daveandferdy
For a lawyer, you make a lot of assumptions.
Leaving aside for a minute the fact that being a pilot these days is more and more a blue-collar job, our "profession" has been continually undermined, in terms of pay and conditions, since the 80's.
One of the more obvious characteristics of this process of change, has been the way in which crews are treated by their management. In days gone by, pilots were accorded a high level of respect and renumeration. This was partly in recognition of the skill of the pilot, partly in recognition of the enormous responsibility placed upon his or her shoulders, and partly in recognition of the fact that the company could well fail if one pilot was careless for a few seconds.
These days, companies have learned to live with the risk of a disgruntled workforce, balancing the survival instincts of their pilots against the possible consequences of a lapse of concentration.
All the current thinking on good employment practice stresses that a happy, motivated workforce will do wonders for a companies' profits. However, airlines ignore this, by and large, as they are unable to treat their employees well without risking the all-important bottom line. Such is the world we now live in.
My point? It is easy to sit there in your lawyers office and pass judgement on issues you have no understanding of. Does your career hang on a six-monthly medical, or a six-monthly proficiency check? Do you go to work in the morning, expecting to be home with your family that night - but find that you don't actually get home for several days due to some crewing emergency (brought on by having insufficient crews in the first place)? Does your career potentially hang on NOT making some small mistake that has serious consequences? Do you find yourself so tired that you know you aren't functioning properly, but also knowing that trying to step down until you are properly rested will likely result in disciplinary action?
No, I didn't think so. Welcome to our world.
You, too, do yourself no favours by wading in with such facile observations. Do you think we want to complain about this stuff? We do not. We just want to get on with our jobs, but find that the increasing pressure on our time, health and bank balances leaves us with no option but to raise our voices.
I love flying, but I would kill for a nice, predictable, stable, well-paid and family-friendly job as a lawyer.
I find you post to be, frankly, very offensive.
Think about it.