Your first year is probation. Speak up in terms of what you are implying, and you will be promptly fired. Watch 'Flying Cheap' to know just exactly how Colgan operated and what it forced its pilots to do. "Operating within the rules" what rules? They've willfully changed flight records to show a crew legal for a day just to get flights done, via showing a later checkin time than what was actual in order to make a full 16 hr legal day. That's also in that documentary. Stop defending Colgan. What airline do you fly for? "Those pilots who put up with it and those who don't." Try working at a non-union Colgan and see how long you last. You sound like you are drinking some KoolAid.
This isn't my first flying job. I'm not some wet behind the ears, fresh off instructing CFI. I have worked for companies that pencil whipped everything for duty time to days off, and everything in between. Some, with an upgrade time of less than a year, which could have been very valuable. Even knowing that, I still took my life and walked from them. I even went back to instructing for a little while when I was having a hard time finding
a good gig because at least there, I had complete control over my well being. Where I'm at now, is the first union shop I have worked at. I have no opinion on it yet, I haven't been here long enough to have one, so I can't speak to that. But I know that if I got fired for speaking up about things being pencil whipped, I'd likely never work again a day in my life if I had solid proof of it. And believe me, I'd have that proof in todays day and age with all the tools I have just in my pocket afforded by a cell phone.
No matter how you spin this, the money isn't the problem here. Yeah, the wages are fairly low. But she knew that going in. So did I, and I still took the offer. Everyone has their reasons for it. If I get fired for calling in sick, fatigued, whatever, speaking up, then so be it. My objective is to make it through this career without ever having to do any kind of carpet dance, anywhere, and make it out alive. If I do end up doing a carpet dance, then so be it. Honesty and integrity is all I have on my side, and if that isn't enough, did I really want to work there in the first place? Maybe I should have quit before it got to that point.
I think you are totally missing my point because you are upset and frustrated with how the industry treats FO's their first year at a regional. You're allowed that. But if they pay, work rules, and "whipping" of pilots and records is to much for you to handle, get out of the company you are at, and find a damn better one. Don't get all bitter with the whole industry because of a few bad operators. They are everywhere on the 135 side. That's where I came from. And I left that side for a reason.
