Originally Posted by
jayray2
Give me an honest assessment was changing flight levels and going around thunderstorms that difficult of a decision? In 90% of flights what kind of decisions are you making?
See herein lies the problem in this industry, you prop this profession up to such a high level (maybe it deserves it and maybe it doesn't) that 10 pilots will always be right behind you to replace you at half your wage - it is sad. I am not saying I don't like being a pilot but I am not going to lie to myself so I can sleep tonight telling myself this job is something that it really isn't. I am not belittling this profession. I think pilots should be highly education, highly trained and highly paid professionals. As I passenger I would expect nothing less. And as a professional pilot I try to hold myself to a high standard of proficiency, professionalism and competency. I understand why it needs to be that way. This does not mean I think being a pilot is something that I need to over-glamorize put up on a pedestal.
Does it really bother you that much to think that on most days flying a 172 is harder than your current job? Does it bruise your ego that much that you have to come on her and tell me to quit my job because you don't agree with my opinion. We are just having a friendly discussion here.
The reason I posted the actions I took on my last flight was because you claimed that the decisions involved in day-to-day flight in a 172 are more difficult. Although the actions I took on that flight were not all that difficult, they were certainly more involved than those of a VFR or IFR flight in a small piston single.
I guess we should just agree to disagree about which attitude is the problem in this industry. How can you say that your job is so simple, to the point where human interaction is virtually worthless on the one hand, while on the other say that you're not belittling the profession? To me that sounds like a contradiction. If to you, taking pride in our work is having an ego, then you're darn right I have an ego. I love this job...and as The Joker said in The Dark Knight...."If you're good at something, never do it for free".
As you well know, it's not up to the "10 people behind me willing to do the job for half the wage because of how much I love my job" who determine YR1 wages in the airlines, but the pilots currently on the seniority list. I can't recall a time in history when airline managers have ever canvassed CFI's to see what they would accept as a minimum pay rate for flying transport aircraft.
We, the pilots, are the ones who vote TA's in or out. A pilot group's level of dedication, commitment, and professionalism will likely be a determining factor in the process of negotiating pay rates. As long as you have the attitude that your job is simple enough that you may as well be flying a 172, then that's what management will want to pay you. It would behouve you to assume that the management group can quite effectively asses the pilot group's appraisal of their own value to the company.
I'm telling you to quit your job because you don't seem to take much pride in your work, nor do you seem to take the level of responsibility very seriously. If you did, then you probably wouldn't be arguing with anyone about the validity of our jobs. I submit that, if I'm paraphrasing your opinion correctly, the job of a private pilot flying from A to B is more difficult than a 121 operation flying from A to B is an argument against the validity of our work. You may be good at being an airline pilot, and you may be as professional as the next guy, but if you don't love your work...why do it? Maybe I shouldn't have made it an imperative for you to quit...but rather ask, why do you even bother? Why waste your time with something you don't take seriously?