iPilot

I really blame the FAA for all this. The public entrusts them to make sure that airplanes are safe and that includes have well paid, experienced pilots in the front office. They sat by while regionals took over and they knew darn well that the rules were set up to put pilots at a severe disadvantage with safety regulations and union rules. You can't blame the companies for operating inside the law nor the public for assuming that the price of their ticket will not affect the safety of the flight.

Sadly the failings of the FAA is just another facet of the overall failure of our federal government to maintain our society in a sustainable, working fashion.

kalyx522

He did not flat out refuse because he had no problem with the whole situation. How can you whistle-blow when, as a fellow crewmember, your actions clearly are guilty as well? Easy, because he was losing his job anyway.

I would NEVER ask a crew to do that for me either. Commuting for 3 years - I never did and I never would. However, it happens. There are crews that do it and crews that don't. There is absolutely nothing wrong with not doing it, no one has any obligation to help a jumpseater and the legal risks involved are great. However, if a crew was willing to do it (and sometimes you won't even know about it) you can't convince me that creating 2 kids or increasing taxi 100 more pounds on paper to accomodate 1 more adult is going to create a safety problems on an airliner whereas even small weight margins make a big difference on a C-172.

Anyway I'm not arguing whether a crew should or should not accommodate jumpseaters. My point was this Coats guy was clearly never concerned about safety like he pretends he was, and he used this opportunity to get a fellow pilot basically banned from 121 for life. Then on top of it he got to come out on national TV and brag about it. The documentary could have used so many other examples yet they wasted 5 minutes on this lowest of lowlifes.

minimwage4

Isn't it amazing how 3rd rate airlines continue to be rewarded in the industry? Inspectors were trying to wistleblow several times but the FAA swept it all under the rug because Colgan "was a friend with the FAA". According to the program yesterday they were putting in S340 check airman who didn't know anything about the Q to check pilots. CAL rewards them with more bottom feeder flying even after the crash. It's all about cost. It's just sickening. And if you apply to colgan after watching that yesterday, you really have no self respect. I hope the families try to sue for maximum damage out of Colgan, make them an example because the industry only responds to money.

Son of Chuck

Has anyone seen the "One level of Safety" ad on the Great Lake's page? Is it for real and who is it for?

banja12

Everyone who has ever flown or plans to fly in an airplane smaller than a 737 needs to see this video. Everyone post the link on your facebook/twitter account!

FRONTLINE: flying cheap: watch the full program | PBS

KingAirPIC

Bottom line is we need to keep the pressure on. I had the idea today to create a website about our profession. This will be nothing but facts backed up by multiple references where everyone including passengers and media can go to learn about our profession directly from us.

This would not be a forum! Just a simple fact sheet about the day to day lives of regional airline pilots created by regional airline pilots. Probably a small group would have editing control of the site. All information would need to be properly vetted and screened. Facts can be submitted with references and the group running the sited will research and vet the fact before it is posted.

Ideas for facts:
wage comparisons
education cost & comparisons
working rule comparisons
fatigue and rest rules

All this info is accessable already but I'm not aware of one place people can easily go and get the facts from us. We all know how reporting misses the point sometimes so this could be a way, as a coalition of pilots, to tell the masses and media what's going on directly from us.

What do you think? Is it workable?

cyrcadian

Limits are limits for a reason.

You argument has zero merit and lacks rational thought.

Dougdrvr

Does anyone know who the two former Colgan pilots are flying for now?

paxhauler85

I thought it was a very telling example. A great example of illegal procedures that need to be punished in this way.

Let me guess:
1) You were/are personally involved with the CA who was fired and revoked.
2) This F/O harassed you.

You have a real vendetta for this F/O and there's got to be a good reason for it. No one else thinks what he did was wrong, including myself.

FuriousG

Did anyone see "thank you for smoking"? Cohen is that guy for the Regional Airline Association. The regionals pay the RAA to lobby and spin.

He understands the industry just fine. He gets paid to say that everything is fine and that any problems there may be are because of collective bargaining. No mention of the RLA. No mention of contracts 5 years past amendable. Thats funny.