All things are colored by point of view and context: how an author at a periodical might perceive a pilot outside the cockpit will be quite different than a peer pilot, but that also varies with culture and experience. I always viewed UPS as the most desirable airline in the world. I've spoken with others who wouldn't give it a second thought.

Many years ago I sat in a Learjet one morning, gazing at the outline of a DC-3 nearby. I commented that I'd trade places in a heartbeat, and my compadre made similar comments. When I described the DC-3, he said he hadn't even seen it: he'd tuned it out. He was looking at something else. Our perceptions and values vary.

While flying for that same Lear operator, I was sent to pick up two UPS pilots once, fly them to LAX, then pick up two more pilots and fly them to the previous pickup. Two of the pilots spoke very highly about their employment, how much they loved their jobs, and how grateful they were to be there. The other two badmouthed the company and didn't have a single good thing to say about UPS. Which was correct? Perhaps both, because the desirability is subjective, even to those doing the job. Regardless of how they felt, they were paid better than most to have their own opinions.

Public perception seldom mirrors reality.