I was thinking along the lines of this today as well. Thanks for posting it. God knows if we need to move large numbers of troops, the commercial airlines can fill in where the military needs help. (ferrying groups from smaller cities to larger bases, etc.)

What the hell - FedEx already moves the Post Office's Express and Priority Mail, so the precendent for the government contracting with those more competent has already been set.

Your solution will throw some wartime business to the airlines and hopefully prevent the layoff of some 200,000 workers. It will also hopefully replace a massive government bailout (at taxpayer expense) with some legitimate government contracts for the airlines. I like it.

The military already does this in times of war or other national emergency when the military's own fleet of heavy aircraft cannot supply enough airlift. I was in Desert Storm and flew home from the United Arab Emirates with my unit in a United Airlines airliner. It's called CRAF - Civil Reserve Air Fleet.

FedEx already moves the Post Office's Express and Priority Mail, so the precedent for the government contracting with those more competent has already been set.

Our military is as incompetent as the Post Office? Clinton, you bastard.

Not sure if the CRAF would drive the volume necessary to replace commercial business lost, if as you say it represents supplemental support. Then again, it may be that DOD requirements in wartime would do the trick.

Our military is as incompetent as the Post Office?

I didn't mean to imply that the military couldn't handle troop movement. It's just that the airlines are in the business of moving people, and it would be a little more comfortable for our boys.

I don't count on DOD contracts to make up for the revenue the airlines have lost, and no doubt, will continue to lose in the near future. I sure hope I'm wrong, though, because my husband is an engineer with Delta.

Support our airlines! Fly somewhere!!

Understood.

Interesting idea. Maybe give free transportation to all Green Berets. They will always be on the planes, fully armed. Planes will become like the corner donut shop, completely safe from crime.

Was on one of the last planes into Orlando Tuesday morning (9:40am arrival), and drove home Wedensday. I'll be flying again this month, long waits or not.

High Flight
Oh, I have slipped the surly bonds of earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun-split clouds -- and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of -- wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there,
I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air.
Up, up the long, delirious burning blue,
I've topped the windswept heights with easy grace
Where never lark, or even eagle flew.
And, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod
The high untresspassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.
John Gillespie Magee Jr

good luck.

a fan of joe's garage

Commercial carriers bid on and moved many of our guys during the Vietnam thing.

i'm not worried so much about individual investors, but who knows what the institutionals will do. considering the loop between institutions and institutional investors, my bet is they get on board with a mini bull run.

I remember reading a while back on FR that the Government actually helps the airlines out financially in exchange for the rights to use certain planes for military use if needed. Sounds like it may come in handy...