OscartheGrouch

Hey JSLED, how are you doing? Answer this question. What's in a name? As soon as I get home I am going to get my Websters out and look up the definition of "legacy" and my guess is it won't say anything about an airline.

A legacy to my limited mind means leaving something of value behind. Please tell me what has been left behind by any "older" airline that has been through bankruptcy? Furloughs, lost pensions, extorting huge unjustifiable pay increases and then taking pay cuts, even reaching back and stealing from retirees? Is your airline that in name only has been around for some years really worthy of the title "legacy" after these events?

stinsonjr

Clearly what was meant was "What was it like in the begining at SWA? How was the pay and QOL at the start? Was the airline as fun and lucrative to work for in the begining, and if not, when did it really start becoming a fun gig?".

I think that is what the guy meant when he said "legacy SWA pilots" and I for one think it would be great to hear he answers to those questions. Everyone likes and admires SWA now and it would be great to hear about it when it was smaller and "under the radar".

SWAcapt

Shootinstr, Possible reason that you are not getting any real answers to your questions is that the people you seek info from are enjoying retirement and probably no longer interested in the industry enough to be hanging out here. The most senior pilot on the list was hired 3 years after SWA took flight and we only have 9 on the list that have here since before deregulation. They truley did leave a legacy.

Roper92

Well hats off to them for taking gamble back in the 70s. I hope they are enjoying their very nice retirement. They deserve it!

Shootinstr8

Gentlemen, here is my point. I sat next to guy on my way into work the other day that was 89 yrs old. It turns out that he was an old Army Air Corps pilot from WWII. He was one of the flying sergeants and he shared a lot of the stories of his flying through his career. Chuck Yeager was in his class, and he was later commanded by Eddie Rickenbacker. Many of the aviation pioneers are dying off every year and all to many of the wonder kids don't understand the struggles they went through. All I hear is btchin' and complaining from 23 yr olds who are not captains in 2 yrs, and oh how they are screwed because of it. I know they all admire SWA as a premiere place to fly but they don't understand that it did not start that way. Hell The Freight companies that most would give a gonad to fly for were in the "you gotta kidding me stack" not too long ago. I just wanted the story to be told by those closest to it, about the struggle to build something out of nothing, for all of us to know and be proud of. I'm sure there are some guys that were there after the "founding" pilots (don't want to start the whole misguided debate over the word "legacy" again) who could shed some light on what it was like and the attitude of the pilots. I know its a long shot and most come here to shoot and scoot from a distance, but it would be nice.