Unimpressed by pilots
 

When/how did we loose the respect and appeal of being a pilot :confused:?
I remember going to flying school and having so much respect for the crew of the aircraft and going into the cockpit and having this awe-struck look on my face. I recently had a kid in the flight deck (on ground engines off) and all he could think of was the fact we had to sit there all the time he was sleeping. Have we lost the appeal this job had?
Anyone had a recent experience where you were introduced as a pilot and the other person went WOW.
FLY SAFE :ok:

NIJASEA,
The 'wow' factor that used to surround being a pilot is history!
This world has evolved into one that is Capital based and hard work is left to this who believe they have consciences.
I say this looking at other professions where less work is put in and more money earned.
Needless to say, Pilots have now become Instrument Managers and rarely actually fly the airplanes in the real world.
Take a look at jobs in I.T. for instance? I have a friend here who works 3 days a week, and 2 at home doing absolutely nothing and maybe 4 hours on each of these 3 days and takes home £13K at the end of the month.
Another, a Personal injury Lawyer, in court twice a week and walks home with a whooping £15K.
I would say wow to that!
I wouldn't be hailing the man who flies all over the world, putting his family life in jeopardy, and taking home £5-K monthly and thinking he has truly achieved something.
Then again, thats only an opinion.
Unfortunately, we no longer are the ones who create wonder amongst the youth of today.
Have a conversation with anyone (not a pilot) who is proficient on Flight-Sim 2008, you will be amazed at their knowledge levels; this includes my 9 year old step-son.:oh:
Thats just the way life has gone; sorry!:ouch::ok::}

From NIJASEA : "When/how did we loose the respect and appeal of being a pilot ?"

I think it has been ever since we could not tell the difference between lose and loose!:ok:

Good point,

The respect and appeal of being a pilot got chucked out the window the day that the first airline crew allowed themselves to be bullied into removing their shoes and belt in full public view by some imbecilic, semi-literate, pimpled adolescent security person, in the name of safety.

While we as pilots were collectively dissecting our company SOP’s, arguing air law, and attending union meetings or yet another damn crm/sept/first aid course or just stabbing each other in the back as we climbed the seniority ladder, we allowed the dignity of our profession to be completely shat upon by the technocrats and politicians that we now allow, to hold sway over our collective lives and careers.

We have allowed the most junior accountants in our airlines to have more authority and respect than the most senior captains in the company. We have allowed the pen pushers, administrators and other jam-stealers of aviation (who generally would be unable to distinguish a Tiger-Moth from a space shuttle), to dictate the terms of our own profession to us.

Our generation of pilots have allowed ourselves to be coerced into agreeing with the uninformed opinions of the left wing liberal politico technocrats who think that a pilot with nail clippers in his pockets poses a threat to the safety of his aircraft.

The respect of our profession gets kicked in the gonads every time those pimply faced **** security people make a pilot parade numerous times through the security machine in full view of the flying public, with his shoes and belt removed while trying to prevent his trousers from falling down to his ankles.

The saddest thing is that we have collectively allowed this to happen.

:mad::mad:

I think anyone who was on board "Captain Sully's" bird, would dissagree. In fact anyone who watched that bit of flying would give such pilots the keys to their daughters chastity belts. I guess technology has made flying "easier" as opposed to the "older generation" flying by the seat of their pants. Perhaps one of the "problems" is that all pilots LOVE to fly as opposed to all IT nerds "loving" their sometimes boring jobs - bet you many such "nerds" would love to fly "real aeries" as opposed to their screens and keyboards. AND, not all IT nerds and lawyers earn the kind of cash you are advocating. Most lawyers I know work ****ty hours and put up with megacrap from clients. Same goes for IT bods - I am one of these - we work long hours and also have to put up with client and management stress. As for me, I would forgo an undiluted orgy with Miss Universe to be able to move from my screen/keyboard cockpit to the Real McCoy.

At least "you stick 'n rudder jocks" have one fan - me (for what it's worth). PS - my next flight is from FAJS to FADN on Sunday 15 March (evening) via BA - so I expect an invite to the "front seats" so I can blaze away with my trusty Canon 350D and have said "fruits of my hobby" published in Jetphotos !!!!!!!!!!! Then it's FADN to FAPE to FACT and then back home.:ok:

I think it's unfair to say that we have completely lost the respect and appeal that surrounded the job in the early days of aviation.

Yes the traveling public see pilots and airplanes as more commonplace these days and they have every right to given that air travel is now within reach of most if not all social classes (I speak for Europe). However I have come across people who are genuinely intrigued by my profession, as well as kids who stand frozen on the flight deck with eyes wide open.

