How desirable is the 'job' (jet airline pilot) these days?

[jigsawblue]

I think Devils advocate puts it very well.

I never made it to the point where I got paid for flying. I got the licence and ratings but somehow fell through the cracks as many do. I've never become quite reconciled to that fact. Unfortunately I never had a back up because of course I knew I would get the 'job' eventually. As a result when my world collapsed around me I was essentially an unskilled worker in a world that demands skills and training. So I sit here tonight in the middle of a twelve hour shift doing a worthless pointless job for just above the minimum wage. I get stress in spades, no job satisfaction and believe you me, incompetent bean counting management is not just prolific in the aviation industry.

They changed the shift roster recently which means we all took a drop in take home of about a hundred a month. Then they wondered why morale was in the gutter! Why do I stay in the job? Well because at my age and with my lack of skills it's all I can get for now. Having a pilot's licence is the most useless thing in the world unless you can fly.

Tomorrow morning as I go home shattered I'll look up at the contrails of the early morning transatlantics and think 'If only'.

Because the truth is that all of the problems pilots have with lousy management and stupid rosters and even being away from home are shared by many if not most on the ground. In this world only the lucky few have an easy ride and get job satisfaction and rewards in equal doses. Long hours and seven day weeks are the norm in many professions these days. Outside the professions where I find myself it's worse. You are at the mercy of every jumped up tosser with a title.

At least for pilots when the cockpit doors close they can carry on doing something they probably enjoy. If you don't enjoy it then why carry on? I do understand that it loses it's glamour and allure very quickly. But at least it had some in the first place. Most jobs are tedious and dull from the start.


So if you think you have it bad think of the likes of me. We take the same if not worse crap with none of the rewards. At least you can still fly. The reason, I presume you took to the trade in the first place?