Pilots wearing backpacks??? lets get campy?

[KeroseneSnorter]

Wow, I bet if we abolish backpacks then all those greedy CEO's would see the light and give us all payraises, right????? Really???

Give me a f-ing break.

A backpack makes no bearing whatsoever on how professional you are. How you do your job does. You can dress up in a dam tuxedo with solid gold cufflinks and a $10,000 Rolex, and if you're a jacka$$, then you're still a jacka$$. Some of the highest time, most senior people I've met, from your 'golden era', are some of the worst pilots and most unprofessional jacka$$es I've ever met. Likewise, I've seen younger, low time guys wearing backpacks that can fly circles around the old farts.

I've seen the word 'professional' thrown around so much by people that have no idea what it means. Wearing a nice spiffy uniform with a hat doesn't make you a professional. Wearing a backpack doesn't make you unprofessional. How you do your job, your skill level, your knowledge, and your ability make you professional. A dam backpack or hat has nothing to do with it.

Get a life.

Lessee here, 2600 tt, nothing of any size listed in the airplane column........um lemme guess, I hit a little too close to home with my post?

 

[PCL_128]

CapnVegetto, it's not a question of whether it makes you a better pilot or not, it's a question of perception. The pax sitting in the gate when they see the pilot walk up with a backpack, off-color Dockers, black tennis shoes, and no hat will perceive him as being unprofessional. He may be the best stick at the company, but the people don't see that. They only see his appearance, and they judge him and his airline based on that. Your uniform doesn't make you a professional by itself, but it is one piece of the whole puzzle.

 

[CapnVegetto]

Lessee here, 2600 tt, nothing of any size listed in the airplane column........um lemme guess, I hit a little too close to home with my post?

Thank you for making my point for me.

"I fly a big airplane!!! I'm the man!! I'm the best pilot in the unnneeeyyverse!!!"

How stereotypical.

 

[CapnVegetto]

CapnVegetto, it's not a question of whether it makes you a better pilot or not, it's a question of perception. The pax sitting in the gate when they see the pilot walk up with a backpack, off-color Dockers, black tennis shoes, and no hat will perceive him as being unprofessional. He may be the best stick at the company, but the people don't see that. They only see his appearance, and they judge him and his airline based on that. Your uniform doesn't make you a professional by itself, but it is one piece of the whole puzzle.

I'm sorry, but I have to disagree. 20 years ago? Yeah. Today? No. With $39 one-way tickets, reductions in service, travelocity, expedia, etc. people have proven time and time again that they don't care who or what flys them, or what they fly in. They just want a cheap ticket. Oh sure, they'll whine about 'little planes', and 'no meals', etc. but just look at their behavior. They go to travelocity or whatever, click on the cheapest fare, and off they go. They've already proven that they don't care. They're not going to go on expedia, and say, 'well, this ticket is $20 cheaper, but last time their pilot was wearing a backpack, so I'm not going to fly this one.'

Besides, what's unprofessional about a backpack? Maybe torn pants and a t-shirt that says "I'm with stupid", but a backpack? I don't buy that.

 

[acaTerry]

I'm sorry, but I have to disagree. 20 years ago? Yeah. Today? No. With $39 one-way tickets, reductions in service, travelocity, expedia, etc. people have proven time and time again that they don't care who or what flys them, or what they fly in. They just want a cheap ticket. Oh sure, they'll whine about 'little planes', and 'no meals', etc. but just look at their behavior. They go to travelocity or whatever, click on the cheapest fare, and off they go. They've already proven that they don't care. They're not going to go on expedia, and say, 'well, this ticket is $20 cheaper, but last time their pilot was wearing a backpack, so I'm not going to fly this one.'

Besides, what's unprofessional about a backpack? Maybe torn pants and a t-shirt that says "I'm with stupid", but a backpack? I don't buy that.

So you're saying it is OK to dummy ourselves down to meet the white trash on our planes? How does a lack of class in the customer justify a lack of class in the crew?

 

[CapnVegetto]

So you're saying it is OK to dummy ourselves down to meet the white trash on our planes? How does a lack of class in the customer justify a lack of class in the crew?

Geez, that's mean. You're saying that every 'dummy' that wears a backpack is 'white trash'? Have you ever worn one while hiking? Are you a white trash dummy?

So everyone everywhere that wears a backpack is a white trash dummy? That's kind of harsh dude.

 

[KeroseneSnorter]

Thank you for making my point for me.

"I fly a big airplane!!! I'm the man!! I'm the best pilot in the unnneeeyyverse!!!"

How stereotypical.

Ahh a frisky one!

No where have I ever claimed to be a superpilot, I simply go to work like everybody else.

As PCL pointed out, perception means a lot in this industry.

You actually made my point for me, not the other way around. Many pilots from your generation seem to feel an entitlement to something, and that they do not need to worry with such things as passenger perception or how they are perceived by their peers. You are a very public figure in the passengers eyes.....and in the end, the passengers are the ones that set your payscale.

As a side note, I am pretty young, and at a touch under 9000 hours I am a fairly low time pilot at my company, so using me as the stereotype for the big airplane flyer doesn't hold up too well. Between me the Captain and the F/E in the cockpit, I am the young stupid one!!

