Penair ends non-EAS Portland flying

[milleR]

Understanding the economic impact of a different route, a diversion, or a cancellation on the company, the customer, and yourself, and making a decision and a backup which both mitigates the most risk for the best profit is a professional-level decision. No roughneck has that kind of responsibility. Certainly if you make the wrong call too many times, you will be fired, but that is true of any job.

None of that is the responsibility of an airline pilot. Take this plane from point A to point B safely and preferably on time, that's literally the entire job.

Now, if you want to get into the vagaries of a single pilot/single plane 135 operation that would be decidedly different.

 

[ppragman]

Two posts up I said this:


I paid for engineering school by welding for a job shop nights and weekends. I respect the skilled trades as much as anyone. That doesn't mean I will denigrate my profession or my colleagues, the two are not mutually exclusive.

You've otherwise made my point for me. Every day you make a string of decisions which take into account multiple variables for which you need more than a passing knowledge. Understanding the economic impact of a different route, a diversion, or a cancellation on the company, the customer, and yourself, and making a decision and a backup which both mitigates the most risk for the best profit is a professional-level decision. No roughneck has that kind of responsibility. Certainly if you make the wrong call too many times, you will be fired, but that is true of any job.

Lastly, AK is a big place. There are lots of places where 500 is good VFR flown safely every day, which you know as well as anyone. Education, experience, and professional decision making are what make it that way. Unprofessional behavior will get you killed anywhere.

First - you're still equating flying to engineering, which is ridiculous and suggesting that to call flying closer to welding is to denigrate it.

Second, if you're factoring in the cost of a diversion in your decision making...you're doing it wrong (within reason).

 

[ppragman]

None of that is the responsibility of an airline pilot. Take this plane from point A to point B safely and preferably on time, that's literally the entire job.

Now, if you want to get into the vagaries of a single pilot/single plane 135 operation that would be decidedly different.

Further it's worth noting that if your company says "fly empty airplanes around and waste fuel and mx time" you do it even though it's inefficient and wasteful...

 

[ppragman]

Oversight and corrective action, presuming that you survive, that is, typically happens after the moment, not in it.

You're doing your ms in safety yeah?

 

[JetDoc]

I have up to this point stayed out of this conversation because, well, I am extremely passionate about this whole white collar/blue collar thing. To state my position, airline piloting, is by all definitions of the term, a blue collar PROFESSION. We punch a time clock every time we close the door and drop the brake and punch it again when the brake is set and the door is opened. We are wage earners. We are not paid a salary. @ppragman, you get it, thank you. @Nate Hubbard while most of your A&P characterization is correct, job cards, maintenance manuals and structural repair manuals do, for the most part lay the steps out or provide guidance, it is the troubleshooting aspect were the outside the box thinking takes place and where an A&P really earns their paycheck. While the Fault Isolation Manual is a good start, It cannot and does not account for every possible condition.
As far as education requirements. To earn my A&P I attended a Part 147 school. In order to graduate, yes we actually graduated, a student had to have a MINIMUM of 1900 hours of instruction including lecture, lab work and exams. I sat through lectures, took notes and had to pass tests! It was only after graduation where one was able to take the written, oral and practical tests to earn the certificate. The education requirements are and continue to be much more stringent than a commercial pilot's certificate or an ATP for that matter.

 

[Akutan]

After a 20 minute one-on-one in the office with Orin back in the 90's I knew I'd never agree with the man on many levels, but I also knew I respected him. Flying for PenAir was quirky and fun and it was a company you could admire. As Danny took over that seemed to change. They say success skips a generation, and I suspect that it what has happened with this outfit.