Dear Redeye,

I have healthy background in civilian aviation. My first few years were spent as an Alaskan bush pilot. Later I graduated to contract work for the forest service and charter/medevac Learjet work. As you know my last five years were spent as an airline pilot. I had a long and slow climb up the ladder.

Perhaps it was my experience in other parts of aviation that lead me to have the opinions I do of airline pilots. It always seemed odd to me that these bloated button monkeys actually felt they accomplished something at the end of the day. The life of an airline pilot involves endless repetition to a mind numbing degree, same airports, same hotel, same controller, same plane, same approach day after day. From my perspective it seems that the job requires little skill, intelligence, ability or moral character. Only the ability to follow flow charts and to learn through rote memorization. Our friend BrownTail loves to mention how his education completed as a high school graduate with a GPA of 1.7.

Clearly it is not the realm of heroism or of a great brain trust. I recognised this early on and accepted it as a part of the job. After risking my neck at other places in aviation I was relieved to finally expect to live past 30. In most of the lower rungs of the airlines most seem to have a similar opinion. The mass delusion seems to move in above a certain income level. Perhaps the size of the paycheck has an ego growing side effect or maybe it has been so long since they had a real job they have forgotten what it is like to really sweat. Whatever it is it seems to me that many pilots self image of their importance to the world is out of balance with the reality.

I am glad that you like it and I am happy for you that you can feel good about it. However if any status or respect for the profession remains it is due to the accomplishments of former generations. It seems to me that the rest of the world is rapidly catching up to a more realistic job image.


SkyHigh,

Thank you for asking by the way. It is hot outside and I have a teething baby to tend to. Our home has been blessed with little children. Often we are on house arrest with a sleeping child on our laps and there is little else for me to do besides type notes to you guys. Later though we will be heading over to a friends house for a Barbecue. Sorry you are not at home today.