Dude, you scare me.. I don't understand it... you're a real pilot, and you think working 15 days a months is somehow making out? Do you not like seeing your family? So what would you have us do, work the same 20 days in a 28 day month like those who go home every night?
Are you aware of the following:
When you see a pilot going through the same security you go through,
he's not being paid.
When you see a pilot walking in the terminal, he's not being paid.
When you see a pilot at the gate pulling up paper work, planning the
flight, and conferring with the agent, he's not being paid.
When you see a pilot walking around the aircraft doing a preflight
inspection, he's not being paid.
When you board the aircraft and look in the cockpit and see the pilots
setting up the aircraft, they're not getting paid.
When you land safely at your destination and walk off the aircraft and
see the pilots shutting down the aircraft, they're not being paid.
When you see a pilot waiting for a ride to a hotel for the night, he's
not being paid.
The only time the pilot of your aircraft is getting paid is when you
DON"T see him... when he's locked behind the cockpit door as you push back from the gate. Every thing else he does until this point is for free. For no wages. Nothing!
The average airline pilot is at work for 12- 14 hours per day, yet gets
paid for less than 6 - 7 hours.
The average airline pilot is away from home, at work, for 70+ hours a
week, yet gets paid for only 15 to 18 hours per weeks work.
Most pilots schedules have them working 15 days or more a month... that
means they are not at home half the month.
Holidays, weekends, birthdays, anniversaries, summer vacations.... not
at home.
A majority of pilots have 4 year college degrees, or more. Then they
begin training as pilots.
A large majority of Pilots have spent 8 years or more flying in the military, risking their lives and protecting your freedom for wages most of you wouldn't accept in the civilian world.
Civilian trained pilots have spent $50,000 or more to acquire the training that qualifies them for a Regional Airline job, which pays a wage less than the poverty level in most western countries.
Most pilots do not attain the required experience level to be hired by a major airline until they are well passed the age of 30. The average age
of a new hire airline pilot is 32.
Airline pilots are required to retire at the age of 60. This gives most of them less than 28 years to maximize their income and fund their pensions, hoping that greedy airline execs won't steal it.
Airline pilots are subject to random drug and alcohol testing, any time
they are at work. Fail it and they lose their job.
Airline pilots are required to undergo rigorous re-training and certification every 6 to 9 months, at which time they could fail and lose their jobs, licenses and livelihood.
Airline pilots are required to submit to random government "Line checks"
during which their license could be revoked and livelihood destroyed.
Airline pilots are exposed to radiation levels far exceeding the normal
safe radiation limits mandated by the FDA.
Airline pilots are required to submit to a government medical
examination every 6 months (Captains) and 12 months as First Officers. Year after year. Fail that, and their career is over.
How many of you go to work where people try to kill you? How many of
you have had your office turned into a cruise missile? How many of you work behind a bullet proof door?
How many of you are responsible for the lives of 200- 300 people, with
any small mistake in your performance resulting in the death of your
customers (and yourselves), and the financial destruction of your company?
How many of your jobs require you to fight your way through thunderstorms, rain, snow, ice and turbulence, day and night, year after year? No mistakes allowed? The excuse " I had a bad day at work" never accepted?
Many pilots volunteer (on their own time and own dime) to be trained as
Federal Flight Deck Officers, and carry weapons to defend their aircraft,
crew and passengers. They maintain their proficiency and qualifications
twice a year on their own time and money.
How many of you go to work where you are searched, patted down and your personal items scrutinized by strangers, even though you can kill
everyone in your place of work with your two bare hands?
Airline pilot pay scales and hours worked are usually posted by absurdly
overcompensated Airline Exec's who are waging a PR campaign against
their Pilot Unions and trying to justify their own greedy bonus's and
draconian wage and pension cuts. Cheap ass airline passengers just love this ******************** since they don't care if their airplane is flown by the lowest
denominator, as long as they can fly for next to nothing. Course if they don't get to their destination, their next of kin can sue....
