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Date: Mon, 05 Oct 1998 20:03:41 -0400
From: Tom Winsor <altom@provide.net>
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Subject: Re: AAAAmen!  A message for all aspiring airline pilots
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Wow, great synopsis of an airline pilot's career.  It sounds a bit negative
though.  I know what people say about us and how they have no idea what it takes to
make it to a major airline (actually, i'm still trying to figure that one out
myself) - but don't talk condescendingly to them.  They have no idea.  How could
they?  They go to the water cooler and swap Seinfeld stories.  They get upset when
someone doesn't put their fair share into the coffee collection.  What does it
really matter what they think?  Are our ego's so fragile that we must resort to
television advertising to get out point across?

Everyone who lives in Detroit or Minneapolis saw the television and radio
commercials put on by Northwest and ALPA.  It disgusted me.  First of all, why
should ALPA care what the public thinks?  The company, on the other hand, has it's
customers at stake, but they were wrong to take the low road like they did.   We
are a union - not a political entity trying to win over consitituents.  Hard earned
union dues should not go toward an advertising campaign directed at people that
don't negotiate our contracts.

> Finally, you've beat through the "trenches" of aviation to get enough hours and
> experience to qualify for a position flying as a co-pilot for one of the
> commuter airlines like ASA, ComAir, American Eagle or United Express. You
> apply, interview and get hired!!  Again, congratulations - you've made another
> hurdle.  Now you're building that commercial aviation experience.  Oh, by the
> way, you're only making $14,000 per year starting - if you're lucky!! You'll
> get to do this for at least 2 -3 years to build that 3,000 hours
> of experience and at some point in time, move over to the left seat to build
> that pilot-in-command (PIC) time.  Looking at the years of struggling to this
> point, you're probably wishing you had gone the military route - of course,you
> didn't choose that option!!

Oh, and be careful about what you say about civilian pilots.  Fortunately, comming
from a civilian background, I have never been shot at once (even flying out of
DTW).  Now, I'm captain on a Saab340 and 26 years old (plenty of experience to back
up that title also if anyone was concerned).  With 3,500 hours, hopefully I'll be
marketable to a major within the next year.  Now, what's the average age of a
military new hire?  When you consider that seniority is everything in the airline
business, who made the better choice?................  Neither - they are both just
that - choices.  Choices that you make when you're too young to realize the
implications of those decisions.

It's not all roses out there, but my view is INCREDIBLE!

PS.  Our first officers make on average $20,000/ year when you look at our payscale
over the first 1.5 years..... the time it takes to upgrade!!  At that point pay
goes up to around 40K.
--
Thomas C. Winsor
Captain, Mesaba Airlines

