How long were you at the regionals and where did you go from there?

Started flying in '87 when things were good.

When graduated & employable in '89, things were OK. When I had good times a year later (around 1500 hours...sounds like a good number) industry went into the tank.

Instructed for 3 years. People a year ahead of me did 1 year.

Regional for 2, things were looking up.

Things went into the tank. Slightly bigger regional for 5 more.

People a year ahead of me did 3, not 7.

Northernjets at 30. Second youngest in class. Good couple years, then things went WAY into the tank (see a trend here yet?)

2008, things were looking up. 4 out from DC-9 upgrade. Missed out due to age 65/merger. People a year ahead of me upgraded and held lines.

Involuntarily displaced to Southernjets.

717 upgrade bid... 7 years later. People who...ahh, you get the picture.

Fun times. 15k hours & 3 college degrees later, I found it's better to be lucky than good.

Richman
 
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Richman said:
Started flying in '87 when things were good.

When graduated & employable in '89, things were OK. When I had good times a year later (around 1500 hours...sounds like a good number) industry went into the tank.

Instructed for 3 years. People a year ahead of me did 1 year.

Regional for 2, things were looking up.

Things went into the tank. Slightly bigger regional for 5 more.

People a year ahead of me did 3, not 7.

Northernjets at 30. Second youngest in class. Good couple years, then things went WAY into the tank (see a trend here yet?)

2008, things were looking up. 4 out from DC-9 upgrade. Missed out due to age 65/merger. People a year ahead of me upgraded and held lines.

Involuntarily displaced to Southernjets.

717 upgrade bid... 7 years later. People who...ahh, you get the picture.

Fun times. 15k hours & 3 college degrees later, I found it's better to be lucky than good.

Richman
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The moral to the story here, kids is:
keep-on-truckin-button.jpg
 
Richman said:
This. If the scene gets old, do something else with your spare time.

Instruct, be a checkairman, volunteer to do union work, go back to school, study music....do something.

But make sure the clock keeps on ticking. It IS better to be lucky than good, but chance favors the prepared.

Richman
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Also known as "have a life outside of work."
 
Seggy said:
Commuting is a choice.
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Wow man, wow.

This line may sound familiar to some, here is the entire quote...

"... Airline employees, non-airline employees, commuting is a choice. It is not forced by the economics."
-Roger Cohen in an interview on Flying Cheap regarding Colgan 3407 and the Regional airline model.

Roger used this line again in his testimony to congress.

If I would have told you 6 years ago you would be quoting Roger Cohen, you would have told me to "STFU"....
 
The Juice said:
Wow man, wow.
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No need for dramatics here.

I (and I'm sure others) don't want to hear someone complaining about commuting (I think they can even reserve the jumpseat ahead of time) who is at a carrier where folks at a FFDC would be giving their left arm to be at.

This line may sound familiar to some, here is the entire quote...

"... Airline employees, non-airline employees, commuting is a choice. It is not forced by the economics."
-Roger Cohen in an interview on Flying Cheap regarding Colgan 3407 and the Regional airline model.

Roger used this line again in his testimony to congress.

If I would have told you 6 years ago you would be quoting Roger Cohen, you would have told me to "STFU"....
Click to expand...

The difference in what I'm saying in context compared to Roger is (as one who commuted my nearly 7 years at Colgan) I know airlines force people into commuting with their business decisions, pay, and a myriad of other factors. I have a lot of sympathy for people who lives are uprooted thanks to a base closure, displacement, transfer of flying etc ESPECIALLY at FFDC places. The pilots then have to make complex choices on whether to commute or move to base.

Ultimately it is a choice. Not an easy one and one that is usually forced upon one.
 
11 months at Colgan, 8 years, 1 month and 26 days at XJT (Upgraded to Captain in 2.5 years there) now at US Airways.
 
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