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Living in a van, down by the airport!

Flash said:
Interesting story on airline pilots living in motor homes next to LAX. Sounds familiar.......;)
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This actually happens more than you might imagine -- SEA, HNL, ANC, MSP, DTW, LAX, MIA, and some others that I'm aware of ... usually in the employee parking lot and usually in more temperate/tropical climes. The 'tolerance' for it varied from airport to airport, but I know a few guys who did it.

Personally -- I've always preferred a hotel room for a commute layover -- clean sheets, decent accomodations, good food/entertainment nearby, better sleep, and zero maintenance. I'd rather walk away in the AM or PM and go to the airport, unencumbered by a frangible room on wheels that I left behind.

Some think the 'gypsy' lifestyle .... 'adventurous'. I think it's fucked. Each to his/her own ... :)
 
A few years ago, our System Chief Pilot (Old Navy A-4 guy) put out an email saying move the RVs out of the employee parking lot or the company would tow them. Took a few weeks but they disappeared.
 
FrankTheTank said:
A few years ago, our System Chief Pilot (Old Navy A-4 guy)....
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I wonder if I know him ....

I passed on FDX in 1978 ('79?) when I was training some of their Bruddah's on the 3-'Holer in Dallas ... they were flyin' Frog-Jets at the time and had purchased or leased some Boeings ... their then Chief Pilot was one of my STUDs in Boeing training and at the end of the program he said: "Hey ... gimme a resume and I'll make sure you get moved to the top of the stack for a look-see if you're interested ...."

I said: "Thanks, I really appreciate it. But I'm happy where I am .... " (translation: I thought FedEx was a fly-by-night operation at the time -- literally -- and I didn't want to fly freight :))

The airline I was 'happy' w/ was Braniff. :(

As it turned out ... I ended up flying thousands of hours of 'night freight'. :eek:

As it turned out ... I generally LOVE flyin' freight over the alternative of a boatload of pax. :D

Morale: Never say never ... :)
 
I wonder if I know him ....
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Jack Lewis (Navy A-4 to Eastern to FEDEX). He stepped aside as Chief Pilot when he turned 60 but worked a deal to stay in Flight Test and then after the retirement change went back to the line. Lives and commutes out of KORF.
 
FrankTheTank said:
Jack Lewis (Navy A-4 to Eastern to FEDEX). He stepped aside as Chief Pilot when he turned 60 but worked a deal to stay in Flight Test and then after the retirement change went back to the line. Lives and commutes out of KORF.
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Nope, don't think I know him ... sounds like he was really, really desperate to stay 'on the job', however ... :). In general, EAL guys weren't real popular w/ Braniff guys after they took over the SA routes and wouldn't hire any BI pilots to fly them -- hell, to fly ANYTHING on their system ... an EAL MEC decision which was gleefully agreed to by their Company.

Our guys who went from the Office to some flim-flam Test/Ferry job (at mando-retire age of 60) were generally hated (** edit - not really 'hated' ... make it 'looked at with a jaundiced eye', instead **:)) amongst the rank & file as they took a seat-job away from an active pilot -- long after they'd 'gotten theirs'. They would then show up at a layover bar and expect to laugh & scratch w/ 'da Bruddahs, just like 'da ol' kine' days, ya??? Reality: most of them caught so much shit about it (even in Tokyo -- big bar arguments) that they gave it up -- usually sooner rather than later -- and "went home".

Personally, I never did understand having nothing going in life to the point where you can't bring yourself to retire -- i.e., no other real interests -- other than flying ... or is it just the money?? :) Or do you hate the wife?? Or the kids?? Or the neighbors?? Or the dog??

Or do you STILL just gotta' 'be somebody'??

The only thing I really 'miss' about the airline is what transpired from 'BRAKES OFF' to 'BRAKES SET' ... :D

Especially post 9-11.

The rest is crap.
 
Jack commuted in to be at the office as SCP. Then sat at the table (for the company) during contract negoations all the while paying his ALPA dues. Makes him feel important. I guess. His humor and shooting from the hip made him popular as SCP. But after the flight test deal and after discovering that this contract actually sucks, he is ignored for the most part. They don't retire because they have max vacation, hold the best trips, top pay rate, have too many toys, too many ex wifes, feel imoprtant, who knows..... Too each their own... But time is something you can never get back!
 
FrankTheTank said:
... Too each their own... But time is something you can never get back!
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There you go -- that's the key.

I decided I didn't want to be 'on the road' for half of every month until they found me dead in a hotel bed in Bangkok.

Huh ... kinda catchy ... that sounds like the title for a book ... or at least a song.

"They found me dead in a hotel bed in Bangkok ... "
 
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