The elephant in the room that no-one ever really discusses on these forums is this:
After 10, 15, 20 years or more sitting in a cockpit with the number of hairy moments and close calls preying more and more on ones ageing mind, quite a few pilots get utterly sick of the experience. They know they cannot change profession without a massive pay cut so they direct their anger towards T & C's, rather than admit they hate the job they once loved.
T & C's are dropping and all pilots should fight to improve them or at least stop them from getting worse, but the cruelest consequence of reduced pay and no benefits is that it stops pilots from taking early retirement if they desperately want to.
" How selfish these miserable burnt out old captains are ", I hear wannabes cry, but when you become them what will your escape plan be?
Of course not every pilot feels like this, but many do and many are surprised by the way their own psyche turns against what they do for a living. If you feel yourself yearning to be on the ground as soon as possible as you reach top of climb, then your days as a pilot are numbered. Think about your escape plan now, because the company package you're probably on won't help you.
Last edited by Cruise Zombie; 22nd May 2012 at 08:42.