talktomegoose:
First I don't feel the word disgrace is misplaced, starting to compare with such situations as you do, probably deserves an even stronger word than disgrace to be honest.
"Aviation is an honourable profession. It's fun, flashy and exciting." I am nearly tempted to ask you if you are 10 years old? Or are you living in a bubble made of jelly and ice cream!
I think you been watching a bit to much Top Gun, to impress chicks/guys, old school buddies or have something to talk about at parties?
Well first you will have no time for old school buddies, and to tired to see chicks, and never be available when there is a party!
I can assure you, I did not become an airline pilot for any of those reasons! Sure some do, but seriously!!!
It's true you don't need a degree, but your ATPL is the equivalent of an undergraduate degree, if you decide to study for a Master within aviation, so you are talking some kind of nonsense here.
Few things first, the basic training you have with CPL & MEIR - does not make you a qualified and competent airline pilot.
I recall I was very proud when I passed my CPL and IR, but this was only the licence to be allowed to apply - the step up from that level to the airlines is massive and much hard work. Looking back, I can see how little I knew when I was newly qualified, however trough good training, and some great people I got to know, they helped me get to the level that was required.
People are talking about that the airlines expect to be making the most possible money on us, and returning as little as possible to us.
However if I have made an invest of £100.000 in myself, I do expect to get something back for my investment.
This amount, is fairly close to what most will spend on training from 0 until they are in an airline job.
I am not proclaiming I was any better than other newbies looking for a way in to this business. What I can say today, is that the investment so large, is very questionable, compared to what you will be getting in return.
What people like you Goose, have to understand, your training does not stop after CPL / IR, or after TR, or after line training, or after OPC, or after line check, or after you get 500 hours, to get an ATPL you will need to get to 1500 hours, and quite a few checks on the way, where you need to keep improving your skills and knowledge, if you even remotely one day are going to be considered for Captain upgrade.
So to belittle the profession in the way you do, is insulting for the pilot doing this job, and is a part of the problem, this attitude, to many are lacking respect for their own profession and maybe are in it for the wrong reasons.
That you say you have to work with something else to survive, is a major part of the problem, pilots today can not survive on the conditions they are being offered, and it will take another Colgan in EASA land before somebody might start to wake up, this industry only changes with the price of blood, that is the unfortunate truth.
Increase flight time limitations, there will have to be an accident where they can see the new FTL is dangerous before they do anything.
I have seen experienced Captains make mistakes, so that they are all always safe is not correct, that's the reason we have multi-crew cockpits.
Why should I earn more than the metro driver? Because he has not invested a £100.000 in his business idea and own training - it does not make business sense, seems to be you are one of those you are talking about, lacking "requirement for long term strategic thinking, business acumen, financial expertise etc,"
Also the metro driver does not constantly need to be tested several times a year. In 1994 I had a job as HGV long haul truck driver, I made more in a month back in 1994, than today as an airline pilot.
If you do end in a commuting situation, you will discover that most pilots hate that life, I have never met one who said he loved commuting half the world to go to job, you would also discover many saying if they had something else they could do, they would leave aviation.
After reaching TOC, and sitting for the next 4 hours staring at the sun or the moon, with a Captain that hardly says a word, and who makes a comment on every decision you make on the approach, I am sorry, I quickly loose the love of flying.
Of course in between you have some that are great, and the day goes faster, yet doing it for peanuts is not going to cut it for me.
Life is more than a fast jet to be happy! And I know that - it does not help that I have all the money in the world, if I can not have free time to go where I want and relax with my family.
If you have children, you can not take them out of school when you want, this will in the UK in some places cost you £150 a day. School holidays are always peak season in aviation, so you can not take holidays when your children have holidays.
If not commuting, less of a problem, as you would be more home.
They will always be my number one choice, ahead of any airlines requirement of me.
But let's get it clear, not all is even about money, it's having enough time so that you can also have a life outside the cockpit.