Originally Posted by
Flyhayes
My point is that non of us have truly earned the right to be where we are in the pilot totem. We all got to where we are based upon a multitude of factors (market forces, timing, bad luck/good luck, knowing the right people, being a slave to the man, rule changes etc.) Just because a curmudgeon of a captain made it one way, doesn't make it the only or right way of making it up the ranks. To me, it seems the group of people who keep throwing the entitlement card into the discussion are the ones who are least in touch with today's reality that the younger pilot cadre face.
I agree, it falls under the heading of "I'd rather be lucky, than good" but to even get in the door, all of us have to have that minimum level of "good". Being able to time the economic cycle would be an asset for sure, but in the meantime, you spin the wheel and you take your chances.
Originally Posted by
MEMbrain
Just because you are qualified on paper doesn't mean that you get to have a job at a major handed to you without earning it by going through a thorough interview and screening process, like all of us did. Call it "Defending the Profession" if you will. We at the majors only want the "best of the best" working alongside. So if you think are ready to become one of us, apply, interview and get selected like we did. Then we will accept you as one of us.
Did you really earn it, or were you just at the right place, at the right time, with the right qualifications? You didn't have any impact on the economic cycle that produced the need for additional pilots at your airline. So, good job being qualified and interviewing well, I'm not sure that counts as "earning it", but it sounds like you're having a good career.
As for the "Then we will accept you as one of us." comment, how out of touch can you get?