“There are a lot of furloughed pilots and nobody really is hiring,” said Paul Sweet, a pilot for Midwest Airlines for more than eight years who’s scheduled to be laid off in November.
Sweet and other pilots have been scrambling to find new jobs as Oak Creek-based Midwest Air Group Inc., which operates Midwest Airlines and regional carrier Midwest Connect, continues drastic contraction as the company fights to avoid filing bankruptcy and remain in operation.
The U.S. economy has Mark Powell, a pilot at Midwest for nearly a decade, considering a move overseas to keep flying commercial aircraft.
“The way the economy is here, there aren’t a lot of airlines hiring,” said Powell, who also is scheduled to lose his job on Nov. 1.
Midwest began the year with 375 pilots, and by Dec. 31 that number is expected to drop to 124. In all, Midwest is expected to cut 1,850 jobs by year-end, including pilots, flight attendants and gate agents.
Midwest management has been seeking what it calls “meaningful” concessions from pilots, including pay cuts ranging from 40 percent to 65 percent.
Under the plan, some pilots who stay would be demoted from captain to first officer, which would cut their current annual salary from $120,000 to $31,000.
Pilots about to lose their jobs or who already are out of work are frantically looking for positions with other commercial airlines, while others are considering work at charter services, freight carriers or smaller regional airline service providers. Others plan to leave the airline industry altogether to start new careers.
Below are the stories of four Midwest pilots who will soon lose their jobs and share their plans for the future.
Greg Uselmann
Midwest pilot: 10 years
Expected layoff date: Nov. 18.
Greg Uselmann remains on Midwest Airlines’ payroll, but hasn’t flown since the airline grounded its fleet of fuel-guzzling DC-9s in September.
“Some of us are just waiting to be furloughed,” said Uselmann, who has been a pilot for the past 25 years, including 10 years at Midwest.
Uselmann, 48, also has flown corporate jets and was a pilot for the now-defunct Pan American World Airways, more commonly known as Pan Am.
He’s aware of three laid-off Midwest pilots who have found jobs at Las Vegas-based Allegiant Air, a low-cost carrier, and others who have been hired to fly charter aircraft.
A few smaller airlines are hiring pilots, but the pay is minuscule — in some cases less than $20,000 per year, Uselmann said.
“Because of the seniority issues, it’s pretty daunting to start over at the bottom of another airline,” he said.
Uselmann has an interest in alternative energy, particularly solar power, and may pursue a career in that field.
“I’m trying to re-invent myself,” he said.
At the same time, Uselmann isn’t sure he’s quite ready to give up on his career as a pilot. He continues to look for jobs in the industry, but realizes the competition for work is intense and the search may be futile.