Geofj
That about somes up the situation admirably.
411A
1 year ago there was a worldwide shortage of experienced pilots. Retirements are continuing apace but the downturn post 911 is hiding the real situation.
The real situation is not enough young people see aviation as a viable career...they can make as much, if not more money and be home everynight. And without dipping into their own(or parents) pockets to the tune of 30 to 100K depending on what country you're talking about.
The military hasn't been a fruitful hunting ground for airlines for decades...all the Vietnam era pilots are approaching retirement in a huge rush as we speak. If that idiot Bush keeps **** going for another few years you'll see even fewer mil pilots coming out to airlines...because they will be flying enough and doing what they love...killing people and breaking their stuff, in the defence of us all...and more power to them.
Better face facts 411A...the rest of the world is getting on with the business, Asia is leading the charge out of the 911 morase, while the US discovers new and 'better' ways to turn pax(particularly premium pax) away.
Nothing has changed, essentially, outside the contigous 48 states...it doesn't take 2 hours to board your aircraft in most countries of the world...and aircraft are full...despite what you hear from cynical management trying to hide their own incompetence.
The reason is simple IMHO...despite the political rhetoric the rest of the world does NOT view the 911 attack as an attack on the west or on democracy...it was an attack on the good ol' USA period.
In the next year or so there will be just as much of a shortage of experienced jet crew as there was a year ago....probably worse!
Then the worm will have turned back from the current attacks on aircrew to a more reasonable situation...and you can sit at your computer and rail against all of us out there doing it while you wallow in what is clearly unhappy retirement...unless of course you grace us all with a coronary
Chuck.