What a complete hatchet job. Frontline didn't look for answers. It just attacked a business.
It says people are buying Continental safety like people think that a little turboprop is the same as a big jet.
Also, it talked about "firewalls" between the two companies like liability was the biggest reason to separate it. But the PBS pro union types make no mention that there are probably a whole bunch of union contract issues that the business has to get around through employing the regional carriers. It's surprising that they didn't paint a picture of busting or getting around unions as something trumping safety.

But the biggest problem is probably that people who want to be pilots I read all the time on this web site think that they are entitled to a good or decent living just because they're employed. But instead they take a job that is totally untenable and then complain about it, and do supposedly unsafe things like fly in unsafe weather or fly too heavy or fly too tired or blah blah blah blah... They took the job. All the employee pilot can do is work for free or quit. There's plenty of them that are apparently okay with working for free.

It sounds like a typical union situation where people with time in the job have a much different and cushy job while they make more money, and people starting out have to take less glamorous and lower paid positions.

Flying is statistically safe. The more attempts to micromanage industry and regulate will just drive up prices but not really drive up safety. The bottom line is to get there. No solutions were offered by the show. It just painted people who were in the business of making money as evil and cruel somehow. And then it seemed to say that the majors should be in charge of safety which is a total double standard. Why would the major be so much "better" than another business. The same market pressures will exist. The same flight schedules will be in play presumably.

THE BIGGEST reason air travel is safe is that the pilot is the first one to hit the ground in a nose dive. They don't get ejection seats. It's in their ultimate best interest to get there safe. Maybe watching this, they'll think twice before making decisions that will lead to flying tired. Just like driving drunk, if you don't drink, then you're not drunk. If you get enough rest, then you're not tired.

Are other regionals any safer than continental?
Also, the general public hears a salary of $70k+ on average, and they don't get too worked up about feeling sorry for them. Especially in this economy. If you're making $20,000 in a year, is it because of your choices?

I could go on and on. But mostly, I thought the show was very lopsided against the regional carriers without any real evidence that they were being that awful. They have to optimize operations. It's crucial. The flying public demands seats at the prices that the market set through supply and demand. You just can't it both ways. The more regulation and safety and BS costs that are put into the system driving up price will decrease the amount of air service quantity demanded by consumers.

If you put Continental / Colgan out of business, then who says their replacement will be better at safety.

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