This....!!!

 

Don't hold the poison in, man! Get it out. Exorcise those demons.

 

Just in case you all have forgotten ...


The airline transport pilot leaps tall buildings in a single bound, is more powerful than a Boeing 747, is faster than a speeding bullet, walks on water and discusses policy with God.

The multi-engine pilot leaps short buildings in a single bound, is more powerful than a Boeing 707, is just as fast as a speeding bullet, walks on water if it is calm, and talks to God.

The instrument pilot leaps short buildings with a running start and favourable conditions, is almost as powerful as a Learjet, nearly as a fast as a speeding bullet, walks on water of an indoor pool, and talks to God if a special request is approved.

The commercial pilot leaves high marks when attempting to leap short buildings, loses tug-of-war with a twin-engined aircraft, can fire a speeding bullet, swims well and is occasionally addressed by God.

The private pilot barely clears a camping tent, is run over by single-engined aircraft, sometimes recognises a speeding bullet, can dog-paddle and talks to animals.

The soloed student pilot runs into buildings, recognises a Cessna 172, two times out of three, has never seen a speeding bullet, can stay afloat if properly instructed, and talks to water.

The non-soloed pilot falls over doorsills when trying to enter buildings, says, "Look at the aeroplanes", wets himself with a water pistol and mumbles to himself.

The flight instructor lifts buildings and walks under them, kicks aeroplanes out of hangars, catches speeding bullets with his teeth and chews them, and freezes water with a single glance.

The flight instructor is God.

 

To add a flip side to this coin, in the 90s sure you had to have over 1500 hours to get looked at. Things have been quite different the last few years, pipers don't rent for no $60.00 wet anymore. Try $200, or 350+ for a multi. Cost of training is about 5-6 times as much as it was back in the 90s.

Inflation + 200%.

 

Minimum wage back when I started flying was $3.25/hr.
I had to work 10-15 hrs for a cheap flight hour in a ratty C-150/152.
20 hrs+ in a nicer C-172 or Piper Arrow.

I still think renting/training is a little more expensive - but let's not exaggerate it.

Here is a comparison of what I paid per hour with the min wage of 3.25 and how many hours of work were required to earn that one flight hour. The comparison will be with a local flight school and the OK minimum wage of $7.25/hr (rounded)

C-152 - $35/hr = 11 hrs of work, current is $99/hr = 14 hrs of work.
Warrior $55/hr = 17 hrs, current is $135/hr = 17 hrs.
Arrow $75/hr = 23 hrs, current is $180/hr = 25 hrs.
Seneca $110/hr = 34 hrs, current is Apache $209/hr = 29 hrs.

Prices vary but I think that the idea, at least in my locale, that flight training is 5-6 times more expensive when compared with spending power is a little exaggerated. I also understand that some training aircraft rent for a lot more (which is one reason why people say to training in some of the older aircraft), but this comparison made sense since I flew all of the same aircraft almost 30 years ago.

 

The 152s weren't 35 years old then though.

 

USMCFLYER,

In '72, I was a line boy learning to fly, Nixon was in the WH, min wage was $1.60 and a Piper 140 rented for about $19 an hour. Flying has always been expensive, I can't see how people think it was easy the "old days".

GF

 

I think you made that up. By the way, your comparison is invalid. The"dark decade" included 8-9 year FOs at the commuters. I'm one of them, and your tone is extremely disrespectful to the guys and gals who've spent record time in the Regional First Officer seat who show up every day and work professionally. I've seen entitlement at all levels of this industry. Some 9 year FOs may feel entitled, sure. Others feel they've earned the right to be taken seriously and not defined by offensively blanket statements like yours.

 

I'm a regional pilot and I am not "so juvenile" and neither are most. I have seen bad behavior among pilots from mainline and regional pilots therefor the question is bull**** trolling to begin with, which is ironic.

 

Yep, I WAS ONE ONE OF THEM. Your point?

Where did I EVER say it was ALL? I simply said that of the demographic that DOES have the attitude, it's usually a specific one.

Again, where did I say it was ALL? When you calm down and stop taking EVERYTHING so personally, exercise some reading/comprehension skills, maybe you can show me?