Originally Posted by
SAABaroowski
You know there is a lot of talk on here about the industry going to hell because they are hiring people with 600 hrs total time etc.................... Well some of you people seem to forget that United used to have ads in the newspapers....................Do you have 250hrs and a Commercial Pilots license??????????????? Come be an airline pilot. Whats the difference you ask????????????? The airplanes are safer now and the training has improved greatly so get off the whole, "oh my god a 600hr wonder kid"
PS I said 20 yrs ago I didnt realize how old I was so lets make it more like 40 or so years ago
That was back in the early 1960's when the payscales were lower, and the the vietnam-era military pilots weren't available.
Back then if you didn't have the dough for college or flight training, most people took their old man's job at the mill/factory/mine. There weren't many alternative means of funding your dreams, so people just faced the reality.
Also, as was mentioned you started as an FE, and stayed an FE for years. FE's never got spectacular pay.