Thanks and I appreciate that. RUclips controls the commercials and they like to make money so glad this one was good in that regard and you liked the length. I usually don't do ones this long but it is hard to consolidate 35 years!
Like you, I went through the interview at United in 1979 (September) and was offered a job with the caveat that they would call me later with a class date. We all know you aren't officially hired until you start ground school. But I went home thinking I was finally going to be a United Airlines pilot....until 3 days later when I read in the newspaper that United was furloughing 100 pilots. Soon thereafter, the letter came dashing my dreams. But I finally got hired in June of 1986 and flew until for 28.5 years and never scratched the paint on one of our airplanes, never got a violation, and never had a less than cordial conversation with the chief pilot. In spite of this stellar record, United fired me and all I did wrong was have 65 birthdays!! I said to myself "I'll neve do THAT again, and I haven't, as in have 65 birthdays. Had 9 since then but never 65 again. This video makes me relive my career, which was your career, too and some of the trauma came back like a bad dream.
So very true. Had a guy staying at my crash pad that they were trying to get a hold of to tell him he did not have a job. I told the TK people I knew where he was and, if they wanted, I would tell him personally. I felt it would be better to come from me than an anonymous phone call. He was there with his wife. Very nice family.
Hey Ron, seeing that picture of you and your son in your pilot's uniforms together for the newspaper. I guess it just must not get any better than that. I'm a 60-year-old guy with a couple of sons and that's got to be a great feeling
Ron, I am an Aviate participant and was enlisted in the Navy. I really enjoy your insights to the industry as I try to navigate flight school and my future career at United. I always enjoy hearing what you have to say since there is some good stuff I can always learn.
Ron it's always a pleasure to see your videos. You talk about digressing like it's bad: everytime you digress your anecdotes are even more informative and relevant. You've never prattled about like an idiot. You are succinct when necessary, verbose when it makes sense, and always, ALWAYS on point. From FAIP to widebody captain, Father and mentor to retiree and full time husband, I'd say you've had a full life thus far. Your family clearly benefits from those values you spoke of being raised by. People speak of the past sometimes with derision or contempt, but those values are 100% time tested, rock solid, and more importantly, THEY APPLY TO EVERYDAY LIFE! I wish you well sir, and look forward to seeing more of your content. Remain in good health and spirits and I will hopefully see you soon.
Hey Ron, for me these stories are your sweet spot. You know aviation is so different now and it's going to be so different going forward. Aviation has changed so much and it's gonna be changing so much more. It's just great to capture the history of a regular guy doing the airline live during this period of time.
The United Strike of 1985 was a battle of epic proportions, the individuals who advocated B Scale were below contempt. Knew some, would still give each a " Chilean Helicopter ride" if I could orchestrate it, and would have no regrets. As for their parallel compatriots at other carriers. Thank you for the struggle and for walking the picket line. Oh and I flew N601US in all three seats. It's cockpit is in the Smithsonian, a 747-100... Still love that airplane.
Hello Ron, I'm 16 years old and have been obsessed with aviation ever since i can remember. I found your channel about 6 months ago and i have enjoyed every upload since. As someone who just wants to consume every single bit of aviation related content i can get my hands on, your content is my favourite type Sometimes other video creators create a sort of disconnect through their videos when it comes to their passion for this wonderful job, but I can feel your passion for this job radiate from every word. So the longer the videos the better and i really can feel the fire for this job growing inside of me everytime i watch one of your videos. Thanks for providing me with the motivation to continue my highschool studies as well as the words of wisdom and digressions. They are very helpful as a "hopefully" first generation pilot from my family later down the road, and really make me look forward to my life ahead! Keep making these videos, The longer the better!
Thanks you so much! I would love to be 16 again (but obviously wouldn't have any stories). Glad I can be an inspiring. I love it. Press on and keep the drive. You will do well if you study and work hard!
Ron, great chapter! I was parallel to you sort of , ( hired in 1984 at Cobra) so not a 79 hire, but around for the Lorenzo battles, the pay concessions of the early 1990's (was never furloughed) the battle to return lost pay rates in the late 1990's 911 and the destruction of our profession thereafter. It was a tumultuous ride.
Just finished watching this one. I've been a subscriber to your channel for quite a while now, but never commented till today since I'm not a pilot nor do I work in the industry and nobody cares what I think about anything, but my dad did and watching you paying homage to your father at the end of the video got me really emotional remembering mine. You're a great man, captain Rogers. So glad you've had a great carreer and continue to live a great life. Well deserved, sir. Mad respect.
