Yes.
Or the opportunity to have millions. Buy a boat? Couple of divorces? Pay for kids’ expensive schools? Those are called “choices,” and doesn’t mean anyone is entitled to change the rules and screw the vast majority of pilots based on those choices.

 

Or "none of the above"? Did you forget about Eastern, Pan Am, Midway, Braniff, Aloha, ATA and others that shut down? Each time (era) that these companies shut down (early 1990's and early 2000's), jobs were scarce and many pilots lost everything while hanging on for a career job. There are many of these pilots still flying.

Your broad brush assessment of peoples professional and personal lives comes across as pretty arrogant and uninformed.

Truly hopeful that you do not experience any Black Swan events during your career. Nobody deserves to go through that.

S

 

^^Above are two reasonable positions of dispute. No right or wrong there essentially. So, for grins, I’ll ask, what is main point of contention topic wise?

 

You hurt your argument when you bring in Braniff, Eastern, Pan Am, etc. I mean, why not point to AeroMarine Airways, even though they folded in 1924?

And you're exactly right. The younger generation will experience a black swan event. A powerful argument for keeping retirement age in place. They shouldn't pay for any bad luck or bad timing experienced by others. There never was and never will be a guaranteed ideal career in this, or any other, profession. Expecting younger pilots to stagnate two more years now, because older pilots are dissatisfied with whatever they're dissatisfied with in their careers, is silly, selfish, and **** y.

 

Any pilot still flying today that was part of any of those companies has had more than enough time to make up for any loses. Suddenly the people that love to preach personal responsibility and pulling yourself up by your bootstraps seems unable, incapable or simply unwilling to grab said bootstraps.

 

Unfortunately, not true.

Best of luck.

S

 

Rather arrogant and presumptive. Individuals circumstances, desires, none of your concern.

 

All of those bad things can still happen to this generation and is actually one of the biggest reasons to keep it as is. Many of the proponents like to talk about how great everyone's career is now because we had a few guys who made 757 Captain at year two (never mind that their generation had similar stories). Heck, I've flown with guys who made WB CA in their 30s, something almost none of us will ever see. I think NWA even had 747 Captains in the early/mid 30s. Truth is, they have absolutely no idea what black swan is around the next corner and how it will impact our industry and careers. So to say delaying things now is going to be good for us becuase we'll get two years on the back end, is a bit ridiculous. Money now is going to have a much great impact than a few more years on the back end, and that's IF we are even still medical able. And with potentially increased medicals, we could put guys out on medical for things these guys flew with their entire career.

 

It becomes my concern when your choices affect my career. If you wanna make crappy choices and own them, do you bud. Different story when your crappy choices affect me.

 

Very true.

Can you retire at what you projected to have on day 1 of indoc while you were riding your new career high wearing the most rosy tinted glasses? Probably not.

Has a pilot who faced career adversities 25-30 years ago had enough time opportunity to put together at least a modest nest egg that could ensure a roof over their head and food on their table? Absolutely.