Front page of the National Post headlines (and the late afternoon CBC Newsworld business report yesterday initially reported) that Air Canada's pilots are prepared, for the second time in two years, to throw the country's air system into chaos by striking. They did it two summers ago in August and the only benefit was the triple Aeroplan miles (even Q-miles) AC had to offer to make amends with those inconvenienced (sic).

Parliament would pass legislation to get them -- I want to say "the greedy .......s" but am trying to restrain myself -- back to work. Wasn't it just a year ago the pilots were gung-ho in support of Milton and company as Onex made its bit for the carrier?

According to the Post, pilots say they are paid 35% less than those on other comparable carriers and they reject AC's offer of 4%, 3% and 2.5% for the last three years of a 5-year deal.

If you think Milton has an image problem, you ain't seen nothing yet. AC's pilots didn't look good when they walked in 1998, and they'll be held in even lower repute if they do the same thing this summer. Or is this all normal labour/management posturing, and just another National Post front page stunt?

Question: Are pilots really worth what they are paid, given the massive changes in automation which have come to the cockpit? How much longer can they pull off their prima donna acts? Or now that AC wants to be a "world class" player, should Milton and company be prepared to pay the price in the form of comparable salaries to the big U.S. and international carriers?

Hope we have some pilots lurking who will jump in and give us their side of the story.