How to annoy your First Officer

My career as a pilot involved spending more than a decade as a First Officer, a copilot to those not initiated into the terms of aviation. After more than ten years and 4,000 hours of flying as an FO at four different companies, I am uniquely qualified to speak on behalf of FOs everywhere and explain to captains what rubs their second-in-command the wrong way. Read on and discover how to annoy your FO.

1. Keep your hand on the flap handle on an approach. This is a common move for both experienced and inexperienced captains. While flying an approach, when the captain feels that it is time to lower the flaps, I would often notice the captain place his hand on the flap handle, just waiting for the second when I, as the flying pilot, would call for the flaps.

I don’t know whether they thought I would forget to call for the flaps, wanted to give me a subtle reminder, or just wanted to keep themselves from forgetting. Regardless, I found it annoying and would often delay calling for the flaps just make them keep their hand in an uncomfortable position.

If the landing checklist is completed properly, the flaps will not be forgotten. As long as flying pilot complies with aircraft limitations and company standard operating procedures, the flying pilot has discretion on when to call for the flaps. If the nonflying pilot believes that the flaps have been forgotten, a better way to remind them is verbally, stating, for example, “We are still at flaps 20.”

2. Never let him fly. FOs are qualified pilots. Often, since aviation new hires typically go to the bottom of the seniority list, the FO might even be more qualified than the captain. The vast majority of FOs are more than capable of safely flying the airplane.

FOs are supposed to be able to land the airplane successfully, not just lower the landing gear and work the radios. Nevertheless, flying is a perishable skill. How can an FO improve and stay current if he never touches the controls? Your life may one day depend upon your FO’s ability to fly an approach to minimums or land in a strong crosswind.

As an instructor, I saw a number of pilots who had logged hundreds of hours in an aircraft type, but who had very little actual experience flying it. This caused difficulty and more than a few problems in simulator training when a First Officer upgraded to captain.

The captain who never lets his FO fly or only rarely throws them a bone with a short leg does his fellow pilots a disservice. The fairest way to divide legs is the way that most airlines do it, by alternating each leg. This helps both pilots to maintain proficiency and interest.

3. Don’t keep him in the loop. CRM (cockpit resource management) is not just three random letters from the alphabet. If your FO going to effectively back you up, he needs to know what’s going on. This includes planning items like changes to flight plans and weather forecasts as well as more basic things like announcing what switches you are flipping. Particularly if the captain is the nonflying pilot, it matters if you do something like switch the anti-ice on or off. Don’t just do things and expect your FO to automatically know what you’re doing and thinking.

Most FOs can’t read their wife’s mind; they certainly can’t read yours.

4. Don’t start a radio conversation and expect him to finish it. Many times, even though the FO is the pilot monitoring, the captain will initiate a radio conversation with ATC. This in itself is not a problem. Sometimes it is simply more expedient to say something yourself than relay it through your fellow pilot.

The problem comes when the captain initiates an exchange and then fails to follow through. Often the initial exchange is followed immediately by an altitude or frequency change, leaving the FO to wonder “will he respond or not?” Usually there is a pregnant pause while neither pilot answers and the FO scrambles to acknowledge the instruction. It would be much easier for the captain to respond since he was already talking to the controller.

5. Don’t share the paperwork. Typically programming the flight plan is an FO duty, but how can he put in an “as filed” route if you squirrel away the flight plan in an undisclosed location on the left side of the cockpit? Further, as mentioned earlier, the FO cannot cross check the captain if he doesn’t know what the captain’s plan is. For example, without the flight plan or dispatch release showing the amount of fuel required for the flight, the FO cannot verify that the aircraft is properly fueled.

A good captain puts the paperwork in the middle where both pilots can check it as needed. A great captain makes the FO his own copy. Captains who don’t print out flight plans make FOs want to pull their hair out.

6. Act like a check airman. The captain and FO may not be equals, but it is not the captain’s job to test my knowledge. The FO not required to let you quiz him on memory items and aircraft limitations. I have learned a lot from some great captains, but they didn’t act like instructors, let alone check airmen. If every flight feels like a checkride, the crew is going to have a miserable time together. Unless you are a check airman, don’t act like one.

7. Try to do his job. A competent FOs knows his flows. He can run a checklist. He is trained to program the FMS and work the radios. Let him do his job. Don’t try to do it for him. CRM teaches that both pilots have their role and should stick to it.

