Say again ???
Aquadalte please explain what you meant by this sentence: “do you know why that EADS guy said that? Because most of us, are mere spectators in the cockpit! Accustomed spectators...”
We are about the same age and I assume you are a Captain on an Airbus. I have 13K hours of flight time; I suspect you have just as much or more. I’ve worked in this industry for nearly 30 years you have probably done the same. During that time I have served as a mechanic, dispatcher, First Officer, Captain and instructor pilot at the airline level; I believe your resume is just as rich or even more experienced. As an ex-airline instructor pilot, and current airline (737 Classic & NG) Captain I have had the opportunity to evaluate and train hundreds of pilots. My observation is that the overwhelming vast majority of who are consummate professionals dedicated to the highest level of competency and safety. That holds true whether I am talking about the pilots I have had the privilege of serving with flying the remote bush in Africa or the last first officer I flew with executing the most recent RNP RNAV approach technology available in mountainous terrain right down to minimums during a snow storm last week.
For every one of us convicted of operating an aircraft under the influence of alcohol there are tens of thousands who would never jeopardize safety in any way. As a group we shoulder tremendous amounts of responsibility that most of the rest of the world takes out liability insurance to mitigate the exposure and/or hides under layers of bureaucracy to shield themselves from. Virtually no other work group is as scrutinized as closely professional pilots commanding airliners are; everything you say is recorded virtually everything you do is logged by one or more sources. We think in 3 dimensions at 7 to 10 nautical miles a minute. We have a working knowledge of hardware/software/electronics, electricity, hydraulics and pneumatic systems. We are responsible for executing without error a vast array of frequently modified procedures under normal, abnormal, and emergency circumstances. Many of us, such as yourself, are proficient in several languages and use them under extremely technical circumstances during the course of our work. Because as a group we are so very good at what we do we make it look easy, that is a good definition of a consummate professional. You are so very good at what you do that you make it look easy. What we often do not do well as a group is to communicate the tremendous complexity and responsibility that in reality is our job. Because we often we fail to accurately communicate the real demands of our job those individuals who are detached by several layers from the left front seat can form an erroneous impression. How dare some “guy” insinuate that most of us are mere spectators – what a foolish statement (his not yours).