wow, those are some superhuman HO's you're describing - 50+ hours work with the odd hour break - hope they're keeping a clear head throughout as it's not a good idea for them to make a mistake!
having just left uni the HO's i know work damn hard and take a big hike in responsibility for the money they earn. However they all also enjoy a fair social life and more importantly enjoy their work. Being an HO isn't as bad as it used to be - EU rules ensure that! They do quite alright for cash, but that doesn't imply this is the olny reason they do it.
You can't really compare occupations - as you said, catheters and needles wouldn't be my cup of tea, and perhaps flying an airbus wouldn't be theirs.
most pilots are not on sh!t money, however in the current climate of a low supply and high demand (which is likely to worsen with the high average age of British pilots and growth of the industry) it is below where it should be - pilots don't get it that easy(apart from those guys in orange who i'm told are spoilt
)!
Is the time at which your services are most highly valued not a good time to ask for a pay rise?
mo - not a pilot or a doctor!
ps you don't sound that happy vamp
