A small apology from one of the passengers

[grumpyoldgeek]

Like most people, I've flown in the back for years. I've also played with Microsoft Flight Simulator for years. All that time I pretty much thought of the guys in front flying the plane as glorified bus drivers. Well, after 30 hours of flight instruction in a real plane, I have to admit that I was wrong. You guys are good, damn good.

[411A]

Many SLF I expect feel the same about the 'bus' drivers, but once they are at the pointy end for real, they learn darn quick it ain't so easy, after all...:}
Surprise, surprise...:D

[RoyHudd]

A few "drivers" can be rather ungracious though! (And even a tad arrogant sometimes)

Apology appreciated from this Brit.:ok:

[Old King Coal]

It's like a play at the theatre,... i.e. when the actors do not know their lines it's not nice to watch, but when they do know their lines it looks easy... and therein well trained / capable pilots can likewise make it look easy, when in reality it's not! :}

Keep at it. :ok:

[Wingswinger]

Echoed. A master in any profession makes it look easy. The words of my first instructor are still with me over 30 years on: "Flying is an art. It may be based on science and engineering but it is an art. It's like learning to play the piano. When you can play all the tunes you throw the music away".

[vapilot2004]

I once had the humbling experience of driving and :eek: parking a Bluebird motor coach as a favour to a fellow campground member of 'limited motoring means.' :hmm:

Everyone had 'mucha fe' in me. Many knew of my ATP qualifications (and current job) and almost everyone on scene was aware of my perfectionist nature. It was a sunny day and I had a good 'ground' crew. Piece of cake. :rolleyes:

While the damage was limited to (and I kid you not) 2 plastic pink flamingos and some serious scratches on the rear wheel opening of the rig, I can tell you that my big-rig driving ego has yet to fully recover since then. Friends, witnesses and my very own Mrs VAP are no help. :{

I now have more respect for any old-timer behind the wheel of a large conveyance when observed to be sans dents or dangling plastic birds. :ok:

[BRUpax]

well, I have never thought of the guys up front as glorified bus drivers. I have only the utmost respect for them. But if current day pax are ignorant of the realities of the job I can only say that's down to management attitudes and the media. I'm reminded of a cartoon I saw many years ago in the ops office of Capitol Airlines at JFK which said, "working for this airline is like working in a brothel; the better you perform the more you get fu##ed"!

[merlinxx]

That same cartoon was posted in ONA & Tigers in JFK, TIA & World in OAK. I nicked one for our crew room at LGW.

[LH2]

Well, I drive buses on my spare time and in a way, yes, we could make that comparison. Except that while on the ground one does not have the benefit of ATC.

And I do not know what 80% of the switches on my bus do either. :E

[Blues&twos]

Well, I'm having my first go "up front" tomorrow. How many minutes do I have to do before I can claim to non-flying friends and relations that I'm an expert, and start regaling them with exaggerated stories of heroic landings in typhoon conditions?

[bomarc]

wingswinger

I agree that flying is like the art of music. and yes , a master at anything makes it look easy...but only after much practice!

and I have driven a bus ( usarmy) and flown airliners. except for the movie, "THE BIG BUS" you don't get a copilot on the bus!

[Doors to Automatic]

My perception is that 99% of the time the job is a breeze but the 1% is where you guys earn your money. I have total respect!

[Francis Frogbound]

I always maintain that I earn all of my salary on one day of the year, and that is the day I scare myself s:mad: less. The rest of the year is as routine as this job ever allows.


FF

[Crusty Ol Cap'n]

Good for you Francis. I have been doing it for 40 years and I reckon I earned my salary on every day that I worked. I have, however, enjoyed every day! :} :)

[Mach Meister]

Ernest K Gann said it best with something to the effect "most pilots will admit to being overpaid, but once every five years, would gladly give back everything to be somewhere else".
This is true, in my experience, especially in the early stages of one's career. Not so sure about the overpaid part anymore, though.

[studyolic]

As another bit of SLF, I had also wondered how busy the guys at the sharp end can get. Recently, watching a DVD that filmed the flightdeck pretty much the entire flight of a Concorde with Capt. David Rowland from LHR to JFK, I was astounded at the constant flow of work for the whole flight. They were constantly checking, adjusting, monitoring, and watching each other. A highly impressive display.

[exeng]

Concorde was a bit 'different' to the aircraft most of us fly and perhaps required a bit more TLC. The F/E was generally fairly busy even in normal ops - and all the crew were busy when the QRH was pulled out, which I believe was a fairly regular event.

I'm very reliably told that had the aircraft been designed today it is unlikely it would have met the certification standards.

I went to JFK and back once on the Flight Deck and it was a pleasure to watch three professionals work so well together.

Those two sectors went without a hitch I might add.


Regards
Exeng (747 F/E not Conc)

[wobble2plank]

As someone was once heard to quote:

'It's better to be down here wishing you were up there then up there wishing you were down here!'

Sometimes the challenge of sorting the c**p out can be quite fun.:eek:

[Saintsman]

No no. Flying is easy. Look, if you can't drive a car and talk on the mobile at the same time but it's okay to fly, navigate and talk to ATC all the same time....

Actually flying is easy otherwise the ground crew would do it. But, when the wind is blowing a gale, the rain is lashing down and the equipment doesn't work, well a bit of skill is required ;)