 

[PCL_128]

Geez, that's mean. You're saying that every 'dummy' that wears a backpack is 'white trash'? Have you ever worn one while hiking? Are you a white trash dummy?

So everyone everywhere that wears a backpack is a white trash dummy? That's kind of harsh dude.

Come on, you can certainly see the difference between wearing a backpack on a hike and wearing one in the terminal while working. Where does it stop? How 'bout everyone coming to work barefoot? Maybe we should all wear Miller Lite t-shirts?

Why is it so frickin' difficult for everyone to just wear the traditional pilot uniform?

 

[CapnVegetto]

Ahh a frisky one!

No where have I ever claimed to be a superpilot, I simply go to work like everybody else.

As PCL pointed out, perception means a lot in this industry.

You actually made my point for me, not the other way around. Many pilots from your generation seem to feel an entitlement to something, and that they do not need to worry with such things as passenger perception or how they are perceived by their peers. You are a very public figure in the passengers eyes.....and in the end, the passengers are the ones that set your payscale.

As a side note, I am pretty young, and at a touch under 9000 hours I am a fairly low time pilot at my company, so using me as the stereotype for the big airplane flyer doesn't hold up too well. Between me the Captain and the F/E in the cockpit, I am the young stupid one!!

I disagree. The passengers set nothing. The industry does. As long as SWA can charge $39 for a ticket and make money, salaries are going to be low. As long as CEO's remain as greedy as they are, salaries are going to be low. People are going to do the same thing they've done since forever, they are going to fly where the cheapest ticket is. If the cheapest ticket is $39, that's what they're paying. If the cheapest ticket is $500, that's what they're paying. Until ticket prices go up, nothing is going to change.

Also, at what point did I ever say that I was entitled to anything? I believe that I'm entitled to a fair wage, decent working conditions, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Is that wrong? And if you're 'young', what 'generation' are you a part of. Mine? I perceive my peers when I know them. I can't look at someone and make a judgement, and neither can you. If you think you can, then I could easily judge you as a 'high and mighty holier than thou' type. Would I be right or wrong? I don't know, because I don't know you.

So can I correctly perceive that you think anyone wearing a backpack is an inferior pilot?

Do you realize how stupid that sounds?

Do you see my point about judgements?

I perceive that because you have 9000 hours, are flying a big jet, and from what I read in your posting that you think you know everything and are somehow above anyone that is flying a 'small jet'. (My guess is that you're flying a DC-10 or MD-11 for FDX.) Am I right or wrong?

If I'm right, then maybe there is some merit to what you're saying. If I'm wrong, then the above paragraph sounds very stupid and my point is made. Which is it?

You can also read my post to PCL about perception to get my view on that.

 

[KeroseneSnorter]

I disagree. The passengers set nothing. The industry does. As long as SWA can charge $39 for a ticket and make money, salaries are going to be low. As long as CEO's remain as greedy as they are, salaries are going to be low. People are going to do the same thing they've done since forever, they are going to fly where the cheapest ticket is. If the cheapest ticket is $39, that's what they're paying. If the cheapest ticket is $500, that's what they're paying. Until ticket prices go up, nothing is going to change.

Also, at what point did I ever say that I was entitled to anything? I believe that I'm entitled to a fair wage, decent working conditions, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Is that wrong? And if you're 'young', what 'generation' are you a part of. Mine? I perceive my peers when I know them. I can't look at someone and make a judgement, and neither can you. If you think you can, then I could easily judge you as a 'high and mighty holier than thou' type. Would I be right or wrong? I don't know, because I don't know you.

So can I correctly perceive that you think anyone wearing a backpack is an inferior pilot?

Do you realize how stupid that sounds?

Do you see my point about judgements?

I perceive that because you have 9000 hours, are flying a big jet, and from what I read in your posting that you think you know everything and are somehow above anyone that is flying a 'small jet'. (My guess is that you're flying a DC-10 or MD-11 for FDX.) Am I right or wrong?

If I'm right, then maybe there is some merit to what you're saying. If I'm wrong, then the above paragraph sounds very stupid and my point is made. Which is it?

You can also read my post to PCL about perception to get my view on that.

First, SWA currently has one of the highest paid pilot groups out there. How can they do that when they charge such low fares? Part of the reason is brand loyalty. How much of that is because of how the pilot group is seen by the public? Above my brain power, but it is a factor.

As to my generation? I am probably about 10 years older than you, not much in the grand scheme of things. However the current crop coming through now seem to feel that they have nothing to learn from the guys that came before them. I have seen it from time to time in my age bracket, the last one was a poor guy that didn't know when to act the part and keep his mouth shut in front of checkairmen and Senior Captains. He should be a few numbers senior to me, instead he was "removed" from the seniority list by one of those "Know it all big airplane drivers" that very much cares how the pilot group is perceived by their peers and customers.

As to the Company and airplane.......wrong company and four motors instead of three.

Know it all?? Me? You are kidding right? Been around the block a few times, been furloughed, downgraded, seen a lot of guys do stupid things and sabotoge their own careers....yes. Know it all, not by a long shot. Those "Know it all senior Captains" have a lot of information to pass on to a young inexperienced fellow such as myself. I learn something new everytime I go to work.