Folks, 9 to 5 is a myth in this day and age. I work as a s/w engineer for a US multinational and 9 to 9 is often as short as the day gets with plenty of unplanned weekends worked when things go pear-shaped. Oh and be prepared to be put on a plane to a customer site at the other side of the world for an indeterminate stay at a days notice too. My co-workers are dropping like flies with stress related time off, illness or just plain leaving to get a lower paid job with fewer hours and you guys get paid better than we do. And no, they don't feed us either.

I'm very tempted to fork out for my own type rating and join ryanair. It couldn't be worse than what I do now. Definitely less hours and more money.

Good luck! Don't say you were not warned... Maybe you see it more clearly when you have your 2004 christmas in a bed & breakfast room outside Hahn airport - selfsponsored ofcourse!

Visual,

I notice you've chosen not to answer my questions and continue ranting.

I also note you consider anyone with a similar view point "clear thinking" and anyone who disagrees with you an idiot, or "wearing rose glasses'

Very respectful, thankyou.

and I have noticed you focus on personal issues rather than the big view. Forget about my details here, I respect your views that things could be worse than working as an average pilot, which is right - but that does not justify the way pilots are treated in many airlines today.

Oh and i like wearing blazers with hoops on them.;)

It all sounds like a load of "grass is greaner" to me.. Some good points raised by many contibutors though..

Times are tough for all, from the company who won the tender to empty your bins to the largest companies across the globle. They all have very little space to move.

9 to 5 has long gone, they all want blood and more, no matter what task you are performing, in whatever industry. It's not very nice and I really do find it hard sometimes, especially working with really bad T&C's for the last few years in some jobs I have dearly hated.

But what really are the other options?? No one can really answer I don't think, it seems that many careers are now not what they used to be and have seen a decline in job satisfaction and T&C's.

The fact is they are mostly all the same (employers).. Require 110%, give back= Little as possible.

Until I find a industry that doesn't take the pi$$ and has good T&C's, I'm going flying......


OTB

To Lemoncurd and other wannabes.

If you want to know whether you really want to be a pilot then read Pilot Pete's story of becoming a pilot and see how you feel. If that doesn't inspire you then not much will.

In addition, the lads next door to me were the last cadets to go through BA's pilot sponsorship programme. They love their job and wouldn't give it up for anything. This is despite having no bidding power, no pension, I have never seen them home on a weekend and having to hold before final approach to LHR. They are, however, in their first year of flying!!!

It may be wiser to gage opinion from experienced FO's SFO's and Captains. However, beware of professionals above the age of,approximatly, 50. Professionls tend to start really moaning at this point. Mid life crisis, is isn't what it used to be, there's no light at the end of the tunnel:} No offence intended;)

All the BA cadets have a final salary pension. Their ability to bid for work will increase dramatically in the next few months as new entrants join!


Lots of debate about the job. Please read Fate is the Hunter, the job is constantly changing. In future years aircraft will get bigger and the responsibilty will increase. The people who insure aircraft will insist that those in charge are the "right types". In the long term I can only see pay and conditions going one way. Amazingly that is up. Unfortunately that will take 5 to 10 years and by then the only flying I shall be doing is in the most expensive passenger seat that I can wrangle at check-in. It will be a case of supply and demand. Nobody is training pilots these days and the armed forces are shrinking.

But the bottom line is you either have the bug or you don't. If you have the bug then there is little that you can do because there is only one job that will satisfy you. It's not about the pay, it's not about the hotels, the responsibilty, seeing other countries etc etc. It's about how you feel when the wind is a howling, the rain is crashing into the windscreen and the engines are groaning in protest at the sudden changes in demand you are making. It's about how you feel when you cut the power with one hand, flare the aircraft with the other and kick it straight with your feet. It's about the feel of the decelaration as the brakes clamp onto the wheels and the sound of the reversers howling as 200 tonnes of aircraft slow down with rain and spray everywhere whilst you try to make out the fast turnoff. It's about looking to your right and seeing from the First Officer how relieved he is to be back on the ground. It's the feeling of the blood and adrenalin that now freely pumps round your body as you can finally relax.

If only it was just about the money, life would be very simple.

Really?

Mooney12,

I think Justbelowcap meant the airlines themselves, as a general rule i.e. their is precious little good old-fashioned sponsorship around. Obviously there'll always be FTOs who will happily take people's custom for pilot training but I don't think this is who Justbelowcap was referring to. Read "nobody" as "the chaps who will eventually pay you a salary" :O

I think Justbelowcap makes good points....that or I like hearing optimistic comments like his!

V1R