For a more then short introduction, I currently am a Captain on a Beechcraft 1900D, Based in Mid- Maine at KAUG. The Airline world is ruled by two things, Money and Seniority. I happen to have a "little" of both. I spent the first year of my airline life chained to the right seat, playing Pilot while acting as a flight attendant. 15 months, and 1150 hours later the company overlooked the fact that i had yet to complete a meal service, had manage to break more airplanes than not, and get myself paid to drive 13 hours to cover 1 flight. They let me "Upgrade" Upgrade is the term applied to training which will move you from the right seat to the left seat. I have also come to learn that "Upgrade" tagged to training is much like "Upgrade" as in Free DVR upgrade for 3 months, ($60.00 p/mth) after from the cable company.
Hiding and Tuning out
About three months after Upgrade i realized that i didn't want the upgrade... I just wanted the upgraded paycheck. That fabled CA spot pretty much sucks. Now you have to teach, you have to be on the ball... and when crap breaks... You get to do all the paperwork. The next "Upgrade" in pay from this point on will be made by moving to a larger airplane. The more people you upset when you fail at your job.. the more they pay you. Just so happens that the bigger airplane i get to move into is BIG. The Dash 8-Q400 is just about 3x the size of the 1900D. It also has 2 Flight attendants, and more automated systems than a Mr.Coffee. Currently there are 4 of us 1900D Captains in line to make this transition to the Q400. This is where the title comes into play
Nose of the elusive Q400On Apr. 4th We all got the good news in the form of a memo. the company was taking extra steps to get us into training. They moved the 1900D pay rates up by about $8.00/hr to draw in our replacements. The first golden shoe was down... we all get to go to class together. Life is good.
Fast forward about 40 days, it is now mid May. You can hear the other shoe coming... Falling so fast the sonic boom is deafening. $8.00/hr extra wasn't enough. Not enough people took the spot, so 1 of us is out. That 1, is the guy with the lowest seniority. This gives the remaining 3 some bad vibes... 1 person they could cover... 3 days later the shoe comes back again... another one drafted back to the 1900D. That leaves 2 of us moving on... with 1 more draftee... I go back to the 1900. Right now i wish i could hide from the company. Make myself about as small as possible to avoid reminding them that they can pull me out of class. I would run to Canada... although somehow i doubt that would improve my chances these days. Today was 3 days before the beginning of training. I only have to make it to the 22nd, and i will be done in the 1900. Hopefully my number doesn't get called on this one. The feeling is almost like the anticipation you feel right after you jump off a bridge. Sort of an, oh crap, i may not make it, jitter. Should i survive crew scheduling selective service rotunda, I will hopefully find myself staying at the Best Western in Manassas, burying my face in books for the next month or two.
Until then, fingers crossed and days are counting.
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