Is Todays' airline pilot career really flying?

[no1pilot2000]

Using stick and rudder skills to fly

When I spoke to a couple of airline pilots, they told me when a pilot uses actual "stick and rudder skills" of physically controlling and airliner is during take off / departure and approach / landing. When they are at or around cruising altitude, the flying is mainly automated.

 

[Gorilla]

When I spoke to a couple of airline pilots, they told me when a pilot uses actual "stick and rudder skills" of physically controlling and airliner is during take off / departure and approach / landing. When they are at or around cruising altitude, the flying is mainly automated.

This is true. No transport yet that I'm aware of has "auto-takeoff." It's just an airplane like any other.

Same deal with I'd say 99.6% of all landings, which are A/P off and flown manually. Throw in an occasional real CATIII autoland, and practice autolands, there's the remainder.

Cruise flight? Boring to hand fly, and illegal for RVSM operations. It's more fun to B.S. with your podner or read the USA today.

 

[xdays]

Guys,

Not to put a damper on this otherwise enlightening thread , but I remember handflying a 767-400 a few times on the Expressway approach to runway 31 at LGA, and if I recall that's a 7000' runway . Can't do it on autopilot. I also remember departing EGE in the winter. Can't do that on autoplilot either. Anybody here hand flying their aircraft at 350 because they really want to? We live in an automated world, and it has certainly reduced the accident rate in our chosen profession. Why would we not wish to take advantage of what we are given.

x

 

[AWACO]

Technically it is flying however its more like being a babysitter. You monitor and make sure nothing goes wrong.

I guess you have never left the cockpit of your crappy CRJ for say a DC-9.....You Fool

 

[Ready2Fly]

About as much technology as a Cruise ship captain uses. I don't see what the big deal is. You get paid for what you know and are capable of doing. If that were not the case, half my professors would be out of a job, and so would pretty much every other profession unless you're in construction or plumbing. Lawyers don't get paid for the physical exertion they use for typing drafts. They get paid for their knowledge.

These questions/issues are getting stale.

Is that why regional pilot pay is so low?

 

[flx757]

Is that why regional pilot pay is so low?

Ready2Fly is TheGuat, Rhoid, IHaveAPension, LucyFurr, E170GuppyKiller, TheGuppyKiller, GuppyKiller, TheMissingLink, ABXpert, UPSer, RJDC, OUT, 410Dude, BR549, FreightNazi....etc...etc...

 

[D'Angelo]

I guess you have never left the cockpit of your crappy CRJ for say a DC-9.....You Fool

Perhaps I mis spoke a bit. Flying any MODERN plane is like being a babysitter. None the less no justification for making outlandish wages either way.

 

[PositionandHold]

Is that why regional pilot pay is so low?

No. Regional pay is so low because of all the stupids coming out of these "acadamies" who get together for orgies at the airport and feel privileged to actually make money flying airplanes.

 

[CrimsonEclipse]

You get paid for what you know and are capable of doing.......They get paid for their knowledge.

These questions/issues are getting stale.

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

I've flown with alot of people. Only a few were paid for what they know.

The way i see it, you're paid in reference to your insurance risk.

CE

 

[xdays]

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

The way i see it, you're paid in reference to your insurance risk.

CE

Really . And all along I thought you got paid what you negotiated with your employer. How silly of me .

X

 

[pilotyip]

Now flying the DC-3 is really flying you work without a break from engine start, which is not a push button thing, until you set the parking brake at the other end. It is a real man's airplane none of this sissy programing stuff, Oh! I forgot you do have program the transponder with the right code. It is the best flying there is, thats why I do it for free.

 

[CrimsonEclipse]

Now flying the DC-3 is really flying you work without a break from engine start, which is not a push button thing, until you set the parking brake at the other end. It is a real man's airplane none of this sissy programing stuff, Oh! I forgot you do have program the transponder with the right code. It is the best flying there is, thats why I do it for free.

I'd fly for free....I've just got this problem where I have to eat at least once
a day.

So I'm lucky that I fly a more advanced airplane than the DC-3. The F-27!!
Instead of that old dirty 60 year old technology, I fly old dirty 55 year old
technology. Take that!

...and I know just how to program the autopilot...
(you have to hit him juuuust right! :nuts

CE

 

[mar]

Right!

Anybody here hand flying their aircraft at 350 because they really want to? We live in an automated world, and it has certainly reduced the accident rate in our chosen profession. Why would we not wish to take advantage of what we are given.

I usually hand fly the departure until we're cleaned up, heading in the right direction, and there's a pause in the chaos so I can say, "Autopilot 'B' to Command."

A few months ago, as we're climbing thru about 5000', when I asked for the autopilot the Capt called me a "Pu$$y."

All in good fun, sure. But my response was, "I've got 9000 hours of hand flying I don't think I need any more practice holding a heading....NOW GO GET ME SOME COFFEE."

That last part was a joke.

 

[fastback]

Another argument that is getting old is the fact that some people pay a lot of money to do their flight training so they should automatically be making outlandish wages. Thats a load of crap I say.

I consider my expenses and loans for flight training to be an investment. I expect to see a return on my investment. If airline pilot pay rates continue to go down, then fewer people will enter the field [it will be seen as a poor investment], reducing the glut of available pilots, and driving the wages back up [waiting for that to happen any time now]. Supply and demand at work, although the process is somewhat retarded by the novelty that many attach to being a pilot at an airline. Okay, let the retarded remarks begin.

 

[CaptainMark]

a friend of mine's son is at MTSU...he said the aviation classes are wide open..enrollment is way down because of fuel prices and the crappy pax work enviorment...this is a good sign...noone learn how to fly...wages may go up with a true shortage of pilots..not the garbage kit darby spews out...