dallas dude;
That was something I think most of us have in mind. Our time/money/effort/risk to be in the cockpit.
Time - You can be "lucky" , and do a fast track...that is on the house of 1,5 to 2 years from nothing to "Frozen" ATPL.(I mean really working for an airliner or a decent biz outfit.) But that if you are lucky.And aside from EU and some countries in Asia ,there isn't the "sponsor" program in the rest of the world (that I know of anyway - someone correct-me if I am wrong , please). So it can be 2 to 10 years..who knows.
Money - No need to be explaining much here.Most fo us know how aviation likes our money...and I mean
really likes money.And its getting more and more expensive.Again , some are lucky to be accepeted in sponsor schemes and have some "certainty" in the future , others do not and get real problems with that. And there is the difference in training methods(how to suck our money out).I was a little surprised that here in the EU (at least here in Holland) you need to pay landing fee (and that includes Touch&Go's) and sometimes a lot of others hidden fees. To use Brazil for comparsion (I know the US too), there the plane from a school don't pay landing fees and radio/nav fees , to stimulate low prices and therefore atracting people in to flying(and make an already expensive career a little more affordable). I think I have no need to speak about the US as there is widely known to each one how it works there.
Effort - It's the sum of all.Your effort is great , and so it remains during your "hunt" for the ultimate goal - a "real" job (read an Airline- or a good biz outfit to others).You know what
you have been trough till now and what maybe you still have to go.
Risk - Life is risks ,but then we are being constantly reminded how our careers can end without even getting started sometimes. You start with the Medicals. Each year (and after twice a year) you go to the AME to see if they let you go another round. I have seen people been kicked out rightfully (and sometimes not) , and bam...from one day to another bye flying.And if you are in your mid-forty's (i.e.), you
have a problem ,what will you do/learn at this stage of life?Not to speak how your body will be suffering with non-routine , changing day-by-night and vice-versa(I know that that was in the profession when I started - but you can't not feel it - is there so we need to cope with it) and jet-lags for some others crews.
After that , are those wonderful check-rides (exams here). Fail there , and get in trouble too. Always hoping not to get an instructor/examiner that hasn't had a good night so you're the guilty one...and therefore you should pay the price....with your career if necessary.
And to sum to all that , an Airline is nothing more than business , pure and simple.So the "boss" always thinks you're gaining too much and he is profiting too less...so
you should pay the price to get the company (and the dozens of executives) more wealthy.Or worse , they can decide that you won't be necessary and show you the way to the street.(If the the company don't go to bottom too - then is even worser).
And I did not even talk about the loss of life ,as I think this can happen when we are flying or having dinner at home.
So Guv , nothing personal , but I think that we think execs are paid too much as execs think pilots gain too much.There will always be this discussion.
And I bet it won't be long for someone to come in here and say that pilots complain too much and work too little , that we should look at another professions and be grateful etc.etc... Sorry , but as much as we (most of us anyway) love flying, everybody needs to have a life too...eat/drink have a house..those sort of things
(and pay the training back!). I wonder what would be the argument ,let's say , from a football(soccer) player when someone said he earn too much (millions for some "blokes")??
[This message has been edited by AeroBoero (edited 31 December 2000).]