Things you wish you knew

[na4life]

Hey folks,

Trying to put together a list of things every airline pilot wished they knew when they got into this gig. Feel free to send everything from how to spend that enormous first check, where to live, commuting tips, uniform tips, luggage tips, fitness tips, and food tips, whatever. I just ask that you all be professional. I am truly interested in putting the ideas together to help future pilots.
Feel free to email me

[email protected].

Thanks,
NA

 

[Terrain Terrain]

broke up with my girlfriend, instead of draging it out for a year.

 

[Prop2Jet]

Wish I knew how poorly I would be treated by some pilots, some schedulers, and some passengers. It is just ashame.

 

[YourPilotFriend]

Thought most F/A's were under the age of 60.

 

[ceo_of_the_sofa]

Start early and keep at it. This is a young man's game.

 

[Terry Hunter]

That Captain has an insecurity problem.

 

[pilotdiscretion]

Thought most F/A's were under the age of 60.

I thought most flight attendants would be under 160 lbs.

 

[$$$4nothin]

Dont buy 2 long sleeve shirts because some fat drunk Irishman measureing me told me I would need them.

 

[Longhorn]

No matter how good you do from the right seat, you will never get credit for it from the pax.

Saying goodbye after my leg
pax looks at me and says,

"tell the pilot he did a good job"

Sigh!!

 

[SuperKooter]

Dont buy 2 long sleeve shirts because some fat drunk Irishman measureing me told me I would need them.

The words, ‘Fat’ and ‘Drunk’ in front of Irishman is redundant. You can just say Irishman and we will get the picture.

 

[huncowboy]

www.flightinfo.com yeah right...

 

[ReportCanoa]

Wish I had known to 'ignore' SuperCooter a little earlier.

 

[belchfire]

I wish I knew what I know now when I was 16...

 

[Whataburger]

I wish I would have known to buy Starbucks, Ebay, and Microsoft stock.

 

[Quack]

Shoulda stayed at that trucker's school...

 

[Gofish]

1. Starting pay for a train engineer is 60,000 dollars. I might have considered going to railroad school had I known this.

2. There is no depths to the greed and malice of airline management.

 

[Soverytired]

Plan the next 5-10 years of your life assuming you'll be gone from home 5 out of 7 days of the week.

And that won't be the SAME 2 days off each week . . .that will change in seemingly random fashion.

Think about what this will do to your:

Social calendar
Marital bliss
Kids
Pursuit of hobbies
Pets . . . forgetta-bout-it. (maybe a cat . . but what's the point?)
Yardwork . . . K.I.S.S.

 

[CrownandCoke]

known that scheduling would suck and knew our contract better...

 

[JettBoii]

wish I would have taken those two drunk women up on their offer...sigh

 

[SBD]

Should have gotten into the Crack game.

 

[Stifler's Mom]

...that the airline industry would go from what it was...to what it is.

 

[Terry Hunter]

I wish I knew what I know now when I was 16...

I wish I knew now what I knew when I was 16!

Thank goodness for the history channel and google for help.

 

[f/o(forever)]

You will have to do everyone else's job in addition to your own.

The actions of others have your safety at hand, so be aware of everything people around you are doing.

Remember that the people working your flight are not required to read speak and understand the English language as you are, and the are likely to be paid just slightly above min wage.

People working your flight probably do not have all the training they should, it's too expensive.

 

[NuGuy]

You will have to do everyone else's job in addition to your own.

The actions of others have your safety at hand, so be aware of everything people around you are doing.

Remember that the people working your flight are not required to read speak and understand the English language as you are, and the are likely to be paid just slightly above min wage.

People working your flight probably do not have all the training they should, it's too expensive.

And you forgot to add "when they fcuk up, no matter where you were, what you were doing, or how far removed from the situation you were located, you will be to blame".

I look back at all the time in my life that was wasted by this industry...the time spent in crappy hotels, time spent in line for TO or being vectored to final, the time spent waiting for the hotel van or the employee bus, the time spent moving from place to place...every litte way this crappy industry wastes your life away...

If I had that time back, it would be like gold in my hand.

I, for one, am done with it.

Nu