Anybody ever read Dick Karl's column in Flying Magazine? The guy is at or near the top of the medical profession, flies a high performance twin turboprop (Cheyenne) in his spare time, actually has a 737 type, and is still completely in awe of airline pilots and the job they do day in, day out. The guy knows the difference between a hobbyist and a professional. To a guy like Dick Karl who's been doing surgery for 40 years, it's a pretty natural thing to do. I think he recognizes that the ease with which professional pilots perform their job is a mark of many years of training and experience rather than the simplicity of the job; it is an argument for greater pay, not less.

Some guys here act like they were born with an ATP in hand and all they had to do was show up. I fought long & hard for mine.