I will add my input based on personally assisting/consulting almost 600 pilots from every conceivable flying background:
It is my honest belief (now) that no one really had it "harder" than anyone else. Each track to a professional flying career has its good and bad sides; each track has its challenges and rewards. You just can't draw a consistent comparison.
Each of my clients (and myself!) experienced the same "kinds" of negative and positive things on their route to a major airline career. The airplanes may have been different, the flying environments may have been different, the "companies" may have been different. But the experiences are often very similar in nature. Pilots from differing backgrounds are not as different as many folks like to believe.
As for who has an advantage in the job market: Like most things in life, being in the right place at the right time often supersedes everything else. You can be the greatest, most experienced pilot in the world, but you still need some breaks to get where you want in aviation. Sometimes that means having folks helping you get your foot in the door; sometimes that means hitting a hiring boom at the right time; sometimes that means interviewing at an airline that prefers your previous flying experience. I can tell you with absolute certainty that some folks recently turned down by an airline (SWA, jetBlue, Fed Ex -- take your pick) would have been hired two years ago. No doubt in my mind!
Is life fair? Rarely. Can you have the biggest effect on your career path? Absolutely! Will you accomplish your goals if you give up? Never!!
No matter where you end up, someone will always have it better than you. Someone will always be senior to you. You can be bitter about that, or you can do what is within your capability to improve yourself and appreciate what you've achieved. Of course, sometimes that is easier said than done. No one is perfect. And we all know that pilots have to bitch every now and then!!
Lastly, before I jump off my soapbox and run for cover, a pilot's background has very little to do with how good an airline pilot he eventually becomes. In my opinion, the best airline pilots are the ones who have a desire to continue learning and improving; the ones who don't think their sh*t doesn't stink; the ones who still enjoy flying airplanes; the ones who treat ALL fellow employees with respect and dignity. Background has virtually nothing to do with these things. It goes a lot deeper than that....
It is my honest belief (now) that no one really had it "harder" than anyone else. Each track to a professional flying career has its good and bad sides; each track has its challenges and rewards. You just can't draw a consistent comparison.
Each of my clients (and myself!) experienced the same "kinds" of negative and positive things on their route to a major airline career. The airplanes may have been different, the flying environments may have been different, the "companies" may have been different. But the experiences are often very similar in nature. Pilots from differing backgrounds are not as different as many folks like to believe.
As for who has an advantage in the job market: Like most things in life, being in the right place at the right time often supersedes everything else. You can be the greatest, most experienced pilot in the world, but you still need some breaks to get where you want in aviation. Sometimes that means having folks helping you get your foot in the door; sometimes that means hitting a hiring boom at the right time; sometimes that means interviewing at an airline that prefers your previous flying experience. I can tell you with absolute certainty that some folks recently turned down by an airline (SWA, jetBlue, Fed Ex -- take your pick) would have been hired two years ago. No doubt in my mind!
Is life fair? Rarely. Can you have the biggest effect on your career path? Absolutely! Will you accomplish your goals if you give up? Never!!
No matter where you end up, someone will always have it better than you. Someone will always be senior to you. You can be bitter about that, or you can do what is within your capability to improve yourself and appreciate what you've achieved. Of course, sometimes that is easier said than done. No one is perfect. And we all know that pilots have to bitch every now and then!!
Lastly, before I jump off my soapbox and run for cover, a pilot's background has very little to do with how good an airline pilot he eventually becomes. In my opinion, the best airline pilots are the ones who have a desire to continue learning and improving; the ones who don't think their sh*t doesn't stink; the ones who still enjoy flying airplanes; the ones who treat ALL fellow employees with respect and dignity. Background has virtually nothing to do with these things. It goes a lot deeper than that....
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