Fly puppy wrote:
Quote:
Flying is indeed safe, and why would that be? Without a doubt it is a team effort but it is the pilots who are the last line of defence when all the other failsafes have failed.
true, if not somewhat melodramatic
Personally don't think it is melodramatic at all, merely a statement of fact. The pilot is the last link in the chain, I am sure we have all read stories or covered the 'swiss cheese' theory in CRM courses etc...
Yes you are the last line of defence, but do you know how many things have taken place around you to prevent it getting that far
I have flown in uncontrolled airpsace, (busy) uncontrolled airspace, numerous times and have not come to any harm (talk 'bout tempting fate
). That is not denying you guys do a fantastic job. However I feel you may only be considering the efficiency of your own native ATC when using it as a yardstick to judge pilot workload, input into the safety of the flight. Not all of the destinations I have frequented offer the same superb service that we get in Northern Europe. Have been to several places where clearances are taken with a large pinch of salt, where problems have been avoided not because of the controllers clearances but in spite of them. Anyway I am drifting a little here....
I consider myself averagely paid for the work that I do, agree completely with fireflybob's sentiments on 'knowing which screw to turn'. Often the pilot is not paid for what he does, but knowing what to do, I believe in this sense the pay is correct and just. I.E a 5 year F/O gets paid more than a brand new F/O becuase he has a greater knowledge!
To be completly honest those who are advocating that graduates are just as hard working as those who have gone through flying training are, for the most part, mistaken. Getting a degree these days is not hard to do at all. Have done it myself, worked moderately hard and got a pretty good grade, but could have worked harder. It seems these days a lot of employers (normally big corporates) are fairly uninterested in what your degree entailed, more what you did on a gap year (from people I know who work in the city, this normally involves going to Thailand/Australia etc... ona massive holiday). Compare that to self funding your own flying training and successfully completing a course....and then getting a job at the end of it, think pilots deserve the acclaim they get whether it is imagined or otherwise.
I believe that pilots and ATCOs should be paid comparably
Hehe.... you are the first non-pilot I have ever heard that suggests I should get a pay rise.
Happy landings all...
T