Originally Posted by
C17B74
Very true, but everyone forgets the middle step. Everything coming down to single pilot ops first. Don’t worry about full drone capability being pushed, it’s incremental and especially with public perception involved as you’ve all witnessed these past several months. Long haul 4 pilots down to 2, 2 down to one... Although delayed due to COVID19, next airliners were already designed to drop a seat up front. Bought some time, but it’s coming.
Little problem there: pilot incapacitation. That does happen, 5-6 times each year in the US alone.
While you might be able to massage the numbers and make the entire SYSTEM achieve something approximating equivalent safety even with some incap events, what you can't overcome is the perception hurdle because there will be several flights each year which operate at far less than normal airline safety. Regulators and politicians will not be in love with that idea. It's going to be harder than it sounds.
The sectors of aviation which routinely operate single-pilot achieve safety levels which have a lot more in common with recreational motor-cycle riding than with 121 ops.
Again, it's not happening as soon as you think.
Originally Posted by
C17B74
As far as a perfect choice destination airline, not possible until you have retired and look back to see if it met your needs, expectations and so called dreams whatever they may be. Nothing is under your control, you make the best guess and your lucky at best on your choice of airline that takes you to the finish line. Every choice if you were able to make is a best guess and really has nothing to do with you totally. Just a very lucky or fortunate person makes it through decades without a hitch or in this case unforeseen catastrophic impacts.
Mentioned before by several: “Lucky to be hired by FedEx or UPS”. It’s all cyclic and economy dependent. People weren’t even going to FedEx, UPS or Southwest a year ago when called by the others at times. People entering this past decade never really understood that it’s been along time if not the first many pilots had the opportunity to choose where they wanted to live and then the airline vs airline first, then just commute to name one huge difference. It’s back to whoever calls first once again. Now some high seniority folks are headed back into the coal mines they thought they had left years ago. It’s tough out there. Job loss as well, super tough.
Still lucky. Any top-tier (even mid-tier) job affords you the opportunity to either retire rich (by middle-America standards) or GTFO while young if that's what you want. If you work for 15-20 years and are focused on saving you can build a pretty big war chest, and then bang out out and do something else if desired. It's a rare opportunity in historical context, which some younger folks don't fully appreciate.
Even better if you enjoy flying.