Originally Posted by
KC10 FATboy
Skyhigh, I'm sorry but I strongly disagree with you.
You make it sound like that as a professional airline pilot, I do not think or make any decisions while on the job. You know this is certainly not the case. Even with automation, flow charts, QRHs, a dispatcher, and a maintenance worker within the push of a button on a cell phone or ACARs, I assure you that we make potential life or death decisions on every flight that.
Your comments and beliefs are what's cheapening this profession.
My whole point is not to make anyone feel bad but to point out that changes in hiring practices, advances in automation and increased standardization is making it so that most anyone can fly an airliner if they want to.
In the past the pipeline to ground school was fairly exclusive. Pilots had to have devoted their lives to the profession and to have come from a specific social and economic class. They had to fit inside of specific height and weight charted requirements. Their vision had to be non-corrected 20/20. Applicants went through a rigorous mental and physical examination that often lasted for several days.
The art of flying itself was developed over many years of challenging hands on flying. After making it to the majors new hires then spent much of a decade in the flight engineers seat prior to getting their hands on the controls. Today automation has supplanted skill and standardization has taken the place of leadership and self reliance.
Most anyone today can become an airline pilot if their want it bad enough. The open floodgates of new career entrants has changed the nature of career competition from what you
can do to what you are
willing to do for the company. Airlines have learned that the latest generation of computer wiz kids can quickly figure out the automation and can effectively get by without having any real natural pilot ability or experience.
The results are that pilot wages have gone down. As technology advances pilot status, respect and ability will continue to decline. Captain Sully said that true pilots are leaving the profession. My position it essentially the same. The airlines and professional flying is transforming into a religion and legions of martyrs are more than willing to work for nothing. Airlines as well are more than happy to oblige by lowering wages along with minimums.
They do not need to hire pilots anymore. Eventually technology will advance so that the pilot in command can manage several flights from a command center on the ground while one or two back up pilots sit with arms folded in the plane watching as the flight unfolds. I am sure that they will feel good about the job they are doing as well but it will not compare to what pilots of the past were.
Skyhigh