Friday 24th
 

A long day. Weary airline pilot picks up his trusty Parker to make another entry in the log book. Sighs……yes indeed, it is that time again, on Friday it will be August 24, 18 years since THAT day in THAT year. So much has happened, so many airlines, so many new and old friends, so many homes and of course so many hours in the beloved 777 which has kept him safe these long years.

Pilot reads PPrune….pilots hating pilots, pilots hating Jetstar, Qantas, Tiger, Virgin etc etc for no discernible reason. Still no single pilot union. Yet jobs everywhere in ways that could barely have been thought of 18 years ago.

Pilot sighs deeply. Since being invited not to be a part of the Australian airline scene 18 years ago unless he left his union, he has come to realize more deeply than ever that enthusiasm, professionalism and unity are the cornerstones of his world. With those three things all will work, without them, nothing else matters.

Pilot wonders whether there should be a “Dunnunda Good News” page on PPrune for those who are heartily sick of ignorant whingers who wouldn't know genuine hard times if they got bitten on the backside by one. Maybe. It is indeed just possible that Jetstar is not the complete embodiment of evil, that Branson is in fact a builder and a thinker, that Qantas is not riddled with a thousand corporate cancers, that Tiger will be good for the industry and create new jobs, that AIPA and the AFAP have lots of members and committee people actually doing their best. Its also possible that pilots should really go down a coal mine for a couple of days a year as part of their licence renewal, just to get their perspectives right.

Sigh….18 years….wouldn’t have swapped them for anything.

Hear, hear.

Perspective is a wonderful thing.

It's not ALL bad!

Doesn't time fly when you are having fun, best 18 yrs of my 46 in Aviation.
I have seen and done things beyond my wildest expectations prior to '89, flown bigger, faster and higher (FL510) than I could have imagined, it is almost worth thanking some portions of our Aviation community for encouraging the process upon the rest of us.
I shall have a beer, recall old friends past and regrettably some gone, and go and give someone a check ride in the Simulator in good spirits.

sui generus

and for the unknowing it loosly means

"could be seen to be different" and I resemble that

:ok::ok::ok:

Capt Sherm. A thoughtful post tinged with a modicum of perspective, common sense and humanity??

What the HELL are you doing in here???!!?!?!!!?;)

I hear there is a coal mine in Utah right now, you could send a few in to dig a bit, hopefully find their workmates!

SQ

Couldn't agree more.

As a colleague of mine use to say, "damn these diamonds are hurting my arse"

Now lets take some bets on how long before the inocuous thread title is discovered and it disolves into the usual sh!t slinging match.


V

Great idea - sadly I dont think it'll catch on. Whinging seems so addictive!:{

Vorsicht. Good post by Sherm, but if this thread goes down the usual track, expect Moderator intervention!

It's good to reminisce and contemplate one's achievements over the years, but history can't be changed.

Lets leave the animosity in the past.

Tail Wheel

i could not agree MORE.
i though i was set for life, before 1989. i was pushed onto another field, ended up retiring 3 years ago at 52 (financially secured). Most of the courageous people found they could do much better.
What i find MOST disturbing in this pages, the mayority of wingeing posters, are the pilots of the future. i rather be DRIVING.

Sherm, val, greybeard, squawk, kook et al as someone who was THE mod at the time trying to steer a steady course, 'twas a heady :uhoh: time indeed.

What I miss most is difference between the eloquent and educated debate from those directly affected and that from the arrivistes.

Who was right ? it seems from the below that there were "winners" from both sides.

If I had to come down on either side the "winners" had to be those who "lost". :\

Those who "won" have remained stuck in the Australian paradigm: good thing or bad depends on the perspective.

I think I know which way I would have jumped.

Doesn't matter, we do what we do and we have to live with the circs. ( too close to circumcision to me)

Either way life deals the cards and you play em as you see em.

We now live in a world where the sentiments of the the blow ins' reigns supreme, take what you can when you can and devil take the hindmost.

Was this inevitable or was that time a wake up to the "new" world.

If it was I'm glad that I'm a nanosecond away from picking up my doogs and going off to running a B & B somewhere, where I can pretend that life is really a worthwhile pursuit, as long as that lot dont steal the cutlery and fillings out of your teeth.

sui generis.

I've learnt and continue to do so, is total bulls hit, a priqk is a priqk is a priqk from either side. We all now know who is who in the zoo and we hope are mature enough to deal with them .

Tail Wheel et al

You are absolutely correct, history cannot be changed.

It is sad to see though, that the lessons of history are not being heeded, as we plunge deeper and deeper into the abyss.

What is it in our make up that requires us to relearn over and over again?

I'll have a couple of pints of that generis stuff thanks.
Maui

Happy Anniversary! 18 years has gone by pretty quickly.

I still like to remind a certain Captain his final words as we got off our last flight during the dispute - "this will blow over in a couple of days"

I would like to remind a certain person who said.."This will all be over by Christmas":)

Sherm,

Couldn't have said it better myself. Well done!!!! :ok::ok::ok:

gaunty. Whatever happened to that 10 year anniversary thread? Am lead to believe it was archived somewhere in a vault. There was a lot of vitriol, in fact I am sure it was one of the pivotal turning points in the way many posted on pprune, but bearing that in mind there was much that was "good" written within the (gawd knows how many) pages.

In my best Forrest Gump voice: "Was you Lieutenant Daannnnn?" :eek::eek::eek: ;)

rossilinni
 

Do you guys honestly expect any sympathay.

The industry in 89 was a sheltered government duopoly - fat , cosy , subsidised , expensive to travel. The public was delighted at the strong stance Hawke took and wanted to see the back of the pilots ASAP.

Along with all other airline workers the pilots were overpaid for their skill set. Not much flying big paychecks great perks - much like the conditions QF CC managed to hang onto for too long.

Get over yourself guys it takes 16 months to take a Uni or School leaver and have them sitting in a 737 - BA and Luftansa have proven that. It is a trade not a profession - be proud of what you are - but don't put yourself in the same league as medicos , lawyers , degree engineers. Lets face it very very few pilots would have cracked med school.

And very few medicos would have cracked pilot training - diferent skills required.

"Lets face it very very few pilots would have cracked med school"

I don't think that is true!

"And very few medicos would have cracked pilot training"

and that even less so!

...... but its a pretty senseless debate!

When I step aboard an airliner, I expect the people occupying rows 0A and 0B to be smart, knowledgeable, highly trained and have the inate sense of what is or what should be that only "experience" brings ...... and they should be paid appropriately for the job they do and the level of responsibility they have.

In the past, some levels have been overpaid, but when our gardeners are paid more that FO's on 2nd level RPT, things have clearly swung too far to the other extreme.

Dr :cool:

Had to happen..post 16 and smeone is trying to start sending this thread down...........:ugh:

Well I would bet that at least 85% of medicos could become airline pilots - do you think they would regard ATPLs as any sort of challenge- it is kindergarden stuff boys.

What % of pilots could become medicos - clearly less than 1% - it is just that little requirement - called finishing in the top 1% of your state to gain a spot at med school.

Agree that many regional pilots are presently underpaid no argument from me there.