"
Clearly you have no REAL concept as to what most of us are having to put up"
I realise that some operators, more than others, might try to push their pilots further - and some of the weaker pilots, who don't have the confidence in themselves, or are wanting "just a little bit more experience, to move on to that next job
" take it.
That is WHY pilots NEED a union - to protect them from themselves in some cases.
"
No one has ever told us what this profession is gonna turn into eventually."
It going to "turn into" whatever pilots allow it to.
There are regulations that MUST be followed by pilots, regardless of what the scheduler allocates you.
There is a company Operations Manual, that has been approved by the regulatory authority, that you - the employee - MUST abide by.
Yes, I
know that schedulers will sometimes roster pilots to the maximum of the these limits - max. duty periods with min. rest, followed by minimum rest prior to the following duties.
Whilst some of these limitations might be acceptable to desk bound Johnnies, I don't believe they sufficiently take into account the work we do, in
O2 deprived environments, for extended periods.
In all probability we need to have some research into formulating a table similar to that (decompression tables) used by scuba divers making repetitive dives.
Most pilots are aware of the difference in personal fatigue levels following flights at say FL390 - with a cabin altitude of around 8,000' -
vs those at FL220, where the cabin altitude is down around 1200'.
For that reason, on long multi-sector days, I have elected for the (much) lower level, and **** the burn.
I think some of you are mis-reading my intentions - I DON'T disagree that there has been a vigorous attack on our conditions - financially, and workplace (wrt flight and duty times) wise.
I DON'T disagree that some of the regulations, when used to the limit, by managers and schedulers who lack knowledge of the physiological effects of flying -
WILL CAUSE FATIGUE.
However I DO disagree that it is up to the regulator to make the first move of stepping in to "save" the pilot and his charges.
That is our responsibility - for the sake of the pax in our care, the aircraft, ourselves, and the EMPLOYER. Because it is the EMPLOYER'S business that is going to suffer the longer term effects, following any incident or accident.
Long after all the pilots have left, and found employment elsewhere - and they will - the employer is going to be left with a LIABILITY.