All good posts and food for thought, anyhow back on track.......
Pole Vaulter - how about it?
No response from you yet, but (and I admit to only guessing here, you were a relatively senior Captain on say $220,000 to $280,000 per year?????????).
So how about you kick things off with a $22,000 donation to the fund to assist junior out-of-work AN pilot-family members.
Indeed it would not be the $ that would be so important as the specific act of setting-up the trust fund to help the young guys so disadvantaged at such a crap time in aviation history in this country.
I know such an amount is a bit of an ask at these times but 10% really isn't that much and about the same as Mr. Howard takes in GST to look after complete strangers! As anybody involved in aviation for a long time knows, it really IS a family affair and we should look after family. I wasn't part of your AN family but I was part of another airline and I know all too well what it's like to be out on the street, family in tow with no income and dubious future.
Hope to hear from you soon Pole Vaulter and good luck, it is a particularly worthy cause and at least something positive in the middle of all this mess. Hope you will soon take charge and look after those junior pilots who looked up to you for so many years.
All the best.........Al.