Value of work and labour
I havenīt heard from a Busdriver who pays for driving the Bus.... I know Airlines who ask the Pilots to pay for flying and maintain the Licence and stay current. So the payscale is lower then the one of a Busdriver. A busdriver always thinks that Pilots are paid better until you tell him how bad some Pilots are paid and treated.
If Busdrivers of a certain community got treated badly they intent to go on strike if they are in a unionised community, if not they have to swallow it also like Pilots. I have seldom seen so many integligent people got treated badly and they keep up with it because of the excuse they love to fly. In some cases they do not love it anymore but they hope that one day they wake up and after a glass of water and a Aspirin all is over.
Should IALPA organise a World wide strike for 6 hours.... to make the public aware of what is going on behind the scene? Remember the over 10 min opening statement of Capt. Sullenberger about the wages of Aviators and how they got cutoff the grow over the past years. Did any of the beancounters had mercy and gave any Pilot body higher wages? I doubt it.
The older Palīs in Aviation know that the Pilot skills going south. Fortunatly the liability of Airplanes gone up significantly to compensate for that. So what are you asking for? Why pay more for getting less.
I spoke often with Colleagues who do not want theire Children becoming a Pilot. One even forbidd his two Sonīs to fly more then private, he was wealthy enough that they made the Licences but he made that decission more then 10 Years ago and today both of them makeing three times more then the Father as a B744 Captain and they sleep regularly in the same bed and the same time zone as well, priceless !
So quo vadis Aviation? In 7 Years and 8 months I am retireing if health letīs me flying that long. I still do not like what I do...... I love it.
Fly safe and land happy
NG