[QUOTE]
Originally Posted by
TonyMontana
Careful there USMCFLYR, some here might think you're putting a sense of import on "money".
People used to get paid to fly Airliners, but that figure has been steadily declining. Happens every four years or so.
Sorry - I'm still confused; and I'm being serious here.........
I have always considered a "professional pilot" to be someone who gets PAID to fly.
It could be what I used to know as an AIRLINE pilot (now I know the term Part 121) or a Cargo Pilot (you know - FedEx, DHL, or UPS; just learning about most of those other companies) or Charter operations like World or ATA.
Then I put the Corporate pilots in that category and the guys that flew tourists around the Grand Cayon for example.
All pilots who day in and day out got paid for flying.
Now.....I understand the "attitude" as you put it about flying right eveni f you are just out for a recreational flight along the gulf coast (btw - I miss that type of flying) and if I were tlaking about someone's preparation and the way he handled himself I might use the word "professional" but I guess it would be meant in a different way - from the guy that gets paid.
So...again...what is professional? I would say that you and Sky *were* professional pilots - you got out of the business and into something else (medical for you right and real estate for Sky?) So if someone asked you at a party what you did for a living - I wouldn't expect you to say "I'm a professional pilot." If someone asked you what you had done prior I would expect you to say "I was an airline pilot".
In your opinion - - am I a professional pilot?
USMCFLYR