What would you do?

[Wingsonfire]

Alrite guys, lets be frank out here. Having influence, paying big sum of money to get what one wants has been happening since many years (In every field, not just aviation). One of the threads, the initiator quoted having bag full of money and wanting a job and almost everyone went against him.

Times are bad for aviators, there are many unemployed pilots (4500+ ?). All aren't going to get a job in the near future, that's one sure thing. Everybody has tried hard on their own terms to get a job, applying to various airlines, giving entrance exams etc. Well, only a few have been successful. Like other fields, if you score less or do reasonably well you get placed somewhere, if not the best then with some average employer. But that ain't happening in aviation.

What I want to know is, if you have bag full of money, if you know big guys around and you or your dad is willing to spend to get a job, won't you do it? Will you still get in the line behind everyone. I don't think so. Its not that X or Y hasn't worked hard to get his/her license. He might have tried his level best, but someone is always better.

It happens every where, in every field. There are paid seats in colleges too, if you have influence, if you have money and if you think you can work hard and do justice to this job, go ahead by all means. I am not against it. Its strange, people from aviation industry keep complaining about this issue which happens everywhere. What is your take?

[jimmygill]

If you cannot get the job done by 'normal' honest means. By all mean pay and get the job done.

Its not your primary duty to erect a honest system, your primary duty is to yourself.

If being moral in Kantian way removes your chances of being a pilot. By all means reject Kant and go for what you want.

[CaptGodfather]

Well, I agree on that.
Everybody tries their level best to achieve what they want and the same happens in Aviation too. Although aviation is not that vast industry as others so things seem to be unfair but all this happens almost everywhere from playing cricket to cleaning hotel rooms to flying an A/C.

Just live with it.

[Massey058]

Its horribly sad how defeatist it seems so many pilots are and how willing they are to get stuck in and destroy the industry.

It's not about 'hollywood' dollars or Kantian philosophy but about fair terms and conditions commensurate with the job. Sure the metrics are difficult at times because many pilots will enjoy a career without any singificant emergencies, incidents or accidents. But the 'happy place' where the industry has arrived in concert with advanced technology is at danger because too many people are starting to treat commercial aviation as a hobby where fees to engage in said hobby are paid to airlines who have started to think of pilots as sitting in yield producing seats. :yuk:

In many countries there have always been more potential pilots than there are jobs, my home country is a perfect example of that. It can be and for the most part is a wonderful occupation but it is just that, a job.

Times may be bad for aviators who are out of work but there are many parallels in other industries as well where hard times and/or vast restructuring have purged jobs - Freezing works, dock yards, telecommunications, railways, the list goes on and on. Where are the parallels to aviation that large numbers of people in these industries go on to pay significant amounts of money relative to initial salary for another job? People re-qualify into other industries and I am not saying there is an issue for paying for your initial pre-employment training (that is an accepted standard across many technical and professional industries).

I have readily acknowledged that I may never fly anything more than turbo-props. If I cannot gain employment on larger aircraft with a respectable operator who does not require you to pay for your job then I'm probably not meant to be there. Meanwhile as a fare-paying passenger I never book myself on flights operated by airlines that have guys upfront who have contributed to the destruction of an otherwise great profession.

You can't just go through life be willing to sell your grandmother down the road at a moments notice.

If you are going to pay for a job then you have to reap what you sow. Complaints from the people who have purchased hours with Eagle Jet are laughable, nothing that has been written comes as a surprise to anyone who has ever done casual research. To a lesser extent the same can be said for JetStar, many people saw what was happening long before the JetStar brand came out but desperate people jumped on board saying it won't be that bad. Down the road some of those people then started complaining about what is befalling the industry. :ugh: Yet some of them seem to feel ripped off and cheated. Perhaps karma does exist after all?

[jimmygill]

How can one be sure that if he/she doesn't pay for that seat, someone better than him/her is going to be on that seat?


BTW we are not talking about eagle jet here, we are talking about how to make sure one passes all the stage in 9W selection process for example, after selection the pilot will be paid full salary, if that is any consolation to you eagle jet beaters.

Its not a pay to fly, its pay to get in.

[elac2]

Just a simple question. How many CPL/ATPL holders are there in the world? Not retired or lapsed but current? Not trying to raise an argument but interesting to see peoples thoughts against all the information about numbers of pilots posted on forums.

elac2

[jimmygill]

Approx 9000 CPL and 4000 ATPL in India.

[aditya104]

@wingsonfire if XYZ has money, influence. He will be called dumb if he joins the line to get in. But if he is really dumb(knowledge/flying), then he will b called dumb when he gets in. So as long as one is ready to use the influence/money to get a job and be a sincere pilot when on the job, I don't have a problem.

Approx 9000 CPL and 4000 ATPL in India.
Any source of this info?

[jimmygill]

Any source of this info?

I am the source and authority on that rumor.

[rohandatta277]

@ jimmygill

I love the way how u treat professional pilot RUMOR network as RUMORS only !! :D:D