When you try to do the FO’s job as well as yours, you break his routine and increase the chance of errors and mistakes. Do you really want the FO to try to race you to retract the flaps after landing? There are very few things that need to be done quickly in an airplane and having both pilots competing to reach the same control first is a recipe for disaster.

The other extreme is the FO who will let the captain take his duties. This may work well until the first time the captain misses and item and the FO, who is now simply along for the ride, doesn’t catch it either.

8. Use nonstandard procedures. You will be captain on the next trip, but odds are that your FO will be flying with a different captain. Make it easy for him. Use standard procedures. If he spend several days getting used to your nonstandard way of doing things, he’s going to have to relearn the right way to do things next week or next month.

The whole idea of standardization is that everyone does things the same way and that any two crew members can be comfortable together without a long period of adaptation. Keep it standard. He’s an FO, not a chameleon.

9. Shut him down. Your FO your backup. His job is to question you when something seems amiss. This requires open lines of communication. Countless airplanes and lives have been lost because First Officers didn’t speak up. In some cases, captains intimidated their First Officers into silence. CRM has been around for nearly half a century, but there are still captains with this sort of god complex.

It is in your interest for your FO to speak up. It requires teamwork to safely and efficiently fly a turbine airplane. If you intimidate your crew into silence, you may both pay the ultimate price.

10. Lose his trust. Both crewmembers are professionals. Our wellbeing and careers depend upon a certain level of competence. Everyone makes mistakes, but if you repeatedly get your FO into trouble he will spend more time crosschecking you than doing his own job. This is just as bad as when the captain tries to do both jobs.

To be an effective captain, the captain must be familiar with basic knowledge items such as aircraft limitations and FARs. NOTAMs should be closely checked before each flight in addition to the weather. Before flying an arrival or departure procedure, check the plate closely and be sure to look for notes, crossing restrictions and speeds. The captain should also possess basic airmanship skills. This may seem basic, but it is the cause for many mistakes and violations.

If the crew is to be an effective team, both pilots need to be able to depend on each other. If you and your FO have a long history of filing NASA or ASAP reports, you probably need to evaluate our performance as a team.

When considering how to treat your FO, it is important to ask yourself how your actions affect safety and CRM (for more information on CRM, consult GlobalAir.com’s Aviation Directory for courses on cockpit resource management). While safety is paramount on any flight, it will normally be enhanced by making FO more involved in the decision making process and showing that your value and respect his opinion and skills.

Read the full article on Aviation Examiner

Prospective airline pilots can save $1000s by taking ATP test before August

Time is growing short for prospective airline pilots to take the written test for the Airline Transport Pilot license without taking a course that includes 10 hours of simulator training. As detailed in Examiner, on August 1 candidates for the written test will must have a graduation certificate from an approved course that will cost $15-20,000.

As Rick Durden pointed out on Avweb, the regulations as currently written provide a last chance for prospective airline pilots to take the ATP written without enrolling in the approved simulator course. As Durden points out, FAR 61.156, which spells out the requirements for the written test (“knowledge exam” in FAA parlance), does not contain any prerequisites for the test until after July 31, 2014. This means that a pilot who does not yet meet the requirements for the ATP can still take the test before August 1.

Once a candidate passes the written test, the results are good for two years. If the pilot met the flight experience and eligibility requirements within two years, he could take the checkride (“practical test”) and earn the ATP license without passing the FAA-approved simulator course. If the written test expires, the pilot must then pass the new ATP simulator course in order to retake the test.

The changes to the ATP are likely to exacerbate the pilot shortage that regional airlines are already experiencing. As the need for qualified pilots becomes more pronounced, Congress and the FAA are likely to issue regulatory changes to make it easier for pilots to qualify as ATPs. These changes are likely to be long in coming, however, and pilots who are close to meeting the requirements would be well advised to take the written test before August 1 if at all possible.

There are several traditional study methods for FAA knowledge exams. There are books available that familiarize test-takers with the questions in the FAA written test bank. There are also computer training courses that simulate taking the actual test on your own computer. Many vendors for these test prep services can be found on GlobalAir.com.

Given the short amount of time left to take the test, a classroom seminar might be the best solution. These courses often last one to two days and are essentially cram sessions for test-takers. ATP Flight School is one of several companies that offer one-day test preps at locations around the country. These “quickie” courses are perfect for busy professionals who don’t have a lot of time to study.

It is possible that the shortage of qualified pilots will force the FAA to change the regulations regarding the ATP, but there is no way of knowing how long those changes will take. In the meantime, a pilot who has already passed the ATP written may very well have an advantage in getting hired by the airlines.