It still happens in todays World, it's by no means a "run of the mill" occupation by any stretch and that in itself is a point of interest for most people.

Anyways I doubt many of us got into the profession to have people kneel before us and sing our praises, I got into the profession cause I love flying. And whilst to a degree you are a systems/instruments manager, ultimately you are still flying and charged with the responsibility of 100's of people in a hostile environment - I'm sure Capt Sully would agree. Through training, LPC's/OPC's, tech refreshers, etc I find more and more pilots "dumb down" the job cause thats now what they have become used too. You still get a buzz from a fluid approach/CDA and landing, come on we all do - I'm a child at heart and I love it. I can guarantee you my lawyer/IT professional friends don't get the same satisfaction from their careers....

On that note, the salaries quoted for those professions are at the top of the scale, the very top! I'm sure you could find some flight deck earning similar amounts in various parts of the World.

I still enjoy the pilot lifestyle. I don't really see it as going to work. while my mates are in the office, I am either flying or sailing my yaught. I cant think of a better lifestyle

Apart from all the reasons stated above, the biggest destroyer of that "specialness" you talk about, is that these days the only difference between a pilot and the man on the street - is the size of his wallet.

Long gone are the days when skill, ability and competency were required.

Flying burns down to experience and good training - it is definatly not rocket science. I personally don't give a :mad: about what average Joe thinks of my profession and I also don't have to boost my ego with public opinion. To be honest I even think the times when pilots where treated like gods of the skies where totally overrated. Both extremes are due to ignorance. Those people that are in the loop will surely respect our jobs realistically.

People working in maintainance, operations, baggage loaders etc who also work in our environment and the men and woman our safety depends on also deserve equal respect of making safe aviation possible.

Just to pose a different view on the subject.

It's because we don't wear big sparkly hats any more...

I think it is all perception, which of course is reality. If you know something about aviation, you appreciate the skills and training required of a pilot. People outside of aviation often say some dumb things, like Duchess Fergie saying she was going "to take helicopter lessons" (like a piano??)

And when I used to look through the (no longer) open flight deck door of a commuter plane and the see the pilot-not-flying with a newspaper spread out over the panel, my reaction was:

"Hell, yes, enjoy the paper because I know when the stuff hits the fan, you will be 200% focussed on working the problem, with all those hours of experience and sim training kicking in".

But maybe an uninformed passenger would see it less favourably?

G'day Siguarda. Yup, we're not called contract whores for nothing.:}

I can absorb a lot of crap for a comfortably padded pay check.:ok:

And you believe the "man on the street" does not have any of the above ? The size of the wallet is directly influenced by two things:

1: If you want to live like a king, you have to work like a slave.
2: The more "skill, ability and competency" you have together with Point 1 = Mega KING salary.

Go figure :=

Maybe it will start being a profession again when we regain enough respect to refuse to fly with any dreaming wanabee who's willing to fly for food... and insist that fares are increased to ensure that pilots receive a salary that reflects a professionals status....

Oh yes... by the way... I've heard that the sun will rise in the west tomorrow.

From the prespective of a brand new commercial pilot, I get way more respect then I should :) Many people love not just the idea of flying and the dangers it involves (which are far less than they think), but many love the idea of making sacrafices to follow a dream. How many people can say they are excited to wake up in the morning and start their day!

Ooh please! Sorry if you dont get the salute from the firm thighed hosties you used to get! Or being called Sir or Captain from the poor engineer who studied harder and has heaps more knowledge about your aircraft and many others like it than you do!

What a lot of conceited crap! The job always had an egocentric edge to it especially with flag carrier crews like the red rat or BA.

"wow" To The Pilot
 

Hello,
If You Are Looking For A Wow In This World As A Pilot You Are Time Bad.
No More Heroes In Flying.even Young Kids Are Flying Sim On There Computers At Home.

Just Give Yourelf A Wow If You Fly Out Safely ,in Remote Africa From Bush Airfields And Do Not Knock Any Over 50 Ft Obstacles.

RobinB, if you honestly believe that anyone off the street automatically has the acumen, and aptitude to be a safe pilot - you have a lot to learn.

Why do you think Psych testing plays a bigger role than perceived flying skill in most air forces and airlines of the world?

Just Give Yourelf A Wow If You Fly Out Safely ,in Remote Africa From Bush Airfields And Do Not Knock Any Over 50 Ft Obstacles.

Or carve up a few goats or bystanders in the process of getting in and out of those remote airfields!!:ok: