Originally Posted by
snippercr
Original posting by Boing over at EL. Not sure if s/he was the original author but a lot of effort to make that so credit given when deserved...
But agreed, good idea to share it with as many people as possible. Wonder if a similar one for Comair could be made.
Yes sorry should have given Boing credit. I added a few things but in general it was a great timeline and perspective.
I urge the younglings thinking of getting into this industry to realize that the pretty picture painted in your head, and reinforced by airline sponsored/run Facebook and YouTube videos(boldmethod.com), is NOT reality.
In the end, you are a glorified bus driver who spends 3-4 nights per week at the La Quinta in Montgomery AL, Cedar Rapids IA, Grand Island NE.
The airplane really does do most of the flying and your biggest challenge is complacency due to boredom and infinite repetition.
People don't look at pilots like the glamorous heroes of yesteryear.
And the big one: you are an absolute piece of meat, at the mercy of being thrown to the wolves by management at the instant they begin salivating over a slightly cheaper prospect. You WILL likely never follow the career timeline you thought, but management will always dangle the few success stories to make you think you can win the lottery.
If I had it to do over again, I likely would not have gone down this road. This coming from a regional "lifer" stuck here, mostly not of my doing, for 24 years. I have it rich compared to my poor FOs today too.