I hate to buy into this issue but perhaps, as I am not long for this place, and because my membership spans decades not years, I feel I should profer some advice.
JF is a man with his heart in the right place but it is indeed time for a change.
The AOA needs a big picture person. There is ABSOLUTELY no point in taking the company to task on every small issue. We need to address the issue of careers not overnight allowances.
Nothing can be achieved with short range thinking.
With 80-90% of pilots as members the AOA gets a seat at the table and a negotiating position.
I listen to a lot of ideas everytime I go to work. I profer simple advice as that is the best I can manage.
Many of the young blades I fly with are the smartest idiots I have come across. Most excel on transmit but have limited reception. We are our own worst enemies.
While we continue to fight only small ticket items, the company wins and we lose.
As an example, some of the most PRO-active people in the AOA are not on the hit-list.
Why?
Very simple.
They chose NOT to take out their frustration in an instinctive and impetuous way. That in no way condones what happened in 2001.
It is still Adrian's train set. You want a seat at his table, get together and earn a seat. That may even take the take the form of becoming a major shareholder via a pooling of shareholdings!!
All the best.
Last edited by VR-HFX; 16th Oct 2008 at 10:38.