Any airline enthusiasts here?

[Janecj]

[quote=11thHour;3586981]Very good post. I wish when I was younger I had the perspective you have. You also have the advantage of having gone the military route and having uncle sam fund your training. Everything you say is so very, very true. I went into thinking I'd be doing my dream job, turning a hobby into a career. But like you said, it is used against us, because most folks cannot fathom doing anything but flying, and put up with increasingly worsening work conditions and pay simply to stay in the cockpit. I think they forget it's a job, not a hobby! And the problem is those of us who want out have a hell of a time getting a job in the non- aviation world. Airline flying is 90% complex planning and management, 10% flying, yet it's impossible to convince employers outside of aviation of this. They have absolutely zero idea of what his job actually entails. I have periodically interviewed for jobs in the 'outside' world, and I cannot tell you how many times they laughed me out of their interviews thinking I was crazy for leaving a 100K a year job. When I explained that no, I don't even make half that in fact, I'm called a liar. It's to the point that now I bring a paystub in with me!

Just this week I found out I will probably be furloughed before this year is up. I was furloughed after 9/11 also. I do not have it in me to start over in this god-forsaken industry again if this happens, and like I've said, even now I want out so bad! I just wish there weren't so many completely bass-ackwards misconceptions about what we do, and our skill sets, particularly in the management area. Matter of fact, I think of myself as a manager first, pilot second...It is so hard to get out of this job when you've been in for more than a few years. I'll probably end up having to go back to school - and I'm still paying on my debt from flight training from 12 years ago.

I wish you luck on your career plans. It sounds like you have a path in mind with a means to achieve it. Flying is fun, but as only as a hobby. As a job it's a joke and will take over all aspects of your life.

I'm so sorry to hear you are being furloughed again. I don't know how you do it. Hindsight is so right. But as you said, think of the pilots that have been doing this for 20 years that are in this situation. I agree getting out (and my husband took off a year to explore his options) are very difficult because of age and experience. He wants out, but where? Some could retire and they left in droves. Many just quit. Some can't. They are stuck right now. He was a Lear charter pilot years ago (I used to quote the charters- My dad used to always say charter was best because you never knew where you'd be going. Thought the airlines were just bus drivers). Thought about that.. Corporate is also a possibility but you have to know someone. Probably would need a G-5 rating. Thought about foreign country..I didn't like that at all. Thought about starting up a business.. just don't have enough to make a living to support that. So... he sucks up to management (like hindsight says) and will put up with it until an opportunity presents itself. My nephew is going to get paid $24/hr starting at a commuter. But he doesn't know any better and I would hate to tell you how many hours he has (getting lower and lower). Has a good head on his shoulders and I wish him well. We know more is coming down the road. Probably yet another merger and they haven't merged the pilot union on the last merger. We're just trying to get some of the money back (bank it) when they took his pension. Being younger has many more opportunities and it sounds like Hindsight has a good plan. "Love your name too"

[Janecj]

Here we go again - Another merger on the horizons..(I've should have bet on it)
Report: US Airways, United close to merger - Philadelphia Business Journal:

[Magnum Mike]

This thread has been inactive since April of 2008, but I guess I'll go ahead and ask this question.

I'm just wondering, with the way the U.S. and world economies have gone in the last year, are there any U.S. airlines that will be adding the new Airbus A380 to their fleets? I've heard of only a few of those aircraft that have been sold, mainly to foreign airlines and filthy rich Arabs in the middle east in one of those oil-producing countries.

What do you think of the A380?

I think it's an aircraft that's 35 years too late, the concept has already been done with the 747, and it worked well. There's nothing worng with an aircraft that has the capacity of over 700 passengers, but I think it's going to sit on airport tarmacs most of the time because it wouldn't be filled to capacity if it were to be used on trans-oceanic and trans-continental routes everyday, even during better economic times. Depending on the airline, it would probably have to be flown maybe once a week for the airline to make it's flights profitable.

[11thHour]

The only US airlines I'm aware that have ordered the A380 are UPS and FEDEX - but both are in financial turmoil like the pass. airlines, so who knows what may happen.

It definitely has limited use - but may prove to be worthwhile on certain transoceanic flights. Not too many airports can handle the massive influx from passengers it would cause, and of course not too many airports can physically accommodate the planes physical dimensions to begin with.