Thanks for your very interesting story and although I am about the same age as you are, and although flying in the RNZAF training on T6 Texans and loving aerobatics and formation flying, I never went beyond being a pilot of light aircraft finally doing aerial photography in a turbo C206 up to 27,000 all around New Zealand, and getting my single pilot instrument rating for coming home in the murk. I ended up founding a full sized steam railway museum, my other passion, and am still doing this although with another group, and now making cinematic documentaries primarily about others who have made outstanding achievements in their lives.
@@ronrogers I actually applied for a flying job with Air New Zealand and had an interview and session in a simulator of a Fokker F27 that they were using at the time. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, I missed out and ended up doing an electronics apprenticeship as flying was so dependent on a medical and I felt I needed a backup. The largest aircraft I got checked out on was a Piper Aztec, although I also did a few hours in a Cessna C337 which I enjoyed flying. Other than the North American T6, my favourite single engined aircraft was a retractable C177, as they were very comfortable and got along at a reasonable clip compared to other single engine aircraft I had access to, although having done over 1000 hours on a C206, these were very nice as well.
I loved the old DENTK. My dad worked there in the 1980's and he'd park in the back lot there and we'd catch the shuttle-bus over to the Stapleton terminal. They had models of the aircraft United had flown suspended in that main lobby, if my memory serves. My dad showed me that Link simulator. Every year they had a "take your kids to work" day and we'd go and crash the sims.
Rare that I can sit for an hour to watch an online video but this was very enjoyable. I imagine the systems on the 727 and 737 were pretty similar so the constant jumping back and forth was more annoying than challenging. A coworker's father was an FE on the 737 at Piedmont. Did you wear the two stripe epaulette like they did at Braniff?
Another great yarn Ron. Looking at your crude simulators as an old and damaged motorcycle racer I would later see motorcycle racing arcade games and lament the lack of surrounding hammers and disc grinders.
Right, It’s often beautiful. But in the springtime, I got my Cat III practice. Was a long time before I saw the new hotel on short final coming into 27 right.
Back in 2010 I went to the 727 exhibit at the science museum, and a retired united captain in uniform was onboard answering questions. Was that you? I can't remember what the guy looked like.
My parents were scheduled on the inaugural 777 flight from London to Washington but didn't even know it. My dad called United while he was in England to change their flight home and they told him then that the flight he was switching from was the inaugural flight but he still switched. They must have switched the airplane in at some point when they knew it was ready because they didn't tell him when he first made the reservation. When he told me, I told him he should not have switched.
Thank you for another wonderful video! I love it when you provide insights into the culture and history of United and the airline industry. That one pilot you did a line check for on the 777 was the spitting imagine of Juan Brown Colirio, another airline pilot youtuber, but I think he flies for “Brand X.” His channel blancolirio does good coverage of aviation incidents and also general aviation topics. God bless you!
Very nice tribute to your parents. Your values show and I’m sure they are passed on to your kids. Perhaps you can include links or names of the other videos you reference in the current video
Like you Ron, I was hired as a 727 flight engineer based with you at ORD, sat at the panel for nearly 4 years including 2 years as an engineer LCA. Then first officer on the 737-200 for 10 years. On that plane, I was a copilot, captain, and LCA. Flew it for 7035 hours and 6,000 LEGS! Then transfered to JFK on the 757/767 until they fired me on January 18, 2015. We both lost our ESOP stock (mine was worth $450,000) when the company filed for bankruptcy, we lost our pensions, and we took a 40% pay cuts for 8 years. And in those years, I was making the same salary flying as captain on the 767, wide body international as a 737 copilot was making at Southwest. What a scam the compny had going! Some ugly times but then things got better in about 2010 when we merged with continental and got our pay back, but not our pensions. At 74, I'm still flying professionally on the Pilatus PC-12NG for a wealthy family in PA.
Did the Pension benefit Guaranty corp cover any of the lost pension? I thought that covered it up to a certain amount or didn't that apply in this case?
Well, waged work went from precarious to good, and… back to being precarious. We’re old enough to remember, but most under-40s don’t have that experience. So, no change ahead I guess…? 🤓
That folk medicine remedy of pouring warm olive oil into my dad's right ear where he had all of those ear infections kept him out of flying for the Air Force, so he failed his physical. Another interesting video with good photos.
@@ronrogers Well like your father told you, "Have something to fall back on." He had his aerospace engineering degree so that's what he did. He also got to work for NASA. He eventually soloed in some kind of low-wing single-engine Beech, but stopped beccause he too is a bit "frugal."
@@ronrogers I felt hard done by when my ex-employer reneged on the indexing of part of my pension. I would have been horrified if they had been able to discard their obligations altogether. That should certainly be criminal - it's an outrage if it isn't.
