Originally Posted by
SkyHigh
It seems to me that anyone who has the drive to become a Chuck Yeager would not be interested in burning up their days in the front of a modern airliner anyway. It takes someone with a special set of traits to be able to be able to drone along for years of doing the same thing every day over and over without getting bored silly.
In the airlines there are no points given for working harder than the next guy. Natural talent is wasted in the seniority list system. The airlines create and reward the average. Pilots are only motivated to pass the next proficiency check. Their skills and abilities are narrowed down to exactly what they need to get by.
From my experience the airlines do not prefer to hire ex-crop dusters or African bush pilots. They want people who have a long and stable career of doing the same thing everyday. You don't have to be good in order to be a successful airline pilot just good enough.
SKyhigh
A lot of Chuck Y's buddies got out and became Pan Am or TWA pilots, and flew another 30 years after the military. They were pretty good too, just never had a movie made about them.
Today's no different. The good one's are still out there, but the bar's been lowered to ground level for some of the marginal operations. You get what you pay for.
But if pilot-less drone airliners are what you prefer to fly on, have at it. No way. Think I'll wait for the "B-Model" on that one.