LOL, pipa, do you seriously think that everyone related to the airline industry is actually empolyed in the airline industry?  While waiting for a position to open up....you have to be doing something....unemployment will only carry you so far.  And a pilot trained to fly a 747-200 could be working at a much lesser job in another airline (perhaps in baggage or at a ticket counter) just waiting and killing time for a better position to come along.  In this economy so many highly educated and competent people have had to take lesser jobs while they wait for a position in their current expertise to become available.

I cannot tell you how many "over qualified" individuals - way, way, way over qualified individuals - have sent me their resume's to work as a cashier in a check cashing store. 

It is an unfortunate fact of today's economy......train engineers are working as landscapers, teachers are working as cashiers.....and pilots are working in other places......all of them waiting for the golden opportunity to work in the field they love best.

Anyone worth hiring is not sitting in front of a TV playing video games and eating potato chips.  They are certainly keeping themselves busy.....doing something.....until an opportunity rolls around.  Anyone worth looking at for a position at Baltia is not sitting around idle with no evidence of drive what-so-ever.  I certainly don't want to think that the pilot flying my plane was just a few months ago sitting on welfare - unshaven and in a jogging outfit - living off everyone else's hard work.  Please - I would rather he was driving a cab if necessary - anything to be independent and self sufficient and to put bread on the table at his own hand, not ours (the hard working taxpayers).........................................