Radhaz,
I was about to get on him too until I re-read it. When he said public sector, he was talking more along the lines of well paid politicians. As a Paramedic for the past 12 years working at a fire dept for almost 10, trust me, you would not have gotten a word in edgewise
To all of the " Rusty's and " Lucky's" :
Since opening the thread, I never expected to get this response. I am so gratefulfor those who read it and did reply. Thank you to the old, not sold old and new aviators and those alike for contributing to this thread. I respect all of your post and while I see the difference between what aviation used to be and the fact you have no idea how great it was, I am happy to read that despite the different views, the spirit of the aviator and pilot lives on!
No matter the era. I love the fact that the men who did not get to experience real glamour (as we all knew it) still sees it as such and I really tip my hat off to you guys. Thank you for keeping it genuine, interesting and still a good read. No matter your experience in aviation, if you can highly recommend it to your children, then aviation is still alive and well.
While this post is not about my life or me, I can only contribute based from my own interpretation and experiences, conglomerated with what I read from ALL the post, and yes I read all of them. This post is not up for disection and certainly It is not up for argument. You can't argue with opinion. Especially mine. Just ask my husband.
It is just a post. Only a post that may take you back, may allow you to see from a different perspective or it might be boring as all hell. If so, delete it, print it and use it for the bottom of your bird cage if you so choose. This is what we wives do when our men are gone flying and the children are off to college. We write, post And some of us actually click send rather than delete.
1. Aviation is definitely NOT what it was 30 and 40 years ago. For those who see me posting on Pprune for the past few years as a pilot's wife, alot of you also know I am the daughter of a UAL retiree who started in 1960.
Growing up flying since before birth was a huge luxury. One that we often thought was a bigger benefit than what my father took home in salary. My schoolmates went camping at Yosemite and spent their birthdays at the skating rink. I grew up seeing the world and mine was spent taking friends to Hawaii. I was non rev'ing from city to city alone at the age of 10 because my parents divorced and frankly, it was safe then. Unaccompanied Minor ? WTH was that ? And we're talking LAX, SFO, JFK and MEM (when it was still a major airport lol). I know you older guys can relate. You probably had ex wives living 5 states away. Some coast to coast.
2. The salaries were fat and the flight attendants were models. Security and safety wasn't as important then. I am in no way saying FA's are not now, I have many many friends who are FA's who are beautiful. Even close to my age. Lauren from OC... a prime example and my friend.
Long gone are the days of Filet Mignon served on real china and cocktail glasses served full, not measured and served with some of the most fabulous side dishes. And we had REAL Salt and Pepper shakers. Just look in my parents china cabinet at home. You will see some LOL. Dinner today has been replaced with " beef or chicken" when asked by senior cabin crew when flying transatlantic. 8.00usd will get you a ruler sized box of crackers and cheese if flying coach domestically. 7.00 if you want an adult beverage along side it. However, if flying 1st, you do still get free alcohol and warm nuts if they are generous.
Flying ? Well Even before 911 some cockpit doors were closed. Captains discretion. But could you blame them? I do appreciate UAL crew now who let us listen in to Channel 9. Even as a pilots wife, I still love to listen in as if I were still that little girl. However years ago, the cockpit door was open so you could get a sense of just how glamorous the life of a pilot was. Captains were not afraid of losing their jobs ( or being taken over) when taxing the aisle in their socks 2 hours inflight greeting pax. They can't do that now! NOoo sir eeeee! the critics nowadays would have a story sent to Huffington Post before landing stating " THe Captain LEFT the COCKPIT! He quit in the middle of his shift". The Airplane was NOT SECURED! He must of been drinking in the galley. Yeah.. nowadays, for the crew, you're being accused of abusing your power when someone charges the flight deck and a pax has to be detained.
3. Back then, The " stewardesses" were happy. PAX could go home with a bottle of wine at the end of a flight as appreciation of " flying the friendly skies" Crews could meet up afterwards for cocktails. Of course at the age I was then, I had no idea it was because sex was safe and drinking the night before wasn't a threat because YOU HAD ENOUGH HOURS IN BETWEEN TRIPS TO DO SO! Yes, layovers were actually a benefit of the job. 2 or 3 days in a nice city where you could either fly your wife or girlfriend in ( both if you had the balls) for some nice R&R as a benefit of the job. Ok.. so some of you screwed it up for the rest. There is a rule of thumb for drinking and arriving for your next trip 50 ft from the a/c is it ?
