"Put on a pedastel far to long"
Just an observation. About 5 years ago I read a survey of peoples perception of job status, both then and in comparison with a similar survey carried out about 40 years earlier (so thats mid 90's versus mid 50's).
In the early survey, Airline Pilot was about 4th on the list, right up there with Doctor and the other professions.
In the later, Airline pilot had plumetted like a stone. I can't remember exactly what it was just above, but it was something like Rubbish Collector.
Scottish Steve.
You ask "Who wouldn't want to fly for a living". Well, the crux of that question is the word 'Living'. A good career choice needs to be enterable:
(a) With effort & skill on your part (to prevent every tom dick and harry doing the same thing).
(b) Without massive capital investment (to make it available to those that have (a), rather than just those that can fund it).
It then needs to supply:
(c) a variety of places you can ply the trade, to prevent you having to move to the other end of the country, loosing touch with your friends and family (thereby contributing to the general unravelling of society).
(d) STABILITY of employment, with progression dependent on effort rather than dumb luck.
Sadly, aviation fails most if not all of those criteria.
Wannabes, steer clear if you have any sense. Knowing what I know now, if I had my time again I wouldn't touch this career with a bargepole.
And I'm in a good position in the scheme of things.
CPB
[ 11 December 2001: Message edited by: Capt Pit Bull ]