I have been reading APC consistently everyday for about 1 year. This truly is the best thread. I could not agree more with the original post in this thread. Of all of the members of airlinepilotcentral, there has to be someone who knows what steps to take to get some serious attention into the media via 60 minutes 20/20 dateline etc. Things will not get better until people ACTUALLY MAKE SOMETHING HAPPEN. I personally am willilng to do WHATEVER I can to make this (quote me) CAREER
not job should be. please pm with info.
As far as getting bad attention through media I do think there could be some short time bad effects on the industry although long term benefits completely outway negative side effects.
Plain and simple parents that are sending their kids to college to spend 80 grand on a degree and flight training have NO IDEA whatsoever that their "wonderchild" will simply be in the weakest position financially after leaving college until they hit 35 if that.. College recruiters do NOT mention 121 regional QOL, pay, Duty time, etc at all. This could help out with the supply demand portion
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I envision the news story now. Following 121 regional crews on a typical week, filming QOL, food eaten, rest, legs flown a day, duty times Wx etc. Maintenance issues (no reading maxum in the cockpit for one week please). Find the homes of the outlandish CEO film the mansion, the private yacht, the club memberships. Then follow the highly educated, highly invested, highly intelligent (sometimes), highly skilled (sometimes) FO to the crash pad, or the one bedroom apartment, or to the UNemloyment office or follow him/her collecting food stamps with his 4 year old son crying his eyes out.
I had no idea of the career QOL pay or sacrifices made by a "career" pilot while getting into the industry. Funny what the "general public" thinks about pilots because guess what i was the general public coming into the career thinking about money, great lifestyle, flying, traveling etc. For those of you who want to bash this realize I was 19 at the time. Not too many of us are educated in absolutely anything at that age.
I do feel i have amfar into it now to change although very much considering.
The only thing I forsee changing this horrible horrible horrible industry in governmental regulation. I have multiple pilot friends leaving to ATC jobs and it just makes perfect sense. Someone please tell me that ATC (doesnt even require a degree) makes 60K year, great bene's etc has more at stake than actually flying the craft?
I am not here to bash someone else's career, I just do not understand how a pilot is the most undercomsuerated career I have yet to see.
WE have got to make a change. Regulated 121 could be the sole answer. 1970s regulated aviation boomed. 1970s Pilot career=excellent choice. 2000s = You can't afford to live, and if you can your not home to do it.
I was in the automotive industry 5 years prior. What a smack in the face. Aviation = you dont get paid to work, people work for free, No life, sacrifice everything you have, heart soul, money, time, just to fly some crappy aircraft for crappy pay.
If getting the media involved sounds like a bad idea to you, I really dont even know how to answer back to that except for the fact that you may be brainwashed into complete numbess about reality. I do respect everyone's each and individual opinion either way. I do not write posts often, but I have been wanting to start a thread for months on this topic and its time CHANGE happens
TO all you that follow CHEERS. Its now time to get to work on this issue. Talk to your fellow friends, tell them , somebody knows somebody, that knows somebody and get something started. APC is a big enough community there should be a wealth of knowledge on dealing with an issue like this. Damn celebrities make up HEADLINE national news and there needs to be some REAL news on the news for once.
PEACE