An apt comparison with the 1970s and today. Flying is no longer glamourous, exciting but a bloody nightmare for everyone, where SLF fighting is now half expected.
I still struggle with how much the profession has slid even in the last ten years. What particularly concerns me is how there has been a huge increase in demand for pilots, but the t&c s have gone backwards at an unbelievable rate, so does that mean that the supply of labour has increased that much more than demand?
I would not be surprised as comparing an average BEA cadet to an average RYR cadet could be considered like chalk & cheese - just compare the selection processes. In some ways, the profession may get even worse as those on excellent legacy deals retire, and new labour is all on flexi-screw.
On a positive note, there is still something magical about it!