Arthur Dent, seems you'r living in bit of an aviation bubble i you think flying into Kai Tak and "inventing long haul" is unique and worthy of special treatments.
While you were flying I.L.S's, some was doing non precision approaches with the same equipment, on a daily base. While calculating your long haul hours, some of us was going into uncontrolled airfields at night, landing on very limited fields.
If going into Kai Tak and long haul is the pinnacle of aviation in the 70's and 80's to you, you have truly been in the bubble.
It's not a hit at the salaries, but thinking you are a rock star flying into Hong Kong, only fooled the public for a short while.