Originally Posted by
TheSultanofScud
Everyday that goes by, I get a little closer to concluding that military aviation will eventually be the only place that demands any kind of excellence, skill, or work. Any other type of professional flying is becoming a giant shortcut to mediocrity.
Originally Posted by
Silver2Gold
I could not agree more. Unfortunately, commercial aviation has lent itself to the notion that, with enough time and money, any rating can be obtained by anyone. I'm not for creating some sort of club of elitists, but rather a corps of professionals who have met demanding, uncompromising standards that not everyone can meet. The Air Force has probably washed out thousands of pilots over the years for landing a T-38 10 knots fast or a couple hundred feet long - and God Bless that. There is no do over, no re-test, and no amount of money can get a guy his wings. I would love to see the FAA take a similar approach to standards. Instead of flooding the market with cheap goods, ala Wal-Mart, our government would be wise to see the return of the American pilot as the gold standard of aviation. Our licenses are a joke to the European and Middle Eastern carriers.
Don't you dare call my experience and qualifications "mediocre" or "cheap goods" because I don't have some XXXXXX military pedigree.
I will concede the fact that military pilots receive superior training, but that does not mean they are superior pilots. Being a professional pilot is first and foremost a mindset. You understand you have an enormous responsibility, and you prepare yourself and maintain a level of knowledge and experience that demonstrates that professionalism.
I served in the armed forces on the ground, and have done all my flying on the civilian side. I've circled the globe in heavies more times that I care to remember. I flown for regionals, freight airlines, majors and corporate operators. I've flown pistons, turboprops and jets. I've seen military pilots who couldn't fly their way out of a brown paper bag and crusty old civilian skippers who made Chuck Yeager look like a hack. I've also seen the exact opposite.
Good pilots come from both backgrounds. So do bad ones. That's the way it is. To think otherwise is foolish. If you're a fool, you have no business in this profession.