Can't keep out of this any longer i am afraid. There are similarities with train drivers and pilots. Similar responsibility,(a to b as safe as you can...) similar ultra strict medicals, regular cab rides/sim checks, similar unsociable hours, bi-annual rules exams, similar management types trying to squeeze the maximum amount of work out of us for very little thanks or respect, similar pressure on getting away on time regardles of the reason for delay, once trained its easy to do, you earn your money when things start to go wrong. The list can go on and on. Pilots really do need a lot of different skills for flying a plane. Many a time i have watched in terrible weather at some side-on landings at gatwick and wondered how they do it. Real skill, thats how. A train drivers skill comes in judging speed and distance. Driving a train is simple, lever for power on/off and a lever for stopping. Easy. Its getting and staying there thats the hard bit though. Took me 3 years to qualify, at a cost of over 30k to the company, thats passing all exams first time. I work a 35 hr 4 day week and get 26100 a year, thats without sundays or overtime of which there is plenty about. As i say, you earn your money when things go wrong, i.e. fatalites, break-downs, delays everyday, cr*ppy public moaning and constantly having a go, bad weather, thick fog, anyone fancy driving with me at 125mph in zero visibility..? And no, we are not allowed to slow down for bad weather. Leaves on the line, think of black ice on the road. Now think about driving at high speed on the black ice,(100mph +) now think of stopping quickly on the ice.....no-can-do, you just slide until the brakes finaly start to bite. Scary i can tell you. Try doing it with 2500 tonnes of stone behind you now...!!!! I could go on and on. I have been driving for 8 years now and i reckon i am confident enough to go for my ppl which is what i am doing now. As for a commercial pilot, i dont think i am good enough for that. Also it costs a lot of cash to get in at the pointy end so there goes my bid for freedom........What i am trying to get across here is that we all have our own skills and responsibilites. At the end of the day we go home. Just getting home at the end of the day means we are all doing something right. If anyone in the south/midlands would like to have the 'jumpseat' in the cab in my train, let me know, its not impossible to let people in the cab and its easily arranged.
What i am doing here is not comparing drivers against pilots. Thats very wrong to do, just pointing out a few similarities so go easy on me........
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Its not the fall that kills you...Its the sudden stop.....