Light at the End of the Tunnel

We just got word that 12 of our 96 furloughed pilots are about to be recalled. After hearing the news, I felt that a load had been lifted off my shoulders. Although I haven't personally been affected in a significant way, I still feel the effects in tougher schedules and the inability to get time off or trade trips.

Of the 12 to be recalled, some have been out for almost a year now. Not only are jobs nonexistent in the industry, competition is fierce for those few opportunities outside our field of expertise. These guys have been making a go of it with unemployment benefits, part-time work, and savings if they have any.

A year and a half after the first round of layoffs, morale is at a low point. It feels we've been walking down a road without knowing where the end is, carrying a pack that just keeps getting heavier. At the outset, we remained upbeat with a can-do attitude, but have become weary, dejected, and beaten down. I'm reminded of adventure racing, only this time, instead of a finish line, we are handed another set of maps and told to keep going. We have no idea for how long or what awaits us.

Finally, we have some glimmer of hope, a dim light at the end of the long tunnel.