DAL pilot

[fanman]

Gentlemen, I feel I have a right to comment on this situation more than anyone. As a furloughed DAL pilot, and also, a former Comair pilot who walked the picket line while employed by Comair, I am incensed by the Comair MEC's attitude. I helped get the contract that they now enjoy, by "hitting the bricks", and the decision by the MEC to not allow me to work at my former workplace, is a total slap in the face. This will not be forgotten by me, and over a thousand other DAL pilots now on furlough. I hope I dont run into any Comair pilots at hotels while working at my charter job, because I would most likely want to discuss your MEC's stance.

 

[avratdwc]

DAL Pilot, I am going to assume that you tried to go back to Comair however you are being denied the opportunity to go back to them. I am not with the airlines and am trying to get the full scoop.

 

[CRJFlyer]

fanman,

I'm currently at comair, but wasn't around during the strike (too busy getting furloughed by my own airline at the time). I'm sorry to hear your current situation and at the same time don't have a full grasp as to what is going on between the two MEC's.. I have noticed that some people at Comair have a serious ego problem, while at the same time others are quite normal and good to hang out with. I like to consider myself part of the latter group.

I do wish that if I did run into you we could drink a beer rather than talk shop. And being 24 I really would rather talk about women and sports. But if you really want to talk I'll be downstairs in the hotel gym throwing up 360.

There is no sense in trying to pit one against the other. Both because I really don't care, I fly for fun, and there are much better things to talk about. (Like how can I become a bar owner and get mad ho's)

 

[DAL737FO]

"There is no sense in trying to pit one against the other. Both because I really don't care, I fly for fun, "

Spoken truly like someone that is 24 probably single and has a lot of time to eventually realize that this is a career. Is flying enjoyable and fun....you bet, but make no mistake about it this is a job. Statements like this would lead me to believe that if someone called you on your off day and said "Hey I've got aircraft XYZ out here could you do me a favor and fly it for me" You would probably say sure I'll do it for free because it is fun. While down the street a full time contract pilot is trying to make ends meet. I've seen it before at almost every FBO.

I have a lot of friends at Comair. Most are former Army pilots that went there to build time and move on to a major. Most are retired so they have some money already coming in and are a little older than your normal new hire. What started out as a stepping stone for them now, they believe, has become their final stop. So their attitudes changed from getting the time and getting gone to let's get as much as we can get now since by the time the majors hire again I'll be too old. Probably true. They don't support what the Comair MEC did but they don't really care about the future ramifications either. So who pays in the long run? The young guys at Comair. A resolution was just passed at mainline Delta Alpa to give preferential hiring to ASA pilots when we start again. It will happen, just look at the history of the airlines. Fanman is right in the fact that we will not forget.

Good luck to all,

GII/GIII FO
former a DAL737FO

 

[AFELLOWAVIATOR]

Fanman,

Let me guess. Now that you are a Delta Pilot, you fell Comair pilots have nothing to complain about and Delta scope, as it applies to Comair pilots, is perfectly ok with you. Oh ya, and you always felt this way.

Am I wrong?

 

[CRJFlyer]

I do agree that I do speak like a typical 24 yr. old...which I am, and I do understand it is a job, I am single(in part due to this job), but under no circumstances would I fly at Comair for free (people flying for free is why I make 18K a year and cannot pay my bills). But if someone is going to have an attitude towards me because of which company I fly for then I really do have no time for them.

Its ok if fanman doesn't want to forget, thats fine by me, but if he or anybody wants to argue with me about who I fly for and how I'm screwing them, I don't really have time for it..But if he wants to act normal and maybe make a new friend then thats fine...

Being young I'm just realizing how dull and single minded alot of pilots are...So many have exactly zero interests in anything else besides their jobs. Which is fine for them, just don't expect to see me in a hotel and having a discussion (or confrontation) about why my MEC is a big fat jerk.


I respect your viewpoints and understand its rough being furloughed, because I've been there, I've worked at Staples because nobody else wanted to hire a pilot, my credit cards are maxed out and I have bills out the ying yang, so if i were at the brink of losing my job I'd be flippin out again too. But Delta owns Comair and thats the bottom line. We're getting alot of new routes because of your reductions, but thats the whole management system at work. The big cheese up top doesn't really care about how he gets his buck as long as he gets it.
At the same time I can see why a HR team wouldn't want to hire ANYONE who wasn't willing to give up their seniority at another company knowing full well they'd leave givin the opportunity. It makes for bad business.

And what about those same guys working at the FBO wanting a job. Is it fair for them not to get their first job because theres no room for them. And the reason for them not getting a job is because a mainline guy went to a job he really didn't want to be at in the firstplace..that to me is no different than me flying a 172 for somebody.

Either way you look at it we're pretty much just pawns and management has full control of what we do...

 

[redsoxfan]

I am a Comair pilot and support the idea of hiring DAL pilots furloughs 150%. I am not sure if this is a Comair pilot MEC decision representating all comair pilots not wanting to hire DAL furloughs or if its a Comiar management decision for not wanting to hire DAL furloughs? And if this is a Comair pilot MEC decsion, i dont remember ever voting on whether or not to hire DAL furloughs, becuase if the Comair pilots voted on it , i would think it would pass in favor for hiring DAL furloughs. I have been furloughed twice so far in my career and know what it is like. I hope to see all DAL furloughs who want to come to Comair, ASA asap.

 

[avratdwc]

CRJ,

As far as being another young guy like you I honestly have to say that I agree with what you say. I would also not give anyone the time of day if I got stopped in a bar after a long day and got lectured on who I work for and how I am screwing everyone. Let me please say this. My personal feeling, and correct me if I am wrong, when someone has put alot of time, effort, and money into there dreams they will only look at the glory of finally getting to that "big jet" when an HR rep says "Hey wanna fly a XXX for us and make gobs more money etc", that person at the point in time will not be thinking about the bad sides of it. A guy I fly corp. with told me that there is no more stability in the airlines now a days than corp. and thats true. However if you get a bad hand of cards please dont take it out on someone that is just trying to pay the bills. I am going to imagine that alot of the unfortunates out there where in the same shoes at one point. Eventhough it is off the subject I am curious to hear from a pilot that was at the bottom of the list at COEX and got burned because mainline pilots came back. Like I said guys and gals, I may be talking pure Bu@&sh*t here but they are just my opinions and I dont mean to offend anyone. CYA

 

[DAL737FO]

Redsoxfan,

You're right you didn't get to vote on the decision. The Delta MEC went to the Comair MEC and asked for preferential hiring for Delta furloughee's. Lawson wanted some restrictions on scope lifted and it went down hill from there. The question was fairly simple, you give our guys preferential hiring now and later when we start hiring again we give your guys preferential hiring. For those that say yeah right, a resolution just passed for exactly that to happen for ASA pilots when this is all over. I guess there really isn't anything we can do about it now. I've been fortunate, I found a job flying pretty quickly in the grand scheme of things. I also got another type rating paid for (G1159). I just feel bad for the guys still looking and one more opportunity was just taken away.

GII/GIII FO
furloughed DAL pilot

 

[FlyingDawg]

Any truth to the rumor that DAL MEC told the Comair MEC that military buddies would still be favored over ASA/Comair if Comair MEC took the deal? If thats the case then preferential hiring isn't really preferential.