RU4692

No offense taken. I fully expect, in true Comair/DCI fashion, DAL will merge OH with Mesaba/Compass, erase all employee benefits, and staple their pilots to the bottom of the newly compiled pilot seniority list. All the while giving the corporate officers million dollar bonuses, and firing 25% more of the "blue collar" working class. Seems the status-quo for 21st centuary business.

In all seriousness, I really have no expectations of what Comair is capable of. I almost positively thought that the furlough discussion in August of 08' was a scare tactic conceived by Mr. D.S. himself. Maybe I was being naïve then, or maybe I was just being optimistic that Comair wouldn’t have it in them to do their employees like they have. Honestly, if pilots screwed up numbers on their daily paperwork like Comair bean counters did in June 2008 (hiring 300/furloughing 300 in the span of 2 weeks) we would lose our certificates, and/or have criminal charges filed against for negligence. I still haven’t figured that one out.

Anyone else have the answers?

Lowlevel

Just a reminder to those who may forget...Pilots ARE Blue Collar workers, lest you think any different.

RU4692

Thanks for the reminder Low. This is your opinion right?

asj410

I thought the gigantic swing had to do with:

1.) Being told by Delta around April 2008 to ramp up pilot numbers in preparation to take over all of the Freedom flying (thus, the APPARENT need to hire 300-400 more pilots).

2.) Being told by Delta around June 2008 that, due to the court injunction, Comair would no longer be getting any of that Freedom flying (thus, no longer needing to hire 300-400 more pilots).

3.) Being told by Delta towards the end of summer 2008 that, due to exploding fuel costs and declining demand, significant capacity cuts were coming in the fall and winter months (thus, the need to furlough 298 pilots).

Plus, I still feel that Comair has just been in a very bad position over the past several years as Delta has continued to hack away at what used to be a great hub in CVG. Obviously, with the majority of Comair's flying being out of a hub that will probably cease to exist in another year or two (granted there has been a big shift from CVG to JFK), coupled with the small number of -700s and -900s in the fleet compared to the 50-seaters that Delta supposedly wants nothing to do with anymore, it just seems to have left Comair stuck between a rock and a hard place. Of course, it doesn't really seem to help too much being a wholly-owned either...

pilot15

to all those who want a great laugh

Angry pilot drops his pants | The Sun |News

Speedbird172

Haha awesome. I'm suprised we don't see this sort of thing more often. God knows what the pilot would've done had he had to deal with the wonderful TSA in this country

On Autopilot

Anyone have a clue as to when the *sigh* Mesa ruling will be? I know the court has up to 90 days, isn't that pretty close?

ComairFO

Should be by the end of the month. However, the more sunny days Atlanta sees, the more the judges will be out hitting the links--thus backing everything up even more. Probably won't be exciting news for us anyway.

Lowlevel

A distinctive element of blue-collar work is the lesser requirement for formal academic education which is needed to succeed in other types of work, with many blue-collar jobs requiring only a high school diploma or GED.[2] Blue-collar work typically is hourly wage-labor. Usually, the pay for such occupation is lower than that of the white-collar worker, although higher than many entry-level service occupations. Especially skilled blue-collar jobs may pay very well compared to white collar jobs. Sometimes the work conditions can be strenuous or hazardous, also known as 3Ds: Dirty, Demanding, and Dangerous. Blue collar jobs may be represented by trade unions or regulated by state and/or federal statutes.

Let's see:
1. Many airlines only require a HS diploma
2. We are hourly wage labor
3. The job is Demanding and Dangerous (don't fool yourself into thinking it is not, or you may wind up dead)
4. Low pay (need we even discuss this one?)
5. Represented by Trade Union (ALPA)
6. Regulated by Federal Statutes

Hmmm, you can keep believing that this is a white collar job if you choose, but seems like the rest of society, and management, will continue to see us as "Blue Collar" and treat us as such.

Oh yeah, and remember; the DSNY pays $31,200 per year starting pay for trash men, with a top pay of $67, 141 per year after 5.5 years of service. This amount does not include differential pay for overtime and specific assignments. Average pay is around $85K after 5.5 years. That means that the trash man coming by your crash pad made more than you when he started, and will make more than you when you reach top pay at Comair. He has a pension to look forward to. Oh yeah, and he is home everynight instead of living in a cp or sleeping on a crew lounge couch like a bunch of college kids.
But hey, he doen't get the fun of shooting an ILS to mins on a rainy, crappy night, in high winds, hurtling through the clouds at 150 knots with the ground getting ever closer and many peoples lives at your hands.
Yep, I'm pretty sure we are well paid for what we do

Still, I am just like the rest of you. I love to fly. If I did not love it, I would have never taken a huge pay cut from my old job to come here. I actually like the challenges that we are charged with on a daily basis, including those approaches I mentioned. This is a profession where you never "know it all". You could fly for 30 years and still not know it all. There is always something to learn, not to mention the ever changing environment in which you operate. Be safe, be professional, and ALWAYS listen and learn from those you work with. Even a seasoned captain can sometimes learn from an FO that may have experienced something which they themselves have not.

OK, enough rambling! I gotta go see if my U.I. check is in my account yet...I'm almost out of beer

TristarJS30

I know this doesn't have much to do with us pilots, but does anyone else find the names they came up with for the new ground handling company ridiculously lame? The employees can vote on any of the 4 names:

* Axiom
* GroundTeam
* Paragon
* Streamline