Originally Posted by SkyHigh

It is not negativity. Just a different perspective.

I can understand how you would like to preserve your image of airline pilots but the fact is that there is little value left in professional pilots. Regionals were able to hire pilots with as little as a king tape education plus 300 hours of flight time. It takes more effort and training to become licensed to cut hair then to fly an airliner. The price of entry is very low.

Modern airliners are a lot easier to fly and understand then planes of the past. A pilot use to have to routinely do math in their head while retaining a mental fix of their position while hand flying the plane. Now they sit there arms crossed while the flight computer follows along on a moving map display. Aviation is more available to a wider group of people. It is considered a fun career and those who "love" it are now free to jump in at will. Airlines are more than happy to agree and let martyrs come in waves to crash upon the rocks of aviation.

It was not always like this. When I was in college pilots were focused on the money. No one would have taken flight one if we had been told that our prospects were similar to that of music majors. It took a huge sacrifice to get though college, flight training and the initial years (decades) of experience building. If we had known that there was no pot of gold at the end then I doubt anyone of us would have done it. In fact most have quit long ago.

I was laid off and kicked to the curb by my profession. I am not content with the state of the industry. I want another flying job but it has to be able to pay for my experience level and permit me to provide for my family. The reality is that airlines will not pay more for experienced pilots and have learned that pilots who "love" flying will even do it for less. After 20 years of effort I am worth about as much as a second year RJ FO.

I wish things were different. Just like you I worked very hard to get where I did. However I can not deny that most likely conditions will not get any better. I have more self respect then to keep putting my family into a bad situation. I am here in protest. Others to be fully informed of concepts in aviation that perhaps they previously had not thought of before. It is not nice to think of these things bit it is better to coldly face the situation then to deny the facts.

It is not right that a guy who starts out working at the dump makes more than most new regional captains. There is little to restrict entry into the profession. Modern planes are flown by procedurally driven automatons who are trained not to think but to follow decision trees. Modern automated planes can be flown by people who have not dedicated a lifetime to the profession. A ski instructor one day and airline pilot the next. Legions of pilots with little invested are willing to do it for free. Technological advances have made it so that modern airliners no not need well experienced pilots anymore. The airlines can hire whomever they want.


Skyhigh