PCL_128 said:
TIS, you can believe whatever you want, but what I said is the honest to God truth. If you choose to believe that PFT'ers are all cheaters and unethical people that can't fly worth a crap, then go right ahead. I do my best to let people know the truth about guys that went to GIA, and I'll continue to do that. None of us GIA pilots were trying to cheat the system or cut in line. We were all just trying to start a career in aviation, and as far as we knew, this was a legitimate way to do it. But, like I said, believe whatever you want. I must ask however, how many PFT'ers do you know? Do your stereotypes come from personal experience with PFT'ers? I seriously doubt it. Most people on this board just repeat the same tired attacks against GIA and TAB without ever having met a pilot from either place. Are you the exception?
Don't you think you're over-reacting just a little bit?
When did I EVER say anything about the airlines you mentioned - much less attack anyone in a fatigued sort of way? The answer, inconveniently for you, is that IT DIDN'T happen SO GET OFF IT!
With over four times the 2900 hours you lay claim to I can safely say that I am at least ONE exception. It's proper to presume that you weren't around throughout the 90s as I was, so, for your information my experience comes from being DIRECTLY involved with some PFTers - many of whom were, and remain, VERY FINE PILOTS! It's just that they were as green as bean sprouts when I dragged their narrow behinds through simulator training and checking in 1994. I alluded to this stuff in my first two posts but, as you've chosen to ignore that part of what I said in favor of being a victim, I must now tan your hiney - just a bit.
You say you were just trying to start a career in aviation. Really?!? How serious could you have been that you didn't know that the path you were taking was as controversial as it was? Or was this just the career-de-la-semaine for you and your contemporaries? You went out and spent tens of thousands of dollars based on what? A hunch? You did NO research on your chosen field of endeavor?
Know what? That passes no reasonableness test I can think of! They just don't make that much Kool Aid. You had to have known what you were getting into at some point along the way and you made a choice to ignore the possible downside risks. Now you're stuck defending yourself against an impression that YOU helped create amongst your professional peers (notice the term "peers"). That's right! You helped do this to YOURSELF, though I'm sure you can think of ways that people like me are somehow responsible for the path you "had" to take. It's really the industry's fault, isn't it?
Now, having said all that, my comments came from a fairly modest point of view that simply explained what PFT is and why some resent it. For the record, what on earth have I got to resent? Nothing! So my comments were purely explanatory. It was never my intention to get into a shouting match over this issue - that's not what the question deserved as a response but that's what you've helped turn it into. If you would like to continue to argue with me I can assure you it will get a LOT uglier with little or no benefit to anyone. I think now might be a good time to stop.
Besides, as with a lot of things in aviation, I've been there and done that. Now I've done this so I'll excuse myself now.
TIS