Air Traffic Control (Aviation Disaster thread)

[Niiro]

Yea anyone being alone in a locked cockpit seems like a situation that should never happen for a large number of very good reasons having nothing to do with a suicide crash....

[Melena]

I'll need to check the details, but as far as I know, pilots in Germany are set for life.
Especially in the case of Lufthansa, the pilots are downright hated as of late, as they've been going on strikes, making demands that are said to be outlandish when compared to pilots in other countries (or the average income/benefits in Germany).

Maybe possibly in Germany. I remember in one of the Michael Moore documentaries, think it was Bowling for Colombine, he mentioned that pilots for a lot of the smaller budget airlines made just enough to reach the poverty line, but were under threat of being fired if they applied for food stamps since the airlines didn't want the embarrassment that the pilots they hire can't even make enough to feed their families.

[Acevalefor]

Maybe possibly in Germany. I remember in one of the Michael Moore documentaries, think it was Bowling for Colombine, he mentioned that pilots for a lot of the smaller budget airlines made just enough to reach the poverty line, but were under threat of being fired if they applied for food stamps since the airlines didn't want the embarrassment that the pilots they hire can't even make enough to feed their families.

Yes. They don't even make enough to reach the poverty line though. They are paid in "credits" that are then exchanged for cash paychecks, extra flights, better routes, etc. They are basically only paid for wheels up time. Any time spent between flights, overnights outside of your home port, down time for maintenance is not paid. Additionally, many airlines require their pilots to pay their own room and board in what the industry calls a crash house. Places with wall-to-wall bunks where pilots can try to get a little sleep. I say try because there are people coming and going at all hours most of the time.

Anyways, I am rambling a bit. North American pilots do not even come close to the poverty line at the end of the day, but because of the "credit" system in place, their wages can be reported off of their accrued credits. They don't report what the pilot actually took home, what the pilot paid out of pocket, or the time spent between flights not getting paid.

[Outlaw]

The man was treated for suicidal tendencies before he became a pilot.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/germanwi...al-tendencies/

[Mazmaz]

and?

[Acevalefor]

Nothing new. Lufthansa CEO visited the crash site today. That is the biggest news about the crash.

[The Stig]

Bump.

Malaysian PM confirmed MH370 debris (wing) found on island called Reunion.

Sauce: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-33794012

http://ichef-1.bbci.co.uk/news/624/c...ion_624map.png

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