"lalapanzi" and others, I've been working 3 years as a Ground Mechanic, then as a Station Engineer for 9 years, then as a Flying Station Engineer for more than 8 years.
I am now in my second year as a pilot. Why should a pilot earn more?
- For the ones following the self improver route (such as myself), the outlay is important, around 70'000 US$ here in western Europe.
- In the company I work for, you have to pay for the type rating (do you have to do that?), meaning the 25'000 US$ spent are deducted monthly from my salary.
- To qualify as airline pilot you will need a few qualities such as ability for multitasking, multicrew work, reliability etc. Nowadays airline do employ only future Captains, no more "bare" copilots.
- Have to be fit. Example, as an Engineer if you don't feel too well (slight hangover...) you go to work, because it is still possible to work. Not if you are a pilot.
- Loss of licence. Eyesight, heart, etc, etc could all be reasons to lose your licence. Not if you are an Engineer.
- Responsability. Oh yes, as an Engineer you are responsible too, but believe me as a pilot you can do thousands of mistakes a day. You have to take decisions while flying. These have to be done quickly. As an Engineer, you have to decide too, but you "have time". You can tell the pilots to hold on, and then you go check your books and then eventually decide (or refer to the shift leader, maintenance control or whoever).
- Recurrency. As a pilot you are checked basically all the time (as you know with the ADAS for instance). You HAVE to perform. Annual, semi-annual (simulator) and annual route check will push you to the limits or over.
- Irregularities. Here all the niceties such as nightflights (ok, you work night shifts too), timezones, different climate, dry air, long shifts with no break (believe me I now fly quite often up to 8 hours a day, resulting in 11 hour duty, with no 5 minute break. Take-off late, hurry through cockpit prep during turnaround, and take-off again. On a longer flight (more than 1 hour block) you just get a chance to go to the loo.
- Public image. Being at work or off work, you are a first row company rep. The public, neighbours or customers, are watching you all the time. So you expected to behave and dress accordingly.
- Stress. Just doing a few approaches in bad weather, with the wrong Commander, running late and a few technical snags does it all. I garantee you that pilot is more stressful than Engineer!
- Health. Exposure to cosmic rays (no, please don't laugh!), bad (crew meals) irregular meals. Lack of sleep (ever heard about split duty?).
- Life expextancy. It just seems to me that many of my elederly colleagues go in their early sixties. Any stats?
So, those are just a few of the reasons I thought about.
So, if you still think pilots are overpaid, why don't you apply?
Ooops, I forgot, to top it all, you have to get along with the Engineers
