Public Perception

[Gulfstream 200]

Wake up dip$hits.

PILOTS are the only people who think PILOTS do something important.

Hence the man pays you like a chump.

You accepted your food stamp bed, enjoy it.

.

 

[Goose Egg]

bah.....

 

[Doug]

Wake up dip$hits.

PILOTS are the only people who think PILOTS do something important.

Hence the man pays you like a chump.

You accepted your food stamp bed, enjoy it.

.

Maybe you are being sarcastic, but I think that is very far from thetruth. People see the pilots as very important people, since youessentially hold that persons life in your hands. I think that iswhy people find it so hard to believe that the average pilot makes solittle. I had no idea about the pay situation until I came tothis message board, I always assumed a pilot was paid 55-60k minimum,and then went up from there.

 

[Jump Pilot]

http://www.busride.com/2004/11/Some_drivers_are_born_others_are_made.asp

http://www.greyhound.com/company/driverjobs.shtml

 

[Dr Pokenhiemer]

My first "professional" flying job was at FLX. They kept talking about the "Christmas Bonus Package". Come to find out--it was $50 (BEFORE TAXES), and a zerox copy of as Christmas card! The next year was 10% off coupons for Denny's--they were out of business at our location!

Tonight, I went looking for a new truck. The salesman thought he had a ringer when he found out I was a pilot, but was disappointed when I couldn't afford the $300/month payment!

 

[fastandlow]

Maybe you are being sarcastic, but I think that is very far from thetruth. People see the pilots as very important people, since youessentially hold that persons life in your hands.

Yea - so does Abdul driving your cab, Jose fixin' your hamburger at the McD's (ever hear of e-coli?), Betty filling your prescription at the pharmacy, Bill mouting the tires on your car at Sears, Jorge wiring up the new garbage disposal at your house, Leroy driving the Metro bus on your way to work, etc..........

As for the state of the situation - you got 4 choices: 1. Let free market forces equalize and distribute the jobs (and salaries) appropriately without unions, 2. strengthen and use your unions more equitably (an intelligently), 3. shut up and fly, 4. find a job that pays to your satisfaction and buy a plane with what you make.

 

[Mugs]

Just look at all the pilot mills in Florida / Arizona and the quickie type rating schools. We truly are a dime a dozen. There is nothing special or unique about what we do anymore. Those days are long gone. Each and every one of us is easily replaceable. Whenever I get the "don't the airplanes just fly themselves anyway" comment, I don't even try and defend it. I just say, "yup, it's cuz I got me one of them thar union jobs ya know." Can we start one of those pilots deserve big bucks like doctors threads now so I can have a good laugh?

 

[doh]

You gotta feed 'em what they understand. I say I have been flying 18 years and I make $36 an hour. Then I show them my last pay stub. I divide my hourly rate by 2 because I get paid pretty close to 1 for 2 (duty). The pay stub works out the same for most of them. They are pretty shocked too!

 

[Buschpilot]

You are really sure that telling your neighbor and writing congress isgoing to bring you the rainfall of money you want? You really thinkthat the public cares what you make? I don't care what you make. Whyshould the public care?

The darndest thing is that with tusnami's obliterating tens ofthousands of lives, with starvation rampant thorughout the world, withthe unemployment problems we face in our own socieity, the highilliteracy rate, the gang wars, cancer, and so many other issues, whatwe really need right now is to rally congress and the american publicto make sure that airline pilots make more money. I'm sure the mediaand special interest groups everywhere will drop what they're doing,and will be all over that.

Educate the public. Don't let them get away with a misconception aboutyou. You're the most important thing in their lives, and they haveabsolutely no right to think you earn more than they do. Or to go onabout their lives until you earn what you feel you should. After all,you took the job knowing what you'd make. You made this your career,but dammit, you shouldn't have to live with that decision, and it's theresponsibility of every red blooded citizen, every elected official, tosee that you get what you think you have coming to you.

It's a tough job. The hard physical labor, getting into that shepskinpadded seat every day. Lifting a checklist. Walking up the stairs tothe jetway. Ouch. It makes the arches burn, the back ache. Then there'sgetting out of the seat at the end of a trip, and the turning. Always achance of popping a vertebrae. Yet you do it without complaint, day inand day out, fifteen days out of every month. Or more. Don't evenmention the exposure to gamma radiation at altitude, the galley food,the bad coffee, and the weather.

Folks who work in steel mills, gas stations, driving a cab, ropingcattle, riviting the aircraft you fly, they just don't appreciate youor what you go through, and that's gotta change. They need to see yourhardships in order to understand how easy their lives are. Those whowork two full time jobs to make ends meet, they just don't understandyour trials, your tribulations, and we need to enlist the help of themedia in getting the message out. Airline pilots are people too, andthe world has GOT to understand what it's like to be an airlinepilot...perhaps the toughest, hardest, most underappreciated, underpaidgroup of suffering pathetic masses in the workforce. No, in the world.

Write the congressmen. And congresswomen. Write the media. Tell yourneighbor. Every one of them is standing by like a coiled spring;they're just right there, desperate for you to ask so that they canhelp. I wouldn't be a bit surprised if they didn't offer you tenpercent of their own income just to right this terrible injustice. Goodidea there. I'm sure the public at large is there for your support, ifonly they can be made to understand.

Good luck with that.

Holy smokes man. I think your reading into this a little too much, Av. I think we can agree...to disagree.

 

[MGlobemaster]

Don't forget about us rampers loading oversized bags and de-icing airplanes in -10F. We deserve at least...150k.