United Airlines is offering retired United pilots $150 a day to help train new pilots and is suggesting that some retirees can return to the cockpit, it was learned Sunday.
The offers were made in phone calls from the airline`s Denver training base, according to three Chicago area retirees interviewed separately Sunday by The Tribune.
The three retired United captains said they were offered $150 a day, plus all expenses, to serve as consultants and help train and process new employees. They said they had little interest, noting that they receive pensions in excess of $50,000 a year.
One retiree was told he could return to the lowest-ranking cockpit position, known as second officer or flight engineer. The other two did not get that offer, presumably because they, unlike the third retiree, are not certified in both the captain`s and engineer`s job.
A company spokesman confirmed the offers of consultant work. But he said no decision has been made on whether retirees might return to the cockpit.
Any offer of the engineer`s spot to retired pilots would be ironic. The company and the pilots union were on the same side in at least one court battle in which they fought against allowing pilots older than 60 to keep working.
Under federal regulations, pilots cannot fly after age 60. Litigation arose challenging United`s policy of not letting second officers, who do not actually fly the craft but are called pilots by United, to remain after 60.
United lost a jury trial here over the issue, but the verdict was reversed on procedural grounds by an appeals court. Pending the lawsuit`s outcome, United has let captains about to turn 60 remain in the engineer`s spot if they desire.
