Swede
Live from Caracas
- Joined
- May 26, 2004
- Posts
- 278
VERY interesting thread. The problem with the airline career is that double-edged sword, the seniority system. For good or bad you tend to be locked into the long-term deal. 15 years ago, United, Delta, American, USAir, and others, were premier outfits. Who could have guessed at the current catastrophe in the industry? I guess we should have looked closer at Eastern, Braniff I - IV, and above all Pan Am, that glorious, historic airline. They were raped, pillaged, sacked, mismanaged to the grave. But would it happen to us? Hell no.
Our pockets have been picked and our a$$es greased for the final rape, all except Delta, and my gut feel is that they will follow suit. My worthless opinion is that even if the majors begin to make billions, we'll never return to the halcion years of the 90's, pay-wise.
My crystal ball prediction is this: Schedules will continue to deteriorate, rigs will be ravaged, and the WHOPPR scheduling computers at each major carrier will continue to churn grotesque schedules, all in pursuit of the almight "efficiency" quotient. Anyone with a few years has seen pathetic scheduling done by software with little human intervention. You can put two lines side by side and just laugh, because both suck royally, and a bit of hand massage could turn two poo lines into decent ones, but it might cost the company an extra $7 in TAFB or some other B.S. rig.
New guys and strivers - Realize that the novelty will fade. Pilots are not admired, they are bitched at by drunk businessmen. They further bitch about a firm landing at Burbank, not understanding that stopping distance is critical. Flight attendants whine incessantly. The human body is not made to function at 3:30AM above the Amazon basin on the way to Sao Paulo. Nor is it designed to remain seated and relatively motionless for so long. Older pilots get weird medical issues, funky brain cancers (probably from radiation), chronic sinus disease from years of scar tissue buildup. Anyone with years could go on forever with a list like this. Piloting is not for everyone.
On the other hand, everyone also has the joy of a great trip with fun cockpit chemistry, challenging and interesting flying, layovers that are simply a blast, and blocks of time at home that allow the pursuit of hobbies and family. I know several doctors and lawyers with thriving practices become airline guys.
So search your soul, do the math, and make an early life decision. Like every other profession, there's the good, the bad, and the frankly a$$-ugly aspects.
Our pockets have been picked and our a$$es greased for the final rape, all except Delta, and my gut feel is that they will follow suit. My worthless opinion is that even if the majors begin to make billions, we'll never return to the halcion years of the 90's, pay-wise.
My crystal ball prediction is this: Schedules will continue to deteriorate, rigs will be ravaged, and the WHOPPR scheduling computers at each major carrier will continue to churn grotesque schedules, all in pursuit of the almight "efficiency" quotient. Anyone with a few years has seen pathetic scheduling done by software with little human intervention. You can put two lines side by side and just laugh, because both suck royally, and a bit of hand massage could turn two poo lines into decent ones, but it might cost the company an extra $7 in TAFB or some other B.S. rig.
New guys and strivers - Realize that the novelty will fade. Pilots are not admired, they are bitched at by drunk businessmen. They further bitch about a firm landing at Burbank, not understanding that stopping distance is critical. Flight attendants whine incessantly. The human body is not made to function at 3:30AM above the Amazon basin on the way to Sao Paulo. Nor is it designed to remain seated and relatively motionless for so long. Older pilots get weird medical issues, funky brain cancers (probably from radiation), chronic sinus disease from years of scar tissue buildup. Anyone with years could go on forever with a list like this. Piloting is not for everyone.
On the other hand, everyone also has the joy of a great trip with fun cockpit chemistry, challenging and interesting flying, layovers that are simply a blast, and blocks of time at home that allow the pursuit of hobbies and family. I know several doctors and lawyers with thriving practices become airline guys.
So search your soul, do the math, and make an early life decision. Like every other profession, there's the good, the bad, and the frankly a$$-ugly aspects.
