Amish RakeFight
Registered Loser
- Joined
- Dec 28, 2005
- Posts
- 8,006
Anyone ever consider that the high salaries of times past were set a bit high due to the nature of the occupation? The captain and his crew (FO/FE) were operating in a more perilous environment due to the lack of technological advances we have now. Applicants who were qualified and willing to fly during that era were few and far between and were compensated accordingly.
There wasn't a surplus of pilots which we've seen over the last several decades. The existing GA population was much smaller and there weren't pilots mills either. In fact, at some point, the airlines were scooping up private pilots to fill the growing demand. A high salary (arbitrarily set based upon what they deemed was fit pay for the type of work being performed, along with the hazards, skill, judgement and nerves required) and the glamour that went with it helped attract more individuals to the profession.
As weather capabilites, radar and onboard technology improved, it alleviated a lot of the work required of a 3 man crew and the 2 pilot operation was eventually born. Airlines no longer wanted a side seat. Too expensive. Let a computer do it.
From here on in, the economic conventions of supply and demand have taken over and the industry has become whimsical to these governing forces.
There are plenty of pilots and there always will be. Perhaps we've seen a decline in certification at all levels, but aviation will ALWAYS have pilots willing to fly for nothing. It's something that most get involved in for the love of it.
The advent of airline travel has since past us. Those times provided for better pilot compensation due to the nature of job and the infancy of it. It was in a growth phase. Airlines initially even hired nurses to tend to the passengers concerns so as to encourage air travel.
Technological advancement (in safety, accuracy, cabability) has cummulatively eroded the salaries in a lot of industries, not just the airlines.
There wasn't a surplus of pilots which we've seen over the last several decades. The existing GA population was much smaller and there weren't pilots mills either. In fact, at some point, the airlines were scooping up private pilots to fill the growing demand. A high salary (arbitrarily set based upon what they deemed was fit pay for the type of work being performed, along with the hazards, skill, judgement and nerves required) and the glamour that went with it helped attract more individuals to the profession.
As weather capabilites, radar and onboard technology improved, it alleviated a lot of the work required of a 3 man crew and the 2 pilot operation was eventually born. Airlines no longer wanted a side seat. Too expensive. Let a computer do it.
From here on in, the economic conventions of supply and demand have taken over and the industry has become whimsical to these governing forces.
There are plenty of pilots and there always will be. Perhaps we've seen a decline in certification at all levels, but aviation will ALWAYS have pilots willing to fly for nothing. It's something that most get involved in for the love of it.
The advent of airline travel has since past us. Those times provided for better pilot compensation due to the nature of job and the infancy of it. It was in a growth phase. Airlines initially even hired nurses to tend to the passengers concerns so as to encourage air travel.
Technological advancement (in safety, accuracy, cabability) has cummulatively eroded the salaries in a lot of industries, not just the airlines.