I REALLY like these long format, commercial free stories! 👍💯
Thanks and I appreciate that. RUclips controls the commercials and they like to make money so glad this one was good in that regard and you liked the length. I usually don't do ones this long but it is hard to consolidate 35 years!
@ronrogers Well it was great!
Great one Ron! Same age, same time frame albeit shorter, different airline, cept it was the only one that preserved its DBP.
Like you, I went through the interview at United in 1979 (September) and was offered a job with the caveat that they would call me later with a class date. We all know you aren't officially hired until you start ground school. But I went home thinking I was finally going to be a United Airlines pilot....until 3 days later when I read in the newspaper that United was furloughing 100 pilots. Soon thereafter, the letter came dashing my dreams. But I finally got hired in June of 1986 and flew until for 28.5 years and never scratched the paint on one of our airplanes, never got a violation, and never had a less than cordial conversation with the chief pilot. In spite of this stellar record, United fired me and all I did wrong was have 65 birthdays!! I said to myself "I'll neve do THAT again, and I haven't, as in have 65 birthdays. Had 9 since then but never 65 again. This video makes me relive my career, which was your career, too and some of the trauma came back like a bad dream.
So very true. Had a guy staying at my crash pad that they were trying to get a hold of to tell him he did not have a job. I told the TK people I knew where he was and, if they wanted, I would tell him personally. I felt it would be better to come from me than an anonymous phone call. He was there with his wife. Very nice family.
@@ronrogers That photo of you when you were a second officer on the 727 is how I remember you looking. We had mutual friends at ORD, the Lowes.
Yes we sure do!
One birthday and your qualified to buy/drink beer. A diff. birthday and your no longer qualified to be a pilot. Soooo stupit!!!
Amazing stories from an amazing storyteller. Thank you Ron!
Thanks for listening
Hey Ron, seeing that picture of you and your son in your pilot's uniforms together for the newspaper. I guess it just must not get any better than that. I'm a 60-year-old guy with a couple of sons and that's got to be a great feeling
Yes John, it was really great! Thanks!
Good story. Thanks.
Thanks for listening
@@ronrogers Your welcome. Regards from Madrid, Spain.
What a great story to start the week , thank you Ron.
(Melbourne Australia)
Glad you enjoyed it
great autobiography. enjoyed it very much.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Ron, I am an Aviate participant and was enlisted in the Navy. I really enjoy your insights to the industry as I try to navigate flight school and my future career at United. I always enjoy hearing what you have to say since there is some good stuff I can always learn.
Hope the program is going well and everything works out well for you. Please keep in contact and tell me how things are going for you!
Ron it's always a pleasure to see your videos. You talk about digressing like it's bad: everytime you digress your anecdotes are even more informative and relevant. You've never prattled about like an idiot. You are succinct when necessary, verbose when it makes sense, and always, ALWAYS on point. From FAIP to widebody captain, Father and mentor to retiree and full time husband, I'd say you've had a full life thus far. Your family clearly benefits from those values you spoke of being raised by. People speak of the past sometimes with derision or contempt, but those values are 100% time tested, rock solid, and more importantly, THEY APPLY TO EVERYDAY LIFE!
I wish you well sir, and look forward to seeing more of your content. Remain in good health and spirits and I will hopefully see you soon.
Thanks so much for the nice words and I will do my best to continue and do worthwhile presentations! Your words are so true!
Ron Rogers ...
What a stud ...
You betcha🤣🤣🤣🤣
Great video for a Sunday morning. Many thanks
Glad you enjoyed it
Hey Ron, for me these stories are your sweet spot. You know aviation is so different now and it's going to be so different going forward. Aviation has changed so much and it's gonna be changing so much more. It's just great to capture the history of a regular guy doing the airline live during this period of time.
Thank you so much for the nice words! I really appreciate your comments!
A great vid, Capt. Rogers.
Thanks, I appreciate that!
The United Strike of 1985 was a battle of epic proportions, the individuals who advocated B Scale were below contempt. Knew some, would still give each a " Chilean Helicopter ride" if I could orchestrate it, and would have no regrets. As for their parallel compatriots at other carriers. Thank you for the struggle and for walking the picket line. Oh and I flew N601US in all three seats. It's cockpit is in the Smithsonian, a 747-100... Still love that airplane.
Same here and Thanks!
Hello Ron, I'm 16 years old and have been obsessed with aviation ever since i can remember. I found your channel about 6 months ago and i have enjoyed every upload since. As someone who just wants to consume every single bit of aviation related content i can get my hands on, your content is my favourite type
Sometimes other video creators create a sort of disconnect through their videos when it comes to their passion for this wonderful job, but I can feel your passion for this job radiate from every word. So the longer the videos the better and i really can feel the fire for this job growing inside of me everytime i watch one of your videos.
