Forbes article on pilots...

[Captzaahlie]

Sounds good, I'll take a cup too.

 

[Baze]

It _is_ good. Next time you're in Kona, look for the Pele Estate dark or medium roast coffee. You may also get some coffee from Country Samurai. I still prefer Pele Estate's coffee.

 

[cynic]

What a load of crap. Getting a private pilot's license requires the intellectual capability of maybe a 9th or 10th grader. It does require some coordination, common sense and intelligence but no more than what is required to be a nurse or something like that.

The barrier to entry is that is costs a crap ton of money and entry level jobs pay very little. In addition, if you pick the wrong airline you are screwed and have to start all over at the bottom when they go out of business.

I have a commercial and CFI. I keep thinking about getting my ATP for fun but that is another thread and let me say this. It is much easier to fly a jet and input data to an FMS than it is to write a complex computer program.

The future of aviation is... wait for it... wait for it... I can see the future....


Ticket prices are going up. The number of airlines / flights is going down. Pilot wages will stagnate right where they are now. Fewer people will be flying and corporate flying will not be making a come back any time soon either.

That's why I program computers. I get paid 100K a year. And that is in the South! I get 5 weeks of vacation and 5 weeks of sick time and I go to the gym for an hour at lunch every day.

I like flying airplanes a whole lot more but darned if I could find a job that wasn't ********************ty

 

[Captzaahlie]

It _is_ good. Next time you're in Kona, look for the Pele Estate dark or medium roast coffee. You may also get some coffee from Country Samurai. I still prefer Pele Estate's coffee.

my inlaws brought some back , you are right it rocks....

 

[Baze]

Cynic,

You made some valid points in your post. But, since you chose to write this,

I have a commercial and CFI. I keep thinking about getting my ATP for fun but that is another thread and let me say this. It is much easier to fly a jet and input data to an FMS than it is to write a complex computer program.

I'm going to go pop some popcorn and get in my recliner. I predict at least 5 pages for this thread now.

 

[pilotyip]

College has nothing to do with the ability to fly an airplane

What a load of crap. Getting a private pilot's license requires the intellectual capability of maybe a 9th or 10th grader. It does require some coordination, common sense and intelligence but no more than what is required to be a nurse or something like that.

Back to the begining, there are many college degrees that you can get a degree from that will not challenge you beyond your supposed 9th 10th grade level. Remember WWII, the sky was filled with mostly high school grads and they did a great job.

 

[Traderd]

That's why I program computers. I get paid 100K a year. And that is in the South! I get 5 weeks of vacation and 5 weeks of sick time and I go to the gym for an hour at lunch every day.

I like flying airplanes a whole lot more but darned if I could find a job that wasn't ********************ty

Serious question. How is it your functions have not been outsourced to India or some such place? Is outsourcing a threat to your position? If not, congratulations and more power to you. Wish it were the case for a lot more US jobs.

I ask because I have some personal experience with developers in the south who have recently taken that hit.

I don't think anyone seriously considers the obtainment of a PPL to be one of life's great challenges. Recall it was a woman who wrote the article. Maybe she looks like "Aunt Bea?" (just dated myself big time with that reference)

 

[cynic]

In my case, I work for a very large university and it would be difficult to outsource the custom applications development required to process 1/2 billion in financial aid and student payment, online course registration, etc...

You really need workers on site to do that.

And yes... Coding in C++/Perl/Java/C Sharp is more complicated than putting a hold into an FMS. I'd be surprised if anyone would argue with that

 

[Baze]

In my case, I work for a very large university and it would be difficult to outsource the custom applications development required to process 1/2 billion in financial aid and student payment, online course registration, etc...

You really need workers on site to do that.

And yes... Coding in C++/Perl/Java/C Sharp is more complicated than putting a hold into an FMS. I'd be surprised if anyone would argue with that

I'm not arguing that at all. As a matter of fact, I was a software engineer before I switched careers. I absolutely hated coding & compiling and being in an office all day long, but I digress.

My point is that it takes a lot more than just punching routes & altitudes into the FMS to fly an airliner. That is, if you want to be a professional and do the job right.

As for the issue of somehow highly educated & intellectual people having no problems with taking flying lessons and earning their PPL... I was a flight instructor and my best stick and rudder student was a 17-year-old. I had a few other students who were highly educated and academically accomplished (software engineer @ Microsoft, a CPA, etc.) and these were the guys who struggled with the flying. One thing is for sure, though, they were great at hitting the books.

 

[waveflyer]

Yeah- it sounds like Cynic's tried to flame in the 1st post- but doubt anyone will take much exception to it-
I know for a fact every engineer works harder than me-
I know for a fact every construction worker WORKS harder-

but I was also a flight instructor and dabble in it now- I know for a fact that not everyone could or would choose to do my job- it's like a lesser version of the guys sitting around the tv yelling at how some pro athlete sucks- there are a lot of people who think they can do my job- and they might be right-

But doing it- day in and day out - and doing what you have to do to get my job- is a lot different than just believing you can.

And at your particular job- No one dies if you mess it up-

That only sounds dramatic until a friend and good pilot flies west- none of us that do the job are scared of that- but we're under no illusions about it either-
it's why major airline pilots give so much respect to the mil&commuter/cargo pilots coming up- bc they know what these pilots do everyday fighting for their country or their career