Pan Am

[Jimbodawg]

Hi all,
First post here!

Like many people here, I knew I wanted to be a pilot since before I can remember. My dream was to fly for PAN AM and travel the world.

Now I am 22, graduated ERAU, and am flying for a small 135. I hope one day to fly for a major, but what I really want to do is fly all over the world, as in the glory days of Pan Am.

I met an ex-Pan Am pilot who told me he had been based in London, Berlin, and Hong Kong during his career.

I just wanted to know if there are any carriers who have such a variety of international routes nowadays? (I was recently looking into Cathay and Emirates and United... and prefer a US carrier).

Thanks for your input!

 

[skootertrash]

Fuking Riddlers

The dream is over, you are a bus driver. Welcome to the club.

 

[furloughed]

In the US? The Answer is no, there is not an airline that has the international presence that Pan Am did. The only foreign airlines that I can think of that hires Americans that has close to the same international prescence is Cathay Pacific and Emirates. And I am not so sure they fit the mold.

As the previous poster not so eloquently put it, those days are dead here in the US. The "Catch me if you can" Leonardo Decaprio Pan Am experience died decades ago.

 

[Tripower455]

As the previous poster not so eloquently put it, those days are dead here in the US. The "Catch me if you can" Leonardo Decaprio Pan Am experience died decades ago.

Guys, go easy on the kid! We all became pilots for a variety of reasons, and while it is true that we are pretty much a bunch of bus drivers, it's still a calling that's hard to ignore.


My Dad was a member of the last generation of the "Catch Me if You Can" era of Pan Am, which pretty much ended in the late '60's.

My goal in life was to be a whale Capt for Pan Am.

While I am very happy with my lot in life, I sometimes wish this career was still like that....... Especially when I am being berated by a ground ops person/tsA etc. Somehow, doing 8 legs in a brown guppy, never leaving The Kingdom with a 22 hour layover in MAF doesn't seem as glamorous as jetting off to Paris in a 747 (at least the paychecks don't bounce!!!!).

We have come a long way, in the wrong direction, in this business.

I have to laugh, even though it's a sad thought. Abagnale affected the airs of a pilot so he could further his fraudulent life, because pilots were respected and trusted. He was able to write bad checks, ride the jumpseat, get beautiful women and become rich using a pilot's uniform.

Today, real pilots get furloughs, bad divorces, no jumpseat, ever decreasing pay rates and treated like potential terrorists pretty much everywhere we go in uniform. He cashed several million dollars in bad checks with a bogus uniform, and I can't even get into a WN jetway with mine!

 

[potrack]

Bravo,

well said.

 

[Traumahawk]

Today, real pilots get furloughs, bad divorces, no jumpseat, ever decreasing pay rates and treated like potential terrorists pretty much everywhere we go in uniform.

That's just D@MN well put.....and yet, i'm still motivated, what does that tell ya No cubicle for me....ever.

T-Hawk

 

[Tripower455]

That's just D@MN well put.....and yet, i'm still motivated, what does that tell ya No cubicle for me....ever.

It definitely beats working for a living........

 

[surplus1]

Jimbodawg

There are still two or three airlines that do what you aspire to do but none are US carriers. However, you don't have to hook up with the Chinese or the Arabians. You will have to live and work outside of the US and you will need a JAA license.

British Airways tops the list. They operate world wide. So do Air France and KLM. At present it is not easy to get into any of them, especially Air France, but it is not impossible if you are willing to live as an expartriate indefinitely. Another possibility is Lufthansa, but the scope is more limited. Among the Eastern carriers, Singapore hires expatriates and would be, IMO, a far better gig than Cathay or Emirates.

It will take a lot of determination on your part to make the cut, but it is not impossible. First step is the JAA license. Most foreign countries do not accept the US ATP.

International flying is a great experience, but I'm afraid the era of PanAm and TWA is over in this country. Deregulation, codeshare and alliances have killed it.

Additionally, there are few places in the world today where Americans are truly welcome on an extended basis. The why of that is a separate issue.

Good luck.

 

[Jimbodawg]

Thanks for the replies everyone.

I don't like all of this code-sharing that seems to have taken over international travel!

Anyway, has anyone here worked for a non-US major? Can you tell me about the process (converting to JAA/ICAO for example).
I heard that you have no union coverage working for Cathay. Is it true for other Asian/European carriers? Are work schedules similar to US carriers or do the Europeans get their 6 week summers off too?

Thanks

 

[JBcrjca]

Uhhh, that last sentence was just a tad confusing...who gets '6 week summers off'?? Unless there is a double secret contract that not many pilots have heard of, it doesn't happen at any of the US carriers. A person just accrues vacation time as you go along, and eventually you might be able to take some time off. But six weeks off in the summer? I don't think so.

Having enthusiasm is a good thing, but you might want to research long-haul flying a little more. Like other guys have said, it's not as glamorous as it used to be. I've heard that layovers have gotten shorter, hotels not as nice. Nothing like the glory days. Personally, there's no way I could do trans-Pac or trans-Atlantic trips...I'd be bored out of my mind. I enjoy flying, not just watching the autopilot for 10-14 hours at a time while reading the newspaper. A buddy of mine that flies for Atlas Air offered to help get me an interview several years ago. I appreciated the offer, but politely declined. That long-haul overwater stuff does nothing for me...and after a while, even a B747 is just another airplane. Just a few things to think about. I will admit that Sydney or Dublin layovers would be a tad more exciting than Merced or Cedar Rapids!