Family Pictures of Devan's Family

Mom, Chelsea and Jayden during their visit this past week in Aloha, Oregon.













Andon Bean. Just a few weeks old. Son of Devan and Brittney Bean
















Chelsea, Jayden and Devan at a waterfall just outside of Portland, OR.

I am not a big believer in all this "Global Warming" stuff that the Gore cronies keep spewing. But I can't say that this bear has any doubts.

This is a new AD (airworthiness directive) from the FAA that applies to all Airbus aircraft now. Have you seen one out on the line yet?

Displacement Results

I have been notified that I have been displaced to Cincinnati. This surprised me because I thought I bid the 767ER out of New York before the B737 in Cincinnati. All is well though since I will still be able to hold a line in Cincinnati and this also avoids sending me to training for another aircraft. I should be able to commute pretty easy. Cincinnati is only an hours flight from Atlanta. This way I also avoid the cut in pay that the MD-88 brought with it here in Atlanta.

B737 Displacement

Looks like I have a decision to make. I have been advised that I will be displaced out of the B737 Atlanta F/O position. They are moving some 23 F/O B737 positions to NYC. I have many choices to choose from but only three that I find viable.
1) Stay on the B737 and avoid going back to training on another airplane but sit reserve in NYC. This may require going a "crash-pad" in NYC for days I have to go up and sit reserve but not get called out on a flight.

2) Hold a schedule on the B767-300ER and fly international (TransAtlantic routes) out of NYC. This would be a raise of about $2.50 per hour. Would have to commute from Atlanta for each trip. This flying would be a little more boring flying long 8-11 hour legs with fewer take-offs and landings thus making it harder to get real proficient on the plane. The pay also carries an additional $3.50/hr int'l override pay though.

3) Hold a schedule on the MD-88 here in Atlanta but take a $7.00+/hour cut in pay. This would allow me to avoid commuting to work but would have to fly an additional 11-12 hours/month to make up the difference in pay from sitting reserve on the B737 here in Atlanta. This flying would be a lot more work with up to 5 legs per day. Most all the flying would be on the east coast and east of TX, OK, MI.

What to do, What to do. There are more pros and cons but that about sums it up. Vote on my poll to tell me what you would do.

Delta/Northwest Integration List

As an airline pilot, seniority is everything. Not so much in any other aspect of the airline industry. As a pilot, wages, schedules, vacations, elections etc are all based on your seniority. Unlike other occupations if you switch companies you can still be hired into a top level position. Example, a bank manager can be hired right into a bank manager position at another bank and doesn't need to start over as a teller or apprentice.

In my line of work switching companies loses all date of hire rights from any previous employer. This has bitten me time and again even though I have flown under the Delta colors most of my aviation career. I had 10 years with Delta and left as a B737-200 systems instructor, left for 3 months and flew with American Eagle before transferring back to Delta owned Atlantic Southeast Airlines and flew for them as a Delta Connection Carrier for 7 years. Each time starting again at the bottom seniority of 1000's of pilots. Being hired as a line pilot for Delta in Aug. '07 I again started at the bottom of the pile of about 7000 pilots.

Now with the merger of the Northwest pilot group and the Delta pilot group I received my new seniority number. Out of 12,434 I am number 11547. I have 796 pilots below me. I was hoping for 1000 below me. Before the integration list was handed down by the arbitrators 93% of the Delta pilot group was above me. Now the merged list has 92% above me so percentage wise I gained actually just over 1/2 a percent.

Looks like a peons life for me for quite some time. Ah well, maybe things will improve as I still have 17 years to build seniority.

Teotihuacan Ruins

Our family on the Pyramid of the Moon.

View from the Pyramid of the Moon looking down the "Avenue of the Dead". The Pyramid of the Sun can be seen on the left side of the avenue. The main plaza is just below the pyramid. Most ceremonies here were by invitation for the more elite.

Dallan, Mom and Shawn standing on top of the Sun Pyramid with the Moon Pyramid in the background. The Moon Pyramid was the main ceremonial pyramid even though the Sun Pyramid was much larger.

Teotihuacan city ruins to the south of the Pyramid of the Sun.