Read the full article on Aviation Examiner

New FAA ATP rules will reshape airline hiring

On August 1, 2014, a new FAA regulation goes into effect that will reshape the way that airlines hire pilots. The Colgan Air crash in 2009 led to changes in the requirements for airline first officers. Previously, FOs were only required to hold a commercial pilot license. Under the new rules, effective in August 2013, first officers were required to hold an Airline Transport Pilot License. The last phase of the regulatory change, coming in less than two months, will change the requirements for the ATP.

The changes were detailed by Aviation International News last year. Under FAR 61.156, ATP candidates must graduate from an FAA-approved course that includes a minimum of 30 hours of classroom instruction covering a variety of aviation and airline topics and 10 hours in a FSTD (flight simulation training device) before taking the written exam. At least six of the simulator hours must be in a Level C (full motion) simulator that replicates a multiengine turbine airplane with a maximum takeoff weight of more than 40,000 pounds. This is equivalent to the size of a regional jet. The flight simulator requirement is going to cause problems for both airlines and pilots.

The combination of higher licensing requirements and low pay for entry-level airline pilots has already created a pilot shortage at 11 of 12 regional airlines according to the Wall St. Journal. According to the laws of supply and demand, when a commodity, in this case qualified pilots, becomes more scarce, the price, in this case wage, of the commodity goes up. So far, this has not happened in the airline industry, partly due to the prevalence of union contracts.

One airline that has been feeling the pinch is Great Lakes. The regional operator of 31 turboprop airliners that typically fly into small airports, Great Lakes Airlines pays its new first officers $16 per hour according to Airline Pilot Central. This isn’t as much as it sounds because pilots are typically paid by the flight hour. Great Lakes guarantees its pilots only 75 hours per month for a gross monthly paycheck of $1,200. This is the equivalent of $14,400 annually. To make matters worse, Great Lakes pilots are not paid at all during new-hire training, a process that can last up to three months. They also incur a training contract that requires them to pay $7,500 if they leave the company within 15 months.

The economic reality is that there are too few pilots who are willing to work for the wage that Great Lakes is offering. In March, USA Today reported that the airline was suspending flights to some destinations due to the shortage of pilots. In spite of this, the airline and the pilot union cannot come to an agreement on raising contractual wages.

Great Lakes is not alone. A Wall St. Journal analysis found that the average regional airline first officer earns $22,400. Five years later, if the pilot is still a first officer, the average base pay would only be $35,100.

This brings us to the question of the flight simulator training to earn the ATP. AIN estimates that the new training rule will cost ATP applicants “thousands of dollars.” In truth, the cost will be probably be on the order of $20,000. Simulators are not plentiful and they are not cheap. The obvious question is why any pilot would pay $20,000 for a job that only pays $15,000.

The most obvious answer is that airlines should hire pilots who meet ATP requirements and provide them with the training required to pass the ATP written test and checkride as a part of the new-hire curriculum. After all, airlines are providing new hires with simulator training already. The problem is more acute for airlines like Great Lakes that operate airliners that weigh less than 40,000 pounds.

Minimizing the impact of the changes to the ATP is only half the battle. To attract new hires, regional airlines will be forced to raise wages to compete with other industries. To gain the experience and flight time needed to earn an ATP will still take years and thousands of dollars in training costs. Many of the traditional “time-builder” flying jobs, such as flying checks, no longer exist. It will be difficult and costly for neophyte pilots to gain the 1,500 hours required for the ATP. The entry-level jobs at the airlines will have to become more attractive to encourage prospective pilots to make the commitment in time and money.

There are several possible outcomes to the airline pilot crisis. One is that Congress will issue a legislative fix when the problem becomes so extensive that airline lobbyists and passengers alike demand a solution. An easy way to fix the problem would be to expand the restricted ATP license. Currently, the restricted ATP is available only to graduates of specific “institutions of higher education” or military training. Congress and the FAA could expand the list of acceptable institutions to include FAR 141 training schools. The unrestricted ATP could be earned after being hired by an airline and passing the initial simulator training.

Another helpful fix would be to eliminate the requirement to train on a 40,000 pound aircraft simulator for pilots who will fly smaller airliners. There is no reason that pilots of airplanes like the Beech 1900s that are operated by Great Lakes would need to train on a high performance jet that is more than twice the weight of the plane that they will actually fly in airline service.

