globalexpress

Professionals, whether you're a physician or an attorney or a physical therapist or a pilot, make a substantial investment in education, time, and training to attain their vocation. In exchange for that great monetary expense and the dedication required to attain the status of a "professional," it is expected that there will be some sort of pay back in the future, usually in terms of monetary compensation and the ability to make a good living in general at the chosen profession. Now obviously that is not guaranteed, but in my opinion there is a reasonable expectation that for most professionals, these previously mentioned goals will be attained.

We as pilots, some of us many years ago, made the great monetary and personal sacrifices of becoming professional pilots, with the expectation that the fruits of these labors would lead to a good career in the future. And at the time we made these sacrifices, the possibility was there.

However, between the bankruptcies, the stolen pensions, the outsourcing, the significant pay cuts, etc., etc., the chance that MOST pilot professionals could enjoy the fruits of their labors was taken away. That's why guys are mad. That's why you see lots of negative posts about this profession. Many of us made the required commitments to the profession, but the anticipated career expectations were taken away. It's not a matter of "wanting to drive a Ferrari" around town. It's a matter of expecting a return on the GREAT financial and personal sacrifice needed to become a professional airline pilot. For too many, that return hasn't been there.

To answer your other question about the profession going down the toilet.....Who knows what the future holds. Maybe the great pilot shortage begins tomorrow. Maybe oil spikes to $150/barrel again (or higher) and we're looking at yet another round of airline downsizing.

On my little website, a pilot posted something that made me think. Airline pilots may be becoming the U.S. factory worker of the 60's and 70's. Back then, working the floor of an auto factory, for example, was a CAREER position. Now, of course, not so much. Airline management would like NOTHING MORE than to outsource every U.S. major airline pilot job to the cheapest bidder, whether that is a $80,000/year 737 co-pilot job to a $22,000/year Mesa co-pilot job, or a $180,000 U.S. 777 Captain to a $??,???/year Chinese 777 Captain. That domestic outsourcing is happening RIGHT NOW. American Airlines want E-190 (i.e. a narrowbody 100 passenger aircraft) to be flown by its regional subsidiaries and a bankruptcy judge may give them what they want despite their pilots' objections. United Airlines wants their pilots, currently in contract negotiations, to relax their "scope" so larger jets can be flown by their regional airlines. Comair just got shut down because their senior pilot force is too expensive compared to alter-ego regionals like GoJets. In the past 10 years, we've seen nothing but relaxation of scope at the majors, either willingly through contract negotiations or unwillingly under the gavel of a bankruptcy judge. Does that pattern continue or will it be put to a stop? I suspect the latter. Do you want to go into significant debt where the best the "average" professional pilot can do is a job at a regional airline that gets whipsawed against the next reincarnation of GoJets or Freedom (Mesa)?

Those are the questions you have to answer for yourself. If you really are passionate about flying, go for it. If you "sort of" like aviation, you might want to consider other professions.