AULGLARSE - I understand how frustrated you and many others are with the Feds, however, joining the AIPA is NOT the answer at this point. There are far too many hidden agendas within AIPA to make an informed decision right now.
As a general scenario, were J* pilots to go to AIPA under its’ “Open Arms Policy”, lets look at how events would unfold in the event that AIPA felt they had to resort to the action quoted by me in red in a previous post.
The membership numbers of AIPA are way ahead of J*numbers now (J* ~ 450) , and even after 5 years when J* pilot numbers should be at some level over 1000 .
If the “membership” deal involves J* coming under an AIPA umbrella, what do you think is going to happen should AIPA COM vote to insist all 787 flying is done by mainline pilots. If this doesn’t become the hall mark of a fractured union, I don’t know what is. It will create so much animosity and anger that the situation will be unworkable. Members will be set against members as the AIPA “bit” seeks to remove flying from the J* side of the fence in order to get their way. AIPA “QF” members will be the majority and we will be left swinging in the wind. This after effectively paying AIPA membership fees that will ultimately advance the AIPA QF mainline pilots. What an insult.
Everyone should try and think this through on a longer term basis – The short term thinking is tempting but unrealistic.
The only fair way forward for J* pilots is to form their own association, in much the same way as (I think – but need to be corrected if I am wrong) the AN pilots did in the early 1990’s.
GNADENBURG – I can hardly see this as long term vision by the QF guys – more like short term myopia. Cheap talk about how you know so many pilots who have knocked back J* - so what; I know 4 who have accepted from the gulf. It’s irrelevant to this discussion.
EBD - I don't think their is any problem with regionals tying up with AIPA. You are no threat to AIPA COM. But we are in a VERY different position operating the same equipment as mainline with the distinct possibility of compromising mainline QF flying. I agree with you regarding the AFAP.