If congressional help is not forthcoming, there is little doubt that the changes will drive up airline ticket prices. Regional airliners are already more expensive to operate than larger planes on a per seat basis. As ticket prices increase, more passengers will elect to either drive to their destination or to a major airline hub where fares are lower. This will lead to less airline service into many smaller destinations.

As regional airlines are squeezed by increasing labor costs on one side and shrinking revenues on the other, they may become targets for takeovers. One possibility is that regional airliners will be absorbed into the major airlines that are now their code share partners. It might make more sense for the name brand airline to control the hiring process and establish pay scales for regional jets and turboprops than to keep outsourcing to third parties. This would also allow the airline to exercise more quality control over its brand and customer service. The change would require agreement of pilot unions and the adjustment of scope clauses in their contracts. Absorption of regional jets into mainline carriers could introduce a new golden age of regional jets.

A final possibility is that some airlines will consider ab initio (“from the beginning”) training. The concept of hiring prospective pilots and training them from zero hours to the cockpit of an airliner is one that has been used by the U.S. military and some foreign airlines for years. Lufthansa operates a flight school in Goodyear, Arizona to train prospective pilots for airline service. Boeing is currently partnering with Emirates Aviation College in Dubai on an ab initio course that will take cadets from zero hours to an ATPL in 16 months. Ab initio training would allow airlines to utilize long-term planning for personnel needs rather than scrambling to hire pilots as positions become open.

The future of airline hiring and the ATP license is uncertain, but the airlines definitely need qualified pilots. The need is immediate and will persist for the foreseeable future. The new ATP requirements make the pool of available and qualified pilots smaller, which will have the effect of making the pilot shortage worse. If corrective steps are not taken, canceled flights will soon become much more common.

 

Read the full article on Aviation Examiner

New FAA copilot rules in effect

A new Federal Aviation Administration rule that requires copilots on U.S. airlines to have additional training and flight experience is now in effect. The final rule, required by the Airline Safety and Federal Aviation Administration Extension Act of 2010, was published in the Federal Register on July 15, 2013.

Previously, first officers on scheduled airline flights were only required to hold a commercial pilot license. The commercial license requires a total of 250 hours flight time. Under the new rule, airline first officers are required to hold an airline transport pilot license. The ATP requires 1,500 hours of flight time. Pilots must be at least 23 years old to earn an ATP.

The rule also includes provision for some pilots to obtain a restricted ATP with fewer than 1,500 flight hours. To qualify for the restricted ATP, pilots must be at least 21 years old and must either be a military trained pilot or hold a bachelor’s or associate’s degree in an aviation major.

There are other requirements in the new rule as well. First officers in scheduled airline service must also hold a second class medical certificate. If the aircraft requires three or more pilots, the first officer must also have a type rating for the specific aircraft type to be flown and a first class medical certificate. Airline captains were previously required to hold an ATP, a type rating, and a first class medical certificate. A new requirement under the rule is that captains must have a minimum of 1,000 hours in air carrier operations.

The new rule was passed by Congress after the February 12, 2009 crash of Colgan Airlines/Continental Connection Flight 3407 in Buffalo, N.Y. The NTSB report faulted pilot training at the regional airline as a factor. The new rules also come in the wake of the July 6, 2013 crash of Asiana Airlines Flight 214 in San Francisco. Although the NTSB is still investigating the accident, early indications are that the crew training may have played a role in the accident according to Politico.

Kevin Kuhlman, professor of aviation and aerospace science at Metropolitan State University of Denver, is not sure that the rule change will be worthwhile. “It seems logical that more hours equals safety,” he argues in the Denver Post, “but the reality is that it is the quality of the training not the quantity that matters. That’s what the (Asiana Airlines) and Colgan accidents really show.”

Kuhlman also is concerned that the new requirements may lead some pilots to falsify their flight times. Pilot flight times are maintained largely by an honor system in which pilots log their flight hours in a personal log book. It is only when pilots are finally hired by commercial operators that their times are tracked by others. Even then, the company only keeps track of flight time earned by the pilot while at that particular company.

Another potential problem is that the more stringent requirements for an airline career may dissuade people from beginning an aviation career, especially after a decade of wage and benefit cuts for airline employees. When paired with looming retirements as hundreds of airline pilots reach age 65, the new rule may trigger a severe shortage of pilots qualified to fly airliners.

Originally published as National Aviation Examiner

How to prepare for an airline interview

Many aviation industry observers predict that U.S. airlines are on the cusp of a shortage of qualified pilots. The shortage is the result of a large number of looming retirements at U.S. airlines and a new FAA rule scheduled to go into effect this August that will increase the flight experience requirement for airline pilots. The pilot shortage may present a unique opportunity for prospective pilots who have the required qualifications to be considered by the airlines, but first would-be airline pilots must pass the airline’s interview process.

