ContactMeNow

For all the folks out there im just seeking all your own personal opinons. Do you consider the job of flying an aeroplane blue or white collar?

Would you even divide the industry and say blue collar for GA and white collar for airlines and the majors?

Just curious to see what you all think.

NB: This thread is not designed as a "beating" for fellow drivers out there, just seeking your own thoughts on the matter!

CMN

flightfocus

I think that it was an exotic and much admired job - one that was White collar.
However I think over the last decade it has been heading down the blue collar path.
Not that this is good. In fact I think it is very sad. Maybe we can blame Hawke for the famous "glorified bus driver" statement made during the sad pilots strike of last century. Planted the seed of destruction now starting to bloom.
As a side observation I find it interesting to note that this decline in general conditions mirrors the outrageous rise in remuneration for Snr Mgt - not just in aviation but in general society.
I was disgusted to hear on the radio recently that the average wage for a CEO in this country is $35,000 per week.
How this disparity can be justified or tolerated is beyond me. I think that one of the secrets to their success is to distract the frontline with self indulgent power point frenzies outlining this weeks new letterhead.
At the end of the day we all have to eat and provide for loved ones et al. But do your best to keep the bastards honest.
Think collectively - act locally!!

planemad2

Depends how you look at it I guess.

In one way if you consider the cockpit as your office, I guess it is white collar.

However, if you compare it similar jobs like bus driver, train driver, taxi driver etc, then I guess it is blue collar.

Cannot see how it matters really?

MrApproach

I think the ILO classified air pilots the same as ships officer, in the so-called semi-professional category. (ATC's too) That I guess would make them white collar, however it is (was) a strongly unionised sector, so would be blue collar as far as management is concerned. (Where would the Aus Medical Association fit?) In ATC's case FAA recently prophesied that US ATC system would eventually be automated and operated by a handfull of engineers. They charachterised the US ATC's as over-paid blue collar workers.

Personally I think the terms are now meaningless, probably always were because there have always been professions/jobs that did not fit into that quaintly British view of the world.

404 Titan

Yep there are only two types of jobs, skilled and unskilled. Blue and white collar comes from a much simpler time i.e. early last century. It has absolutely no relevance to the modern world we live in today.

VH-GRUMPY

Its blue collar - the same as a heart surgeon is.

Follow established procedures day in day out - Oh but then something goes wrong; and I suppose you become a brain surgeon.

Rediculous question really - every job has bits of both including cab and train drivers.

mince

The next time I'm rolling a drum of avgas 50m in 40 degree heat before hand pumping it into my plane, I'll be dreaming of one day swapping my blue collar for a white one. I reckon it's one of the few professions that have the best of both worlds. Wouldn't give it up for anything!

pakeha-boy

personally ...I consider it food,kai,tucker