I agree with the first post.
It is seen in all countries. The Union more or less worried about hotel and in flight meal standards whilst the bottom of the industry is crumbling to bits.
I have debated this with myself over and over again and can find only one conclusion:
The airline industry is working in parallel with the EU to ruin itself. It's like a mangy old dog that has finally caught it's own tail and is happily chewing; not realizing it is eating itself. Eventually, the flexicrew system along with all other economically logical methods of having pilots fly aircraft, other than by actual employment, will take over completely. The industry tried it; it worked and now is fully dependent on that nothing changes in the direction of increasing costs. Flight time limitations are the same. Not a chance in hell that FTL's will become better for pilots. It would simply cost too much. Re-arranging the contract industry so that things were put in order would bring many companies down. Costs would rise to the point where it would no longer make any sense at all to keep the companies going. Therefore, the airlines will refuse any improvements in the system. They have the bucks and therefore they have the power. Try telling Mr Van Roompfenoey or whatever his name is otherwise. In the meantime that pilots fight this futile battle, the oil supply will start to fail, wars will be fought in the middle east to enable the west to continue with its ways. Fortress Europe will fall with Mrs Merkel standing at the bow of the ship with tze German flag being the last bit of evidence of that there ever was something there. Greece will surprise us all by having done the trip prior to the rest of Europe, come out the end of the tunnel first of all and invent some new form of government. By the time I’m a pensioner, no one will remember that there ever was something called flexicrew. We will se planes in museums where we also might see a diorama of a crew room depicting pilots with empty wallets and in dire need of sleep. Next to it will be a notice the size of an iPad, briefly informing the visitors of the rise and fall of the airline industry.
So.. I'm not too worried about flexicrew or FTL's. It's what happens after industry failure that concerns me the most. In anticipation of this, I have now taken up university studies instead of continuing my flying career. Anyone having doubts should do the same.
Last edited by low n' slow; 19th Sep 2012 at 18:33.