An airline interview is unlike an interview at a non-aviation company. An airline interview is usually a single event, unlike interviews at non-aviation companies which can involve two, three or more interviews before an offer is made. In some cases, the airline interview may take place over several days and involve multiple meetings.

The first step in preparing for an airline interview is to research the company. The prospective applicant should be aware of recent news stories about the company, have an understanding of the company’s history, and be familiar with the company’s leaders. Much of this information can be found on the company’s website, on aviation trade sites such as Aviation Week, or news sources like the Wall St. Journal. Often, company websites allow users to sign up to receive press releases via email. A directory of sites relating to aviation employment can be found on GlobalAir.com. Learn about the company’s culture as well. An interview with Southwest, Virgin America or JetBlue will require a different approach than an interview with Delta, United or US Airways.

The next step in preparation is to find out what the company’s interview process is like. Several websites offer “gouge,” or details of their experience, from previous interview candidates. One of the most popular such sites is AviationInterviews.com, but other sites such as Will Fly for Food offer interview gouge as well. Job seekers can also use forums on websites such as FlightInfo.com to ask questions of current employees or others who have interviewed with the company. Airlinepilotcentral.com is a good source of information on many aviation companies and also has forums.

There are two types of questions on an aviation interview. First, there are normal human resource questions. These questions are of the “getting to know you” type. Examples would be “tell me about yourself” and “what are your strengths and weaknesses?” The second type of question to be expected is the technical question. Technical questions include subjects such as systems on the aircraft that you currently fly, the Federal Aviation Regulations, and how to brief an instrument approach.

Some companies concentrate on human resource questions while others tend toward technical questions. In most cases, companies ask both varieties of questions. In some cases, there are even separate interview sessions for each type of question. A sample list of general interview questions can be found online here, but interview gouge sites often report the questions most recently asked of interviewees.

Many companies also put prospective new hires through a simulator evaluation. Normally the sim ride is a simple evaluation of the pilot’s flying abilities to help the company determine whether the applicant would have problems in training. In many cases, the simulator evaluation covers basic maneuvers like climbs, turns, descents, ILS approaches, and holding patterns. Some companies, especially those that require that applicants already be type rated in the airplane to be flown, may have more in-depth simulator screenings with engine out maneuvers. To find out exactly what your experience will entail, check the gouge.

Some companies also require their applicants to take a written test. These tests often consist of basic aeronautical knowledge with multiple choice questions similar to those that might be found on the instrument and Airline Transport Pilot written exams.

Once you have determined what to expect on your interview, the next step is to start studying. A good method is to make a list of questions found on the interview gouge sites. Go down the list, answer the questions and then study your answers. For longer answers, write your answer in outline form. Don’t try to memorize the answer word for word, just remember the points that you want to make. Practice answering the questions out loud. Start in front of a mirror and then have your family and friends quiz you.

Many applicants also choose to go to a professional interview coach. There are several companies that special in helping applicants prepare for airline interviews. These services put the applicant through a mock interview and then critique their performance. Especially if the interview is with a company where hiring is very competitive, the experience of a mock interview can be valuable. Two companies that provide coaching for aviation interviews are Clark Aviation Consulting and Aviation Interview Prep Services. Other coaching services may be mentioned in interview gouge.

Pilots who are not accustomed to flying a simulator should definitely take a simulator prep course. If possible, the sim prep should take place in the same type of simulator in which the interview will take place. Follow the interview simulator profile as closely as possible, especially if it involves a complex maneuver like the ILS approach into Louisville, Ky. with a quick missed approach turn and holding pattern that was used in the simulator evaluation for a major cargo carrier. Again, check the gouge for referrals from previous applicants.

With preparation and study, you will have an excellent chance of becoming the next airline new hire. If you don’t get a job offer, don’t give up. Some companies, notably Southwest and FedEx, like to hire applicants on the second or third interview. As with anything, practice makes perfect and more interviews will improve your presentation. If all else fails, keep trying with other companies until you get your chance to hop in an airline cockpit.

Originally published on Examiner.com:

http://www.examiner.com/article/preparing-for-an-airline-interview

American Eagle offers signing bonus as pilot shortage looms

In an email to prospective job seekers on Friday, American Eagle Airlines announced that it is offering a $5,000 signing bonus for newly hired pilots. At present, Eagle plans to hire 600 new pilots in 2013. New FAA rules require that new airline pilots meet Airline Transport Pilot license standards.

