It was a beautiful thing 8% a year compounded over time....It was going to to be huge,
Now Bill Kessler and his fabulous retirement vision are exposed for what they are .....Just a sad dream that a bunch of dumb pilots bit onto....
Oh i love this job!
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Week in Review
Well there you have it! It's up, it's down, the damn hedge funds are manipulating this market...I for one am not keeping whats left of my retirement in our 101k.....
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Wall Street
Well, there you have it...After months of bitching about this, it has finally happened...While we have been forced to keep our new retirement (after the thieves took our pensions) our 401k's we have no choice to leave IN the stock market?
This because as I have thought all along, would cause a great financial loss to the country. Think about it! What if thousands of airline pilots all pulled their money out at the same time. So they tell us that we are not allowed to withdraw a dime. All we are allowed to do is decide which stocks we want to buy! Thankfully, I have been apprehensive about this for more than a year, and had most of my money sitting safely in a money market account. But I know plenty of people that have lost their asses recently. Many guys just aren't good at the stock market. But some of those guys are good at other things. They may have actually had a shot at opening a decent business, or other things, but nope, they are now worse off than ever!
Way to go Bush!
This because as I have thought all along, would cause a great financial loss to the country. Think about it! What if thousands of airline pilots all pulled their money out at the same time. So they tell us that we are not allowed to withdraw a dime. All we are allowed to do is decide which stocks we want to buy! Thankfully, I have been apprehensive about this for more than a year, and had most of my money sitting safely in a money market account. But I know plenty of people that have lost their asses recently. Many guys just aren't good at the stock market. But some of those guys are good at other things. They may have actually had a shot at opening a decent business, or other things, but nope, they are now worse off than ever!
Way to go Bush!
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
The Gap Widens
Much like our country, the Aviation Industry is following a course of disaster. It is interesting to note the parallels between the two. The rising income gap between the Left and Right seats is increasingly causing divisions among the Pilots. There are only two classes now, the haves and the have-nots. The Senior Pilots are barely hurting, so they maybe take one less vacation this year.. poor guys.
In recent years, the incomes of Captains and First Officers has dramatically changed. Lets say for example, you were a Captain making upwards of $200,000 per year, and now you are making $160,000 a year. Well your life will not be too bad at $160,000 per year.
Now lets say that you are a First Officer who was making half that pay, and you now take a 30% paycut. Who is really getting screwed? The First Officers get the shaft. The Captains don't give a shit about the First Officers so they vote yes to every bogus vote from Alpa because they are still doing pretty good. This is causing tremendous resentment on the part of the First Officers and is creating a great deal of tension in the cockpit. It does not matter how long the First Officers fly for the airline, they will never even come close to the Pay rates of the Senior Pilots, therefore many Co Pilots I know cannot stand the Captains that they were at one time commonly friends with.
You think this doesn't affect you?
Would you really feel safe on a flight if you knew that many of todays First Officers have only 250 hours of experience? This is what is happening as more and more First Officers leave the Airline Industry because they feel that it is a dead end job. So, now, if something, God Forbid were to happen to that unsym pathetic Well Paid Captain, you can rest assured that your new First Officer has a fraction of the experience of Previous First Officers.
Add to that Airline Fatigue, where Pilots are now flying record hours to make up for the HUGE salary cuts that they have been forced to take and you have a recipe for failure. It is not a question of if, but when. Look at the Comair pilot in Kentucky last year that took off from the wrong runway...He had been going for days on little sleep, and was also inexperienced. Do you think that would have happened with experienced rested pilots! Pilots have become Bus Drivers in a dead end profession.
Meanwhile there are Airline Fat Cat piece of crap CEO's who have made up to $80 million dollars in a year. This at the expense of other people's jobs and pensions! Those dirtbags make me sick. The only satisfaction I have is when I see them go down like the Enron execs. They cut your payand blame it on fuel, but then the scumbags buy other airlines a year after bankruptcy and make millions. But, as usual, the shareholders and employees get the shaft! Its time for action!
Just another reason to be angry. You can be sure I will be back with more..
In recent years, the incomes of Captains and First Officers has dramatically changed. Lets say for example, you were a Captain making upwards of $200,000 per year, and now you are making $160,000 a year. Well your life will not be too bad at $160,000 per year.
Now lets say that you are a First Officer who was making half that pay, and you now take a 30% paycut. Who is really getting screwed? The First Officers get the shaft. The Captains don't give a shit about the First Officers so they vote yes to every bogus vote from Alpa because they are still doing pretty good. This is causing tremendous resentment on the part of the First Officers and is creating a great deal of tension in the cockpit. It does not matter how long the First Officers fly for the airline, they will never even come close to the Pay rates of the Senior Pilots, therefore many Co Pilots I know cannot stand the Captains that they were at one time commonly friends with.
You think this doesn't affect you?
Would you really feel safe on a flight if you knew that many of todays First Officers have only 250 hours of experience? This is what is happening as more and more First Officers leave the Airline Industry because they feel that it is a dead end job. So, now, if something, God Forbid were to happen to that unsym pathetic Well Paid Captain, you can rest assured that your new First Officer has a fraction of the experience of Previous First Officers.
Add to that Airline Fatigue, where Pilots are now flying record hours to make up for the HUGE salary cuts that they have been forced to take and you have a recipe for failure. It is not a question of if, but when. Look at the Comair pilot in Kentucky last year that took off from the wrong runway...He had been going for days on little sleep, and was also inexperienced. Do you think that would have happened with experienced rested pilots! Pilots have become Bus Drivers in a dead end profession.
