...a free service provided during "Breaking Bad" commercial breaks
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SAAB: great thread. As far as I'm concerned, the most thought-provoking posts on the board are from you, Vagabond, and possibly Jungle (in the "photojournalistic globetrotter" genre). In honor of you, and your patience with WhizWheel and ebl14 poking you with a stick until you snap, as well as APC in general - now that we get quoted by the mainstream press - I've assembled an executive summary with choice quotes in various categories.
The thing that no one wants to admit:
Deadhead: "The problem is we, as pilots, are so eager to get that "dream job" that a majority of us are willing to sacrifice."
Andy 171773: "I can't see myself doing anything else, no[r] do I want to do anything else. We all got the sickness..."
SAABaroowski: "We all love the job and that actually may be the problem, we don't mind working for low-pay."
ERJ135: "...the enjoyment of flying and the many days off outweigh the rest. So far."
Deadhead (again): "I agree with you first year pay at the majors should be at least 50K, but as long as there is a willingness to work for sub-par wages, management will win hand over fist every time."
ebl14: "But you should have known what this lifestyle would be like before you signed up for your first flight in your private training."
birdlj: "We all took the job for low pay, and lousy conditions. It will not get better until low time pilots stop taking these jobs. That just ain't gonna happen."
Now What??
Danzig: "The first hurtle is unifying the pilots, it seems to me that, no matter what you do, someone will always be there to undermine your efforts - to push their own agenda."
Skyhigh: "If anyone here gets laid off and has been considering a career change it can be a blessing in disguise. The government is eager to help and offers many programs to displaced workers."
SAABaroowski: "On a positive note, I am going up again in a 172 next week, Grass roots flying is where its at..."
Outright Heresy:
phoenix 23684: "Pilots should be able to go from one carrier to the next and be awarded a position partially based on their credentials."
cbire880: "We have made ourselves interchangable labor in most markets. If we were expected to do more than drive the bus (like sell the airline to our customers) then we might be considered more than bus drivers."
ebuhoner: "This is not a job to make good money, this is a job where you are supposed to enjoy what you do in exchange of less security/pay."
Skyhigh: "Why make all the sacrifices, take all the risk and huge investment in time and money, move away from where all your friends and family are, and face a crumbling future to hopefully make a bit more than a plumber anyway?"
Wisdom:
rickair7777: "What we really need is for industry newbies to make a VERY thoughtful decision before they start in the first place...and then remained committed to sticking it out and standing up for what's fair."
Lanesuzza: "I am now asking myself at what point is MY desire to be a pilot adversely affecting the quality of life not only of myself, but most importantly the QOL of my family." [during first year as a jungle jet FO]