How to Earn Respect as an Airline Pilot

[HA25]

In order to work for the airlines in the good old days, you were required to have 20/20 vision uncorrected, pass much stricter physical's, prior military experience, etc. The doors have been opened to anyone with a pulse who can pay for their ratings. Naturally the pool of qualified people will become polluted and the "profession" will as well.

And in those days you had to be a great airman with situational awareness skill, strong spacial skill and sharp instrument skills while flying needle and ball, with the occasional VHF or AM nav-aid.

Today, it's video game screens, moving maps and FMS/RNAV navigation.. this is frankly why you see 23 year old zit faced kids and little girls flying RJ's at all the regionals.. and then with in a few years on an A320 or 737NG at your local major.

 

[HA25]

with regards to this statement... If you like the orginal post... then consider the ALPA Code of Ethics..... The golden days are of the Ethics...

...I would argue that you sometimes cross this line


• He will not publish articles, give interviews, or permit his name to be used in any manner likely to bring discredit to another pilot, the airline industry, the profession, or ALPA.

Your Skybus and Virgin posts come to mind; substitute the word articles for posts, and name for screen name.

 

[waveflyer]

And in those days you had to be a great airman with situational awareness skill, strong spacial skill and sharp instrument skills while flying needle and ball, with the occasional VHF or AM nav-aid.

Today, it's video game screens, moving maps and FMS/RNAV navigation.. this is frankly why you see 23 year old zit faced kids and little girls flying RJ's at all the regionals.. and then with in a few years on an A320 or 737NG at your local major.

yet it's funny that if video games were so easy- why are those zit faced 23 year olds breezing through training while older folks struggle.

There's an argument that the Gen Xers are the best pilots - b/c we learned w/ needles and pointers and built our first experience in turboprops- but still grew up w/ Nintendo's and have no issues w/ the glass jets either.... but it's all crap--

Nothing replaces talent and a will to be good in this industry-- Nothing- especially not technology.

I'm sorry that some of you feel that you are better 'qualified' b/c you had 20/20 vision as a young adult.
But deep down you know this isn't the problem.
The problem is that our seniority system gives us very little control over our careers- and human beings are not programmed to deal well w/ having very little control. Read up on Self-Determination Theory if you don't believe me....

 

[xrated]

Yes I did. Being hired by a major airline back then was like getting the Oscar for a movie role. Few were handed out, or earned, and that airline job seemed elusive to me. When those Pan Am pilots walked off that airplane I felt they were the luckiest people in the world. That beautiful airplane they flew, their pressed uniforms and polished shoes, the money they made. They were Gods. I was only 13 at that time but it made a lasting impression. Now, I don't counsel my young First Officers on wearing their uniform with pride, I hope they do and I am sometimes saddened by their lack of professionalism in the way they look, definitely not in the way they fly-they are all professional when it comes to that.

So look the part, play the part and earn the respect of your passengers, (who cares if they are from the trailer park- their money is just as green) and when it comes time to renegotiate that new contract, maybe management will respect you that much more.

Have you been in a coma for the last 25 years?

 

[xrated]

And in those days you had to be a great airman with situational awareness skill, strong spacial skill and sharp instrument skills while flying needle and ball, with the occasional VHF or AM nav-aid.

Today, it's video game screens, moving maps and FMS/RNAV navigation.. this is frankly why you see 23 year old zit faced kids and little girls flying RJ's at all the regionals.. and then with in a few years on an A320 or 737NG at your local major.

Very true but those "zit faced kids and little girls" are flying 10 times the passengers at 1/10th the accident rate of those "great airmen" of the past.

I guess technology is progress at a price.

-Disclaimer- My numbers above are to make a point and have not been researched as fact.

 

[fareview]

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!

Every now and then a nugget of a post comes along on this site which is the only reason we continue to come back.

Those who argue against your logic lack basic understanding of the consumer...an essential ingredient to an an airline's success.

Refreshing to see how many agree.

Bravo.

Respectfully,

fareview

 

[SERPICO]

And in those days you had to be a great airman with situational awareness skill, strong spacial skill and sharp instrument skills while flying needle and ball, with the occasional VHF or AM nav-aid.

Today, it's video game screens, moving maps and FMS/RNAV navigation.. this is frankly why you see 23 year old zit faced kids and little girls flying RJ's at all the regionals.. and then with in a few years on an A320 or 737NG at your local major.

Pilots today are different, not better, not worse, just different. Put a guy from the 40's in an RJ and they would not be able to start the thing. Put a 2nd year FO in a DC3, give them a sextant and say "take this thing across the pond" and you will get the same reaction.
I spent many hours learning about rhumb lines, great circles, time change, PNR's etc, etc but today is a new era where you might get a quick lesson on this stuff.
Kids as one of you has put, have been flying video screens in the military for a good couple of decades now. I also doubt that in light of recent times you will see kids going to the right seat of an A320 or 73 in a short amount of time. There are alot of type rated drivers who have ended up on the street recently.
People seem to think that professionalism consists of strutting through a terminal with your left hand on your nuts.
Here is a common quote from todays old timers "start em' both up AND leave the apu running" Way to go guys! Too many who work at companies that are still walking on thin ice continue to value their own position in this business above everyone else. As a result of this attitude the rest of the payroll has to suffer. That ain't the way to earn respect!

 

[waveflyer]

Respect comes from within. Manifests itself outwardly. I agree with this post... but the logic that links any of this to a financial boon to us is not reasoned well. Few of the passengers know or care what our pay is- how corrupt our ceo is- or how unfair the NMB can be- they don't care- they only know that we continue to show up and do our job for whatever we are earning... and if it wasn't enough- then why are we still showing up?

But money is respect in America. That's what's so ironic. The respect for our profession HAS gone down b/c we have chosen to sell out parts of our pilot group- not stand strong for each aviator and have accepted less for what we do. You talk to any business person- and they would laugh at the concessions we have taken- and maybe never say it- but think we are idiots. And they'd THINK RIGHT. We have to look in the mirror on that part.