Meanwhile there are Airline Fat Cat piece of crap CEO's who have made up to $80 million dollars in a year. This at the expense of other people's jobs and pensions! Those dirtbags make me sick. The only satisfaction I have is when I see them go down like the Enron execs. They cut your payand blame it on fuel, but then the scumbags buy other airlines a year after bankruptcy and make millions. But, as usual, the shareholders and employees get the shaft! Its time for action!
Just another reason to be angry. You can be sure I will be back with more..
Monday, September 1, 2008
Is an Airline Career for me?
Today we have another episode of Ask The Angry Pilot, where our very own Angry Pilot answers YOUR questions about your career, your life, your wife and more... Why is it that I am trapped for hours at a time with someone I cannot stand? Do you think I care if your wife left you and want to watch you bang on the yoke while I am making half of what you make and will never make what you make thanks to the CEOs that make millions cutting my pay?
My nephew has been in Flight school for six years. I think he is afraid to graduate and figures he is better off just staying in school....forever.
And why not, his parents are rich, and he will probably make more money off them than working. Why not get paid to study occasionally and drink a lot of beer. As for everyone else, well I guess when they see that hat they figure they can tell me about all of the crap I could care less about. You see, I really don't care if you just sat in the airport for three hours. I also don't care that you are in a hurry to see someone I don't even know and don't want to know. And why is it always my fault if there is a storm and you have to wait an extra hour.
People today are nasty and rude, and I especially love the ones that weigh 300 pounds and try to shove their giant heinies in our spacious seats and want to yell at me because they don't fit. I also really love when your kids scream at the top of their lungs and I have to hear it for hours. That is when I really enjoy shutting the door up front. So you see folks, you may have problems, but so do I, because I get to be your bus driver day in and day out.
My nephew has been in Flight school for six years. I think he is afraid to graduate and figures he is better off just staying in school....forever.
And why not, his parents are rich, and he will probably make more money off them than working. Why not get paid to study occasionally and drink a lot of beer. As for everyone else, well I guess when they see that hat they figure they can tell me about all of the crap I could care less about. You see, I really don't care if you just sat in the airport for three hours. I also don't care that you are in a hurry to see someone I don't even know and don't want to know. And why is it always my fault if there is a storm and you have to wait an extra hour.
People today are nasty and rude, and I especially love the ones that weigh 300 pounds and try to shove their giant heinies in our spacious seats and want to yell at me because they don't fit. I also really love when your kids scream at the top of their lungs and I have to hear it for hours. That is when I really enjoy shutting the door up front. So you see folks, you may have problems, but so do I, because I get to be your bus driver day in and day out.
Cracker Barrel
I love it! But did you know that a Cracker Barrel manager makes more money than todays airline pilot!!!!!!! I was talking to a friend of mine who manages one...... Maybe I will apply for a job there....
We have a lot in common.....
We have a lot in common.....
No Flight for you!
Well today I try to commute to work, but of course the flight is really full and there is only ONE seat left....
But did I get it? Hell NO! It went to a more senior guy who also gets more pay!! He has worked for the airline only one year longer than me!!
So I got to drive an extra hour to another airport.. You see, the airlines are making it impossible for me to do my job. After relocating to my base, the airline decided to close my base, and now my base is 400 miles from my house. So, then comes commuting. But now commuting becomes increasingly difficult because now they CUT THE FLIGHTS, from 9 or 10, down to around 4. Four flights for hundreds of other employees also trying to commute to the same place we call our base.
So you say, why not just move to the new base? Well they have made that impossible as well because they cut my f-ing pay. And I now have a house here that I cannot sell. I guess I could just sleep in the airport at my base. We have a great dump in the bowels downstairs. You will never see it from above in your newly remodeled ticketing area, but down below is our roach motel like lounge filled with stanky old recliners that we get to "relax" in, if we should happen to have the chance to rest. We could just live there....
Management wouldn't care. Or maybe you say we could use some of our retirement money to relocate? Nope. The airline has forced us to invest that in a crappy stock market and we can't touch it. A crappy stock market where you have to RISK your retirement money because they took away our pension.
So where does that leave us? Screwed, helpless, and a little bit angry. And our shitty union that is supposed to protect us is a joke. But they don't care either, because their lowest paid person still makes more than most of us. And we get to pay them for it. And then we get to show up for work and you get to trust us with your lives.
Just another day for the Angry Pilot!
But did I get it? Hell NO! It went to a more senior guy who also gets more pay!! He has worked for the airline only one year longer than me!!
So I got to drive an extra hour to another airport.. You see, the airlines are making it impossible for me to do my job. After relocating to my base, the airline decided to close my base, and now my base is 400 miles from my house. So, then comes commuting. But now commuting becomes increasingly difficult because now they CUT THE FLIGHTS, from 9 or 10, down to around 4. Four flights for hundreds of other employees also trying to commute to the same place we call our base.
So you say, why not just move to the new base? Well they have made that impossible as well because they cut my f-ing pay. And I now have a house here that I cannot sell. I guess I could just sleep in the airport at my base. We have a great dump in the bowels downstairs. You will never see it from above in your newly remodeled ticketing area, but down below is our roach motel like lounge filled with stanky old recliners that we get to "relax" in, if we should happen to have the chance to rest. We could just live there....
Management wouldn't care. Or maybe you say we could use some of our retirement money to relocate? Nope. The airline has forced us to invest that in a crappy stock market and we can't touch it. A crappy stock market where you have to RISK your retirement money because they took away our pension.
So where does that leave us? Screwed, helpless, and a little bit angry. And our shitty union that is supposed to protect us is a joke. But they don't care either, because their lowest paid person still makes more than most of us. And we get to pay them for it. And then we get to show up for work and you get to trust us with your lives.
Just another day for the Angry Pilot!
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