choice as anybody. They made their choice.

What's that they said about making beds?
 
You can't use that logic, Surreal. They still had a choice - as much of a choice as anybody. They made their choice.

What's that they said about making beds?

BUT...this is the REGIONAL airline industry Lloyd, a good choice today is a bad choice tomorrow. The point is, just because you haven't experienced any woes or detours in your career yet, doesn't give you a lick of right to put down those that have ended up in bad places with troubles or to make statements like "You had a choice". What goes around comes around my friend.
 
BUT...this is the REGIONAL airline industry Lloyd, a good choice today is a bad choice tomorrow. The point is, just because you haven't experienced any woes or detours in your career yet, doesn't give you a lick of right to put down those that have ended up in bad places with troubles or to make statements like "You had a choice". What goes around comes around my friend.

Very good point.
 
Lloyd flew freight and built enough time to get hired at ANY regional he wanted. He was able to have a better life because he was slugging away in thunderstorms and ice in 210s and Barons while guys were getting hired into RJs <1000 hours. He didn't go to the first regional that offered him a job. Also if you have high expectations for any regional job you are only setting your self up to be disappointed. The job is what it is. Go to work, fly safe, and collect a paycheck. I assure you if you stay positive no matter how ###### things may seem you'll feel better about yourself and your situation.
 
I assure you if you stay positive no matter how ###### things may seem you'll feel better about yourself and your situation.

I can't disagree with this.....BUT


There's a difference between being positive and being realistic. Realistically, there ARE regionals that suck. Like it or not. Yes, people have a choice to go there. But, ya know what? I'd rather be here, living in base then commuting to XJT, possibly not upgrading for a while, maybe getting displaced, losing days off a month away from my family and spending money on a crashpad or a hotel. I've NEVER said I regretted my decision coming to Pinnacle, and I probably never will. But, I'm not for a minute just gonna clam up about the things that are wrong here. To me, that's doing the rest of the people that are job hunting at the regional level a disservice. "Come on over to Pinnacle! Everything's fine!" Hardly. We've got our problems, but ya know what? We're working on fixing them, and THAT'S what counts.
 
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