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[0] HEARING OF THE AVIATION OPERATIONS, SAFETY AND SECURITY SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE SENATE COMMERCE, SCIENCE AND TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE SUBJECT: AVIATION SAFETY: THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN NETWORK AIRLINES AND REGIONAL AIRLINES AVIATION OPERATIONS, SAFETY AND SECURITY WITNESSES: CAPTAIN STEPHEN DICKSON, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF FLIGHT OPERATIONS, DELTA AIR LINES, INC.; CAPTAIN DON GUNTHER, VICE PRESIDENT FOR... (Part 10).

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HEARING OF THE AVIATION OPERATIONS, SAFETY AND SECURITY SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE SENATE COMMERCE, SCIENCE AND TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE SUBJECT: AVIATION SAFETY: THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN NETWORK AIRLINES AND REGIONAL AIRLINES AVIATION OPERATIONS, SAFETY AND SECURITY WITNESSES: CAPTAIN STEPHEN DICKSON, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF FLIGHT OPERATIONS, DELTA AIR LINES, INC.; CAPTAIN DON GUNTHER, VICE PRESIDENT FOR SAFETY, CONTINENTAL AIRLINES, INC.; PETER BOWLER, PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, AMERICAN EAGLE AIRLINES; PHILIP TRENARY, PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, PINNACLE AIRLINES CORP. CHAIRED BY: SENATOR BYRON DORGAN (D-ND) LOCATION: 253 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING, WASHINGTON, D.C. TIME: 10:02 A.M. EDT DATE: THURSDAY, AUGUST 6, 2009(Part 10)

And, again, I don't -- I don't think that we would be prone to go ask them that question. I think what they do in their private lives, as long as it doesn't interfere with their responsibilities to perform when they're at work, and to perform to our standards, and the FAA standards required of their license, I'm prone not to go enquiring about that.

We set our compensation levels based on the peer group that we compete against. And, most importantly, it is a negotiated process, it's a collective bargaining agreement that we reach with the -- in the case of our pilots, the Airline Pilots Association, who ably represent pilots across the country.

SEN. BEGICH: Mr. Trenary?

MR. TRENARY: I think it really goes to a "professional standards," because we don't track what people do on their off-time. I can tell you that pilots -- some manage to live on what they're paid. Some do not. Some have kids, mortgages, colleges, things like that.

But pilots who work for major carriers -- I know pilots making, you know, well in the six figures who have other jobs not because they need the money, because they want to. Some need the money. It really...