Originally Posted by nwa757

Great site... add some pictures of dirty crash pads, tired pilots, college loan bills, and evil management to increase the emphasis.

Add anti-labor quotes like this:

"I would replace flight attendants with vending machines if I could"
-Jonathan Ornstein

"Professionalism is not tied to compensation"
-Phil Trenary

Originally Posted by Dan64456

Speaking of crash pads... Would one have to spend a significant amount of time in one if they lived in a major hub area such as Philadelphia and the NJ/NY region? Or is this more common to people that live in the West?

Thanks

Originally Posted by globalexpress

The Truth About the Profession - Home

I am soliciting your critique/input. I created this website recently. I participate in various aviation forums like many of you, and invariably we have young people, career changers, etc., asking about becoming an airline pilot. I tried to compile many of the things that I have read over the years into one source. Take a look at the site, and let me know what you think. If you have anything to add, pass it along to me, particularly comments for the "advice from those currently in the profession." There's not going to be any advertising on the site or anything like that as it is just a personal site. It's strictly for information only.

Originally Posted by CALTanker

The "non-flying queep" as you put it is the smart thing to do. Gaining additional leadership abilities and skill sets diversifies your ability to go further in a career and expand your horizons. We need to be diversified in our skills just like your stock portfolio needs to be diversified, thus enabling us to weather the storm of economic downturns. FWIW, most of my additional duties were far from menial.

Originally Posted by pipe

Yes, you are correct. Hours and hours of time spent doing CBT about flight line driving, CBRNE, Human Trafficking, and the like is very helpful for my development as a person and professional. Additionally, the time spent writing performance reports for people who aren't going to read them and do not understand the content is also excellent.

Who can argue with the fourth trip through the altitude chamber? Yep, those are my symptoms, still stinks in here, travel and time wasted. Another boon to my personal development has been PME. The useful things that I have learned there are almost unimaginable. Being tested over obscure opinions of obscure AU faculty who write one anothers' prognostications into their syllabuses as if they're Sun Tzu is mind-expanding.

Squadron snack-o. That's where it's at. You learn many useful life skills to include: diet, finance, debt (restructuring, settlement, and more frequently how to write-off loss), retail management and marketing, supply-chain and inventory management, etc., etc.

I could go on with this post all day.

PIPE

Originally Posted by highsky

That's hilarious. And who can forget all the Total Quality Management indoctrination of the mid 90s. Then EO 2000. Then endless sexual-harassment prevention and "white men are the cause of all evils" training.

Originally Posted by Albief15

I think if you are planning on anyone else making you rich these days...be it Delta, FedEx, JetBlue, or whoever...you are out of luck. Before you cry in your beer about days gone by, consider what doctors, lawyers, and other professionals have faced in the last 20 years in real income. Most professions have lost ground or at the best are holding their own these days. The "get a number, work 30 years, retire rich" may or may not have been a reality for most folks, but it is even harder to find these days. So...what do you do?

First--I like the idea of a degree (and a passion) outside aviation. Got several friends who have law degrees, some own businesses, etc.

Second--if you like to fly, the Air National Guard/Reserve components offer an outstanding way to fly and serve your nation. I always liked being part of the home team, and the "ANG MEMBER" license plate is a source of pride for me. There are differences in units and missions, but the stability of the ANG and the diversity of flying are a nice compliment to the instability and sameness of airline flying. When the phone rings--you HAVE to go--but I loved my time in the ANG and appreciated what it did for my family.

Third--network all the time. You never know when your fellow crew member, the old classmate, or that guy you worked a few charters for back at that FBO might be your link to a great opportunity.

Finally--don't forget to count your blessings. I spent 10 days on the road over Christmas and New Years, and earlier in the month missed a daughter's birthday. It would have been an easy month to sulk and pout. But I am lucky to have this job, and lucky to have a family I get to provide for, so sometimes a good attitude really does make a difference in how you look at that commute or that delay or any one of the other 1000 irritants on the job.