Originally Posted by
Private jet
Lots of pilots don't understand what EPR or N1 as a thrust setting parameter actually means beyond a textbook/ exam answer definition. N1 goes up in the climb, why? exactly. Why is EPR indicative of thrust, precisely? I've met people with 10000+ hours that have no idea. "it just does what i expect it to do" Yet these people still expect six figure salaries??
Yes and no. Do you know the physics of, and how every part of your aircraft works? The FMC, the TRUs, the radios, the packs, the generators, the weather radar? Probably not. You probably know how to use the equipment but maybe not how it actually works.
The “six figure salary” (I wish), is not for being an engine or avionics engineer, it is for being an experienced Captain and all that entails; with legal responsibility for the safety and management of the crew, passengers and aircraft under their charge. How much does a GP earn. - £200,000 ? Do they know and recognise every disease and malady without having to look it up? How much does a dentist or an MP or your local council leader earn?
In the past of course, airlines carried flying engineers who did know how all the systems worked. Then, economics decided to do away with them by computerising some systems and transferring everything to the overhead panel, to be controlled by the remaining two pilots. - whilst also flying the ‘plane. And other systems became much easier to use through developments such as FADECs.