Originally Posted by echopapa
ahh, u should hear of the last interview with SQ. When they asked me of my annual pay as middle management staff, i can see how unhappy he look at the salary i'm drawing at this age. (he's some old chap, prob one of those old pilots).
Anyway, i did tell him that its acceptable salary package as we use lots of maturity and brains in our jobs, not just flying from point A to point B. So i told him, SQ may have a diff criteria when selecting candidates.. and i did tell him that if one is to read some of the way that even captains are talking in PPRuNe org - its obvious what sorta calibre they have between the ears.
That parting shot and the look on the interviewer's face - priceless.
I am sorry about the misinformation you have fallen victim to echopapa, but I can safely assure you that life in the airline industry requires more of a person than "just flying from point A to point B". Allow me to enlighten you.
An airline pilot takes on a complex set of responsibilities that traverse various levels of consideration (technical, practical, legal, ethical, etc). Some of the decisions that a pilot makes exemplify the "lots of maturity and brains in our jobs" that you imply pilots need not exercise.
Here's a small sample of the numerous factors that serve as intellectual stimulation for a pilot:
1. Checking weather to make sure the flight can be completed safely AND legally. This includes knowing where the good weather is if things REALLY go bad.
2. Ensuring that adequate fuel is carried to safely and legally complete the flight. Is the weather bad and delays or holding likely? Is the airport congested with delays likely? Will the airplane need to wait in line to get de-iced before takeoff? (This takes time and uses fuel; you may need to take a few hundred extra pounds).
3. Are any nagivation aids inoperative that affect the flight? Any construction or runway closures at the destination or departure airport that will affect you? Are any of the instrument approaches at your destination out of service?
4. Does the weather require you to have an alternate airport? Do you have enough fuel to safely/legally fly to it?
5. Is the airplane safe for flight? Dents, dings, cut tires, maintenance write-ups that haven't been properly addressed?
6. You are responsible for properly briefing the flight attendants and your first officer. (This is essentially a review of SOP's as well as any additional things that are particular to how you "do business").
7. You're responsible for ensuring that every single regulation (as well as your airline's standard operating procedures) is followed.
8. You are responsible to safely handle anything and everything that occurs during flight. Engine failure, thunderstorms, airport closures, system malfunctions.
9. You're responsible for knowing all limitations applicable to your aircraft (max airspeeds for gear and flaps, max takeoff & landing weights, max temps for the engines, etc).
10. Does the runway have water, snow, ice or slush on it? If so is it long enough to handle an aborted takeoff? What about at your destination? If the runway is covered with snow can you stop before running off the end? If it's windy and the runway is slippery can you safely handle the crosswind?
That is just a small sprinkling of what an airline pilot has on his mind during a day at the "office". Hope it provides you with better insight as to the "maturity and brains" this job demands.
I haven't even touched on the most crucial element, which is being personally resposible for hundreds of lives at times. No other job has a greater claim of being one of life and death. Put it this way. When you mess up your work with a pilot at your workplace, the pilot doesn't die. When a pilot messes up his work with you at his "workplace", YOU DIE. Think about that the next time you're on a business trip.
But perhaps the most disappointing aspect of all this is the inflated importance you seem to place on salaries and the monetary aspects of a person's career. The sooner you realise that money is not everything in this world, the better for you. I know what I'm talking about. Being a first class honours graduate from a finance-related field, I has a handful of offers from multinational finance companies with attractive salaries. My father owns an SME himself, where I could easily be a director. But none of this mattered when I applied with SIA to be a cadet pilot. And having just cleared my final interview and now waiting for the privilege of joining this fine organisation, I have absolutely no regrets at giving up salaries that would probably exceed what you currently draw.
Why, you ask? Because matters of the heart extend well beyond the wallet my friend. Matters such as family, friends, and in this case, the honour of being a part of the airline industry and SIA. You probably know that yourself, which explains why, despite boasting about your good "annual pay as middle management staff", you have tried 3 times over to get through SIA's first interview even while in your 30s, and have even made enquiries with MAS via email about your eligibility for their programme (trust me, I know all this).
Being a cadet-to-be, I respect every one of these men immensely for the courage, intellect and sense of responsibility, among other things, that they bring to the flight deck. And that respect will never cease or waver. Yes, you are right to say that "SQ may have a diff criteria when selecting candidates" as compared to what you possess. But to add to that, the different criteria SQ is looking for is the right criteria.
Hope things are a little clearer to you now, echopapa. Cheers.