I am an "uniquely, arrogant Swissair Pilot", yet I had nothing to do with the collapse of my airline. Except go to work, fly as safely and efficiency as possible, for the market salary of the day? I have even been known to talk conversationally with Crossair pilots, some of whom I know quite well!!
The cock-up at Swissair was made by past MANAGEMENT and the BORED of DIRECTORS.
If we Swissair pilots flew as they have managed we would be talking deaths here not the loss of a company. They have made some horrible mistakes, yet all we read about in the Swiss press is the unreasonably high salaries of SWR pilots. I get no more money than an equivalent British Airways, KLM, Lufthansa, or Air France Captain?
What about the fancy "golden parachutes" these managers and directors took for cocking-up an airline that five years ago had CHF4 billion in a bank (don't get me started on Swiss banks!). Further, have you ever heard a Crossair pilot discussing the wild amounts that their management or their directors take from their company?
The last few week's events at Swissair are a direct result of the management's mistakes from five years ago. The Swissair ship has been doomed since then and only looking for a jagged rock upon which to flounder?
Mr. Suter popped into our management for five weeks earlier this year, had a quick look at the bank accounts and decided he'd be best to go back to Basle and just wait. He was right. SEP 11 was that jagged rock. But it still had nothing to do with me in my cockpit doing my job?
SEP 11 is being used by poorly managed/financed airlines the world over as the sole reason they are in trouble. Rubbish! SEP 11 is a general scapegoat for a lot of unattended problems at Swissair, sure, but also at a majority of other airlines. Airline management has to stop blaming its tools and look at its own pathetic performance?
If they were pilots they would all be given a bit more simulator time, I think?