How to Earn Respect as an Airline Pilot

[cal73cap]

1. Wear your uniform proudly, even if you don't like
your company. This includes the uniform hat if
required.

2. Don't talk badly about your company in the
public, if you like to complain, do it in private!

3. When people ask is your job easy respond with a
"no" and inform them it takes years of training.
Let them know you ARE responsible for their lives
when they are on board your flight.

4. Take a look at pictures from the 1970's of what
airline pilots looked like. This is what we should
be emulating.

5. Don't sit at the gate and yawn in public. If you
are tired stay in the crew room and rest until
your flight.

6. Try not to become a fat slob. Stay in shape and
look the part of a professional!

I know some will respond with hate for the statements above, but this is why I always viewed the airline pilots I saw as Gods. The Pan Am Clipper pilots taxiing their brand new 747s into the gates at JFK, absolutely awesome. We are the ones that make our jobs seem insignificant to the public. Don't let this happen, that is why they don't respect us.

Earn the respect of the pulblic and you will also earn the respect of management!

 

[Superpilot92]

Nice Post!! I agree

 

[FurloughedAgain]

As a former airline pilot (and now one of your paying customers) I agree with the above 110% -- even if #6 stings a little bit!

Things that I might not have noticed as a crewmember are very apparent to me as an airline customer. I definitely notice when flightcrew are not wearing their hats for example. Now I dont know if a hat is a requirement or not, I just think the striped jacket looks somewhat odd without it.

I notice if a pilots shoes are not polished. I don't know WHY I notice that, but it sticks out like a sore thumb.

I notice PA announcements. Please think before you speak in order to avoid pregnant pauses and "uh...um...uh". Try and get the name of the city you are flying to correct so as not to offend those who live there.

I notice FA behavior - especially those who race through the cabin in the first 10 minutes of the flight slinging drinks and then sits in a passenger seat reading the newspaper for the next 90 minutes.

It's really the little things that mean a lot to me. If a member of the flight crew stands at the door and says, "Thank you for your business." to me as I leave I feel pretty good about the product I've purchased.

By the way - what happened to the JAPA website?

 

[Dumb Pilot]

The generation of pilots that parked their new PanAm 747's at JFK back in the day, came from flying DC-6's and this career was forged by them with lots of work and dedication, nothing was "given" to them. Today's generation pays for training and 10 years into the career they are "entitled" (according to them) to a command at a major and at 3000 hours consider themselves "Experienced"

I respect and appreciate the spirit of the post though

 

[Bjammin]

Great post and agree 100%!

Who you are and the responsibilties you have does not deminish because the airline you work for may suck or because of pay cuts. Don't let your professionalism follow suit.

 

[~~~^~~~]

Odd, but true, observation. I used to wear a leather jacket (which personally I like for its utility) as part of my uniform.

Now with a wool jacket and strickly enforced hat policy I've noticed passengers are much friendlier and pass by other pilots to converse. The difference in perception is not backed up by any change other than the uniform. The other (good, or not so good) change is the realization the airport concourse is your stage; people watch and admire, or watch in disgust. It isn't my nature to act like Celine Dion in Vegas, but a little smiling at kids, a friendly word, and helping folks figure out where the escalators are goes a long way.

 

[Bavarian Chef]

Odd, but true, observation. I used to wear a leather jacket (which personally I like for its utility) as part of my uniform.

Now with a wool jacket and strickly enforced hat policy I've noticed passengers are much friendlier and pass by other pilots to converse. The difference in perception is not backed up by any change other than the uniform. The other (good, or not so good) change is the realization the airport concourse is your stage; people watch and admire, or watch in disgust. It isn't my nature to act like Celine Dion in Vegas, but a little smiling at kids, a friendly word, and helping folks figure out where the escalators are goes a long way.

It's mutual disgust then. I absolutely dislike most of the flying public because of this job. They dress poorly, they often smell, they are rude and sometimes violent. Oh -- and f'in fat and imbued with a undeserved sense of entitlement. It's as if a Western Sizzlin' just walked on to the airplane.

 

[GFunk20]

This write-up needs to be given to all Mesa pilot classes.

 

[skydash]

I earn INSTANT respect whenever I am greeting customers as they enter the plane.Here's a video of me and my first officer!! Works every time!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8NOxoZ3rZc

 

[Occam's Razor]

It's mutual disgust then. I absolutely dislike most of the flying public because of this job. They dress poorly, they often smell, they are rude and sometimes violent. Oh -- and f'in fat and imbued with a undeserved sense of entitlement. It's as if a Western Sizzlin' just walked on to the airplane.

Wow!

Really?

If so...that's sad on many levels, even if "disgust" is hyperbole.

Neither my passengers nor my management affects the way I view my profession or myself as a professional pilot. I'm an airline pilot, so I look and act like one. Period.