Thanks for providing me with the motivation to continue my highschool studies as well as the words of wisdom and digressions. They are very helpful as a "hopefully" first generation pilot from my family later down the road, and really make me look forward to my life ahead! Keep making these videos, The longer the better!
Thanks you so much! I would love to be 16 again (but obviously wouldn't have any stories). Glad I can be an inspiring. I love it. Press on and keep the drive. You will do well if you study and work hard!
@ronrogers Thank you for the reply, I would be happy if I was half the pilot you are. Keep on going with these great videos!
Wonderful. Enjoyed it
Thanks Bob! Alway appreciate comments from my very loyal fans!
Watch it through! Great vid
Much appreciated!
Ron, you forgot to mention that for the interviews, you had to pass through a security gate with guards and all thanks to the strike.
True, so used to all the hassle now I forgot to mention it!
Thanks Ron!
I enjoyed living your career vicariously. Looks like on your last day you could say you made the right choice!
Yup!👍
You're a great story teller Ron, really enjoyed this one!
Glad you enjoyed it
Ron, great chapter! I was parallel to you sort of , ( hired in 1984 at Cobra) so not a 79 hire, but around for the Lorenzo battles, the pay concessions of the early 1990's (was never furloughed) the battle to return lost pay rates in the late 1990's 911 and the destruction of our profession thereafter. It was a tumultuous ride.
Yes it sure was!
Great Sunday times; thanks Ron!!
Thanks for listening
I really enjoyed that, Ron. Thanks.
Glad you enjoyed it
Just finished watching this one. I've been a subscriber to your channel for quite a while now, but never commented till today since I'm not a pilot nor do I work in the industry and nobody cares what I think about anything, but my dad did and watching you paying homage to your father at the end of the video got me really emotional remembering mine. You're a great man, captain Rogers. So glad you've had a great carreer and continue to live a great life. Well deserved, sir. Mad respect.
Thanks so much and it doesn’t matter what your background or experience may be. All comments and discussions are welcome.
@@ronrogers Sorry, I misspelled your name there. Fixed now. And thank you.
No problem, you used the British spelling, not the Irish spelling. Irish are much more fun!
@@ronrogers Hahaha, I'm not taking sides on that one! 😄
I’ll raise a pint to that!
Thanks for your very interesting story and although I am about the same age as you are, and although flying in the RNZAF training on T6 Texans and loving aerobatics and formation flying, I never went beyond being a pilot of light aircraft finally doing aerial photography in a turbo C206 up to 27,000 all around New Zealand, and getting my single pilot instrument rating for coming home in the murk. I ended up founding a full sized steam railway museum, my other passion, and am still doing this although with another group, and now making cinematic documentaries primarily about others who have made outstanding achievements in their lives.
That sounds really cool!
@@ronrogers I actually applied for a flying job with Air New Zealand and had an interview and session in a simulator of a Fokker F27 that they were using at the time. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, I missed out and ended up doing an electronics apprenticeship as flying was so dependent on a medical and I felt I needed a backup. The largest aircraft I got checked out on was a Piper Aztec, although I also did a few hours in a Cessna C337 which I enjoyed flying. Other than the North American T6, my favourite single engined aircraft was a retractable C177, as they were very comfortable and got along at a reasonable clip compared to other single engine aircraft I had access to, although having done over 1000 hours on a C206, these were very nice as well.
Great life story❤
Thanks you so much!
Good story, I faded a bit as a viewer, but this and the qf 32 are great entertainment
Thanks!
I loved the old DENTK. My dad worked there in the 1980's and he'd park in the back lot there and we'd catch the shuttle-bus over to the Stapleton terminal. They had models of the aircraft United had flown suspended in that main lobby, if my memory serves. My dad showed me that Link simulator. Every year they had a "take your kids to work" day and we'd go and crash the sims.
Fun times for all! Thanks for sharing!
51 weeks?! You KNOW some bean counter planned that one
You Betcha!
Rare that I can sit for an hour to watch an online video but this was very enjoyable. I imagine the systems on the 727 and 737 were pretty similar so the constant jumping back and forth was more annoying than challenging. A coworker's father was an FE on the 737 at Piedmont. Did you wear the two stripe epaulette like they did at Braniff?
When I checked out as a 737-200, a more experienced pilot told me this airplane was the last link to gerneral aviaition flying, and he was SO right!
You got that right! The J-3 of the airliners!
25:46 a very good looking family 👍🏻
Thanks so much!
