Screwed

Its all about the $$$$.

MD90PIC

I just love it when people compare airline pilots to brain surgeons. Yes, we have an enormous responsibility and several lifes are in our hands, but .... it is a poor comparison. I know of pilots at the regonal level who barely have an associates degree, who attended some B.S fast track airline program. Bam..!! Four months later these guys are sitting in the right seat of a 80 seat jet. These same four month 300 hr. SJS specials are most likely the same people complaning about their career and comparing themselves to heart surgeons..!! Would someone please explain this to me... Thank you

M696

I am at a 121 carrier and for PIC's under 40 it's a first class with annual renewal. Same for SIC's under 60.

ForeverFO

If you want to reference the SJS crowd, it alters the dynamics. All I know is that in the time it took me to become minimally qualified for my job, I could have been an M.D. twice over.

More importantlly, it's about responsibility, and the sheer volume of job knowledge required.

If we sat in an operating room and watched an appendectomy, we'd probably be thinking "OMG, OMG, this is nuts, these guys are awesome" and the whole time, the surgeons are thinking about their tee time on Saturday. Put those docs on your jump seat during a night approach with a winter storm rolling in, and they'll be thinking the same thing of you. Yet to both groups, it's an everyday thing.

Watch a medical soap opera. Doc says, "I am a god. I hold the patient's life in my hands. I hold his actual heart in my hands." With airline flying, we hold 250+ people in our hands daily. One bad flick of the wrist at 50 feet AGL on an approach, and they're all dead.

Don't ever short-change yourself. We do it all the time, to the detriment of the profession.

JamesNoBrakes

There are people that have faked MD degrees before.

But yes, those fast-track programs are terrible. No one can learn to fly in such a short period of time IMO. You might be able to pass a checkride, sure, but any knowledge you've gained leaves just as fast as it was learned, and you've missed out on a large chunk of experience. Doing it so fast leaves out the various weather decisions you'll have to make over the years, going to different airports, experiencing airport changes/construction/notams, different aircraft and their quirks, and so on. At least people that go through a 4-year program experience stuff over 4 years. They aren't ready to take the controls of a jet by then, but I think their overall aviation awareness is higher. As long as there is a market, the "zero to hero in 4 months" programs will always be there unfortunately. The airlines would do themselves a favor by requiring these guys to get more experience, but hey, that's what the 1500 rule is for. It's exactly for this situation, thank god.

Twin Wasp

Thread drift - 4 years of med school and 3 to 7 years of residency, we'll say 5, times 2 is 18 years.

ForeverFO

So you're not an M.D. until you complete residency?

LowSlowT2

Completely irrelevant. The comparison being drawn was the level of scrutiny required to be an airline pilot vs being a brain surgeon. There was no comparison made to the education, time to be proficient, etc. That's all red herring stuff - no brain surgeon, nor any doctor, undergoes the level of scrutiny and control an airline pilot does. No other occupation does.

...but we do it for truck driver wages (nothing against truck drivers).

Twin Wasp

You get the MD at the end of med school, you're not cut loose to "solo" till the end of your residency.