American Eagle notes that American Airlines, its parent company, is planning to hire 2,500 pilots over the next five years. Approximately half of the current list of Eagle pilots is expected to be hired by American or other major airlines.

The $5,000 bonus is paid at the beginning of training and requires a two year commitment to Eagle. According to Airline Pilot Central, American Eagle’s first year pay is $25 per hour with a 75 hour reserve guarantee. This works out to about $22,500 for the first year, not including the bonus. Pay is relatively flat for turboprop first officers, but FOs on jets, the majority of the fleet, will see an increase to $34 per hour and about $30,600 annually for the second year. Currently, the most junior captain has a hire date of May 2006, but as the major airlines ramp up their hiring, upgrades could potentially move much faster.

Last month, Aviation Week reported that an industry coalition has requested that the Government Accountability Office study the looming pilot shortage. The combination of increasing airline retirements and decreases in the number of pilots trained by the military and civilian schools is leading to a shortage of trained and experienced pilots that is first being felt by the regional airlines.

The shortage may force regional airlines to increase their pay to try to lure pilots away from more lucrative charter and corporate jobs. The signing bonuses may be the first attempt of the regionals to do so without having to amend union contracts.

Originally published on Examiner.com:

http://www.examiner.com/article/american-eagle-offers-signing-bonus-as-pilot-shortage-looms

Delta to Comair: ‘Drop dead’

Delta Air Lines recently announced its decision to shut down its regional airline subsidiary, Comair. In a July 30 press release Delta announced that, as part of Delta’s overall plan to reduce the number of regional jets in its network, Comair’s 50-seat jets would be removed from Delta service. Its remaining 70-seat jets will most likely be transferred to other Delta Connection carriers.

According to the press release, Delta intends to drastically reduce the number of regional jets in its network from “nearly 350 to 125 or fewer in the upcoming years.” Delta further said that they did not plan to reduce service in Comair’s Cincinnati base from current levels. Comair will cease operations on September 29.

A major factor in the decision was the price of oil. "The economics just simply do not work," said Delta CEO Richard Anderson in the Wall Street Journal. "The 50-seat RJ fleet was purchased with a fuel-price assumption of $20 a barrel." Oil is currently trading near $100 per barrel.

According to Airline Pilot Central, Comair has 654 active pilots with 147 pilots currently on furlough. The company started in 1977 and was purchased by Delta, which already owned a 20 percent stake, in 1999. Since Delta declared bankruptcy in 2005, Comair has seen its fleet decline and its bases at New York’s John F. Kennedy airport, Orlando, and Greensboro, N.C. close.

The company also owned a flight school in Sanford, Fl., Comair Aviation Academy. After the Delta purchase, the school became known as Delta Connection Academy. The flight school was sold in 2009 and is now known as Aerosim Flight Academy.

Many passengers are not aware that when they buy a ticket on a major airline, they may fly on an airplane operated by a different company entirely. The major airlines have had code share agreements with regional airlines for the past few decades. Regional airlines typically operate airliners with 70-90 seats while the major airline operates larger airplanes.

The regional airline industry has been hit hard by the wave of airline bankruptcies since September 11, 2001. Fortunes of regional airlines rose and fell as their major airline code partners renegotiated contracts for their feeders. Atlantic Coast Airlines, a United Express and Delta Connection Carrier, lost its United contract and attempted to fly solo as Independence Air, only to go out of business in 2005. In the post-2008 period, many regionals furloughed pilots. Pinnacle Airlines, formerly a Northwest carrier and now a Delta Connection carrier, is currently in bankruptcy. Mesaba Airlines, then a subsidiary of Pinnacle, stopped flying in 2012. Mesa Airlines went into bankruptcy in 2010.

Delta’s Comair decision sends a disturbing signal to other regional airlines. They are limited by fuel efficiency from expanding their fleets of 50-seat and smaller jets and by union scope clauses from expanding to larger airliners. As fuel prices increase, regional airlines may continue to shrink unless they can convince their major airline partners to grow their fleets of turboprop airliners, which are more fuel-efficient than jets.

Communities that could support 50-seat regional jets on multiple flights may not be able to fill a larger, traditional airliner. If other airlines follow the trend by eliminating 50-seat jets from service, many small airports across the country might see the number of airline flights decline. Others may lose airline service entirely.

Read this article on Examiner.com:
http://www.examiner.com/article/delta-to-shut-down-comair