I also see a difference in posters who come from different parts of the world and assignment. I still see those who are granted luxury life while flying VIP and cozy corporate jobs. Nice. You are spoiled, but how many hours do you REALLY put in and are away from home ? If you're happily married you will not want to answer that. If you're NOT happily married, then you will want to brag about it.
I am married to a freight dawg. There is no comparison, but he loves his job and I love him. We take his less than orthodox schedule and deal with it. We spend alot of days saying goodnight and goodmorning at the same time from different continents. It takes a special man to be a freight dawg and an even more special woman to be his owner
. I guess that is how I can get away with being " me" sometimes. Or the fact that he flies into less than desireable locations without the opportunity where one can be easily replaced by a 20 year old who comes with a side of soy sauce who will clean the toe jam from his feet if his highness request it. Yes, I know its still out there so I have to stay on my A game. Apparently I'm doing something right. He leaves for work a happy boy and comes home hungry
I also see the difference in post between the good ole boys, the Rusty's and the " Lucky's" as I call them. Quick sidebar trivia for ya: the term " Rusty" was used recently by an older pilot who could probably land a plane in a storm, in the atlantic through a horrible stall who had alot to say about very experienced pilots and newer pilots who rely heavy on automation. Yes, the old guy, and he knows who he is
and I have a very soft spot in my heart for a REAL man like that. OK so back to the difference! I see the posts difference between " RUSTY" and between the guys who are thankful to God they have a job. Those are called " LUCKY". He's the pilot with more Furloughs under his belt than inches in his boxers. He's the man who will appreciate having T's and C's, no matter what they are. He is just as submissive to dispatch and flight ops as the 20 y/o soy sauce toe jam sucking future wife. He is still proud of the job. One gentleman put it spot on.
4. There is a difference between those who have the choice to select where they go, what they fly and having the hours to pick and choose versus.. those who need to feed a family of 3 to 4, pay a mortgage and are 1 paycheck from being in the streets. Worse yet, they owe the inlaws for making those payments the last 2 months. It is very easy for those men to tell the others not to take a **** job. "Don't you dare belittle us and pay for a type rating! Take any job you can" . While they sit there in the fat leather recliner that looks out onto the 18th hole of his million dollar property advising to save face for the rest of the industry. Now are any of them willing to pay your bills for the next year if you man up and tell PARC or anyone else to bugger off? Of course you're going to read a huge difference in their post and what they have to say about aviation. How can you fault a man who does whatever it takes to be in the same skies that you lived a luxury lifestyle flying in? How do you tell a pilot who has to pay to get where he is going that he has no right to earn a salary that is the difference in being homeless and not. How do you tell another pilot, he is not entitled to the same job you did for 30 years because of the shoes he filled to get in it ?
But I must say this. Those who had it, enjoyed it. Those who don't have it anymore, probably wish they still did. Maybe not on today's terms for the majority, Maybe so. Especially those with the desire to increase the age from 65 to 70. And those who have it now, on today's terms, can only dream of yesterday. It will never go back to what it was and you have to respect what they can get out of it today.
Why ? 1 word. DEREGULATION.
For the guys in the middle, they are quiet. They are simply flying. And they just pray the age limit will change again from 65 to 70 now
Hats off to the women who are/ were Wife 1. Wife 2. and Wife 3. And a special salute if you're Wife 4. ( Good god, what was left of him ? Certainly no money! Thank God for the little blue pill I guess sister
At least you hung in there to either change his depends, our outlive his dependents. You love a man who didn't mind your nipples being separated by your belly button or you are the one he winded up with who.. yep you guessed it. Toe jam Jane. To the old pilots who love you, well hopefully she will keep you after you turn 70
I know I will keep mine. Although I did recently post on FB that I might be famous someday, have you seen the show " Snapped" ?
Best of luck to you all. For me and mine, we're good for another 15 years. He won't trade me in. It's cheaper for him to keep me now