No More to Tell....
Except, I do feel sorry for those guys and gals in our profession who NEED a job. Those who are double dipping their pensions, I don't feel sorry for and the whining is more from the latter than the former. Furthermore; it is the double-dippers who are actually making more of a mess of the contract system than those who are legitimately trying to feed their families and look after their loved ones.
The only way to be a contract pilot is have the guts to cut the ties while working for any of the legacies, get rid of your pension and all the fancy benefits, and experience what real work is all about.
Contract flying is NOT on your bargaining terms gentlemen. Contract flying is ACCEPTING THEIR terms. As a career contract pilot I had to understand that.
A contract pilot see him/herself as not being treated fairly most of the time. Whats fair? The union environment won't protect an expat contract pilot and furthermore, being a member of IFALPA won't help you one bit.
That said however; those contract pilots who have 'bitten the bullet' and decided to become a career contract pilots have been some of the best guys/gals that I've ever worked with.
Being a contract pilot is not easy work. Its hard. We are evaluated differently and we have to prove ourselves every day. The local pilots hate us and the contract agencies don't give a darn about us once the deal is signed with them. They don't care. They're getting their money each month.
A contract pilot is 'on call' 24/7, despite what the piece of paper says. A local always has the 'protection' and can do whatever they want. Book off..call an Expat to do the work. Easy. A local can get away with a lot of things that we contract pilots can't. They know it. We have no leg to stand on.
At the end of the day, though, there is a day of reckoning.
I have a long memory and there are some situations that I wouldn't ever consider getting back into even if I receive a personal email from the GM, asking me to come back.
I really wish things were different in the aviation world, especially for those good guys and gals who really need the work. Unfortunately, our world is fraught with employers who want to take everything and see that a meagre wage and the chance to fly their big heavy iron is enticing. To some, it is.
If I had the bucks and a few years left, I'd apply for an AOC and get the job done right.
Thoughtfully envisioned route/route structure
A commitment to air safety at any cost
A quality system that works
A team of TRIs who know what they are talking about and don't think that teaching is asking a bunch of useless questions.
A scheduling system that works and a team of schedulers who actually know what they are doing.
A cadré of flight crew who are keen to work, work hard and know that if they put their time in, they will get something back at the end of the month.
A set of Cabin Crew who are well trained, are respected by the flight crew and who are not afraid to talk to their management for fear of being punished for not wanting to take abuse.
I could go on and on.
If you sign the contract, you have to accept it. No negotiating. In fact, trying to negotiating a contract will only meet with an affront. It means that the company is actually on the right track and they see that they are doing the right thing...they are making money and all is well.
My regards to all of you who are trying to work in the environment but sadly this is a story that will continue to be replayed, over and over.
There are choices.