retirement letter
Mr Baywatcher....I feel compelled to respond to your insightfull and interesting post. I am not close to retirement but I share most of your concerns because I have another 20 years + to go through that daily headache. Everything you have described is now entrenched into the everyday life of an airline pilot and sadly but true, due to global terrorist activities, it has become a nightmare and a way of life. We are no longer treated with the respect and admiration that we feel we are entitled to. After all. we fly these mammoth machines around the world. Some of us even constantly remind ourselves, lest we forget, that we a Captains because we are most important. Without us this mammoth Silver flying machine cannot fly.
I really do agree with you, but I lost you on your references to the use of 'somalis' as a people that you, as a majestic captain had to endure the hard ship of communicating with to buy a sandwich. I am sure you travelled around the world. Imagine the vendor having to listen to your english crap in Narita or in Kix or pvg,or hkg in wanchai, etc,etc etc. How do you think they felt? Or, Do you think they should know that you were an Airline Captain and such deserves a little more respect? Or ...maybe you felt that being in the USA a 'somalian' should not serve you or should at least left his/her accent at home?
Thats not it though....Its that we..as airline pilots feel we are better than the guys dumping the lav or the caterer or the mechanic etc. The bottom line is...We are not .We are part or a puzzle to make this airline stuff work. We are no better or no worse. There are people ...like Enron and the numerous other companies that have stolen and left their employees in financial ruins,having to deal with it.!!!!!!/
In closing I hope that you have a sucessfull second career in the Sears advisory team and not fall for the fraudelent recommendations that Sears were charged with many years ago..After all now that comission is part of you compensation you dont want to cheat..Would'nt it be ironic,though,that the first person that you are selling to would turn out to be a "somalian' .
I really do agree with everything else and I am too an Airline Captain. But outside the cockpit I am a customer at subway, a client at the doctor, an employee of an airline. Just another living stiff...Drop the Captain stuff and maybe you'll garner more respect. Most of us use that Captain stuff more than necessary, We are employees of airlines..Let us not blow our horns. I enjoy this business. It sucks because of legislation but overall its an easy way to make a living.To whine for 30+ years means youre miserable and unintelligent. Most people of intelligence takes a few years to determine whether this is the job for them.Its like driving on a road every day with major potholes and complaining for 30 years but will not take the alternate route because some challeges exist that other people use and adapted too.
I would love you to email me or place a post in about a year from now about your job as an advisor. You would wish you were shooting an ndb off centered 200 ceiling approach in Lome on a DC-8-54 with a red baron approved flight director. With a somalian controller!!! To give you radar vectors.
I do admire some of the comments that you have garnered, Humility is not thought.
Good day.