I can definitely work with that.

Gawd, you're just gorgeous.

I agree. They shouldn't. They have access to the safest air traffic system in the entire world at no charge, yet they will bitch about anybody they perceive as getting something "free" from the government and scream about "socialism".

Whenever a pilot bitches about socialism, ask them how much they have to pay for air traffic control services. The FAA budget comes out of the general fund. There used to be an airline ticket tax that helped to pay for it, but that hasn't been the case for 30 years at least. They pay nothing.

Can I have it next?

Duffy is full of shit. There is no massive wave of retirements right now. After the post-strike hiring push that ended in 1990, there were very few controllers hired until well after the turn of the millennium. There's simply not that many retirement-eligible controllers.

I retired from ABQ in 2018 after 30 years. The controllers I knew in the big houses all stayed until the end.

The highest attrition is at the academy. I think about half my class made it all the way through. Everyone who made it went on to a facility and career and eventual retirement. Your pay numbers are dead on.

Most actually go all the way to the end of their career.

I think Duffy is lying. I have not seen an extraordinary number of retirement announcements coming across my feed from NATCA. But I don't doubt that the ones that are eligible have decided that they don't want any more of this.

Well, kinda. I was hired as a 20-year-old in 1988, which was 7 years after the strike and firing. I retired on Halloween 2018 after 30 years. I am now above the mandatory retirement age of 56. Pretty much all of the post strike hires are now retired.

You're crazy hot!

Thank-you, sir!

My condolences.

I can't stop.

I can't stop.

<sticks out tongue and says AHHH>

Good to the last drop.