Another great yarn Ron. Looking at your crude simulators as an old and damaged motorcycle racer I would later see motorcycle racing arcade games and lament the lack of surrounding hammers and disc grinders.
Thanks Richard!
Sometimes, Frankfurt has good weather too, Ron. I know that of first hand. I have lived there.
Right, It’s often beautiful. But in the springtime, I got my Cat III practice. Was a long time before I saw the new hotel on short final coming into 27 right.
@@ronrogers That's an office building. I even worked there. But it's only 100 feet high and aircraft are clearing it with at least 400 feet.
Back in 2010 I went to the 727 exhibit at the science museum, and a retired united captain in uniform was onboard answering questions. Was that you? I can't remember what the guy looked like.
Sorry, would not have been me.
My parents were scheduled on the inaugural 777 flight from London to Washington but didn't even know it. My dad called United while he was in England to change their flight home and they told him then that the flight he was switching from was the inaugural flight but he still switched. They must have switched the airplane in at some point when they knew it was ready because they didn't tell him when he first made the reservation. When he told me, I told him he should not have switched.
Wow, I agree!!
Thank you for another wonderful video! I love it when you provide insights into the culture and history of United and the airline industry. That one pilot you did a line check for on the 777 was the spitting imagine of Juan Brown Colirio, another airline pilot youtuber, but I think he flies for “Brand X.” His channel blancolirio does good coverage of aviation incidents and also general aviation topics. God bless you!
Yes, Juan has a great channel! Thanks so much!
I would say, don’t swim in the river or drink it!
Very nice tribute to your parents. Your values show and I’m sure they are passed on to your kids. Perhaps you can include links or names of the other videos you reference in the current video
Thanks! You should be able to find them in the play lists. I usually have a title that reflects the presentation.
Like you Ron, I was hired as a 727 flight engineer based with you at ORD, sat at the panel for nearly 4 years including 2 years as an engineer LCA. Then first officer on the 737-200 for 10 years. On that plane, I was a copilot, captain, and LCA. Flew it for 7035 hours and 6,000 LEGS! Then transfered to JFK on the 757/767 until they fired me on January 18, 2015. We both lost our ESOP stock (mine was worth $450,000) when the company filed for bankruptcy, we lost our pensions, and we took a 40% pay cuts for 8 years. And in those years, I was making the same salary flying as captain on the 767, wide body international as a 737 copilot was making at Southwest. What a scam the compny had going! Some ugly times but then things got better in about 2010 when we merged with continental and got our pay back, but not our pensions. At 74, I'm still flying professionally on the Pilatus PC-12NG for a wealthy family in PA.
That is cool! The Pilatus is a beautiful aircraft and sounds like we had very similar careers and "fun" times. Thanks for sharing!
Did the Pension benefit Guaranty corp cover any of the lost pension? I thought that covered it up to a certain amount or didn't that apply in this case?
Well, waged work went from precarious to good, and… back to being precarious. We’re old enough to remember, but most under-40s don’t have that experience. So, no change ahead I guess…? 🤓
@@canyonoverlook9937 Good question! Yes, after 2 years I get about $2500 per month instead of the six figures I had earned.
For 29 years of stellar service, the PBGC gives me about $2500 per month instead of the 6 figures I had earned. @@canyonoverlook9937
Ron, did united use the huge blown up panel trainers like twa and delta for the engineet?
Sure did!
I got ESOPed by UAL as well. 😢 On the positive I will receive a a small amount (grocery money?) from the pension guarantee corporation.
Yes, small joys!
That folk medicine remedy of pouring warm olive oil into my dad's right ear where he had all of those ear infections kept him out of flying for the Air Force, so he failed his physical. Another interesting video with good photos.
So sorry to hear about your dad!
@@ronrogers Well like your father told you, "Have something to fall back on." He had his aerospace engineering degree so that's what he did. He also got to work for NASA. He eventually soloed in some kind of low-wing single-engine Beech, but stopped beccause he too is a bit "frugal."
So United pulled the same dick move on their employees Kodak did as well with those ESOPs. Unbelievable.
You got that right!!
Your son looks just like you except for the mustache
My wife thinks we cloned him!
Are pilots allowed to date flight attendants?
No restrictions at my airline!
I was single during my entire airline career.....need I say more?
Ah - so ESOP was just a fable?
A very costly fable!!
@@ronrogers I felt hard done by when my ex-employer reneged on the indexing of part of my pension. I would have been horrified if they had been able to discard their obligations altogether. That should certainly be criminal - it's an outrage if it isn't.
They hired some sleazy lawyers to make our pensions disappear. I don't say I lost my pension; it was stolen!