The glory days are over - What do you think?

[pilotyip]

Love the tractor, enigma. You seem to be saying you like your job, that is nice touch on this board. The reality is; this is still a great job without the glory days for those who like to fly airplanes.

 

[Spooky 2]

I think what Schiff was saying or trying so say it that it’s unlikely we will see the glory days of airlines like Pan Am or TWA again in the future. These were airlines where there appeared to be no limit to the future and opportunities for advancement into what most pilots aspired to, big airplanes, big pay checks and pretty awesome working conditions. If you were hired in 1964 at either of these two airlines, you were a made man. Within a year you were flying international at TWA, and of course Pan Am had nothing but international in 1964. The pay was great and there appeared to be little if any ceiling on your rise to the top. Trips were great. Take TWA’s around the world flight in those days. Eleven days westbound and twelve days east bound. If you were flying this trip on an annual basis you only needed to work ten trips a year and you were done for the year.

Numerous opportunities for engaging the ladies that were on trips in those days. They typically were not married, younger than thirty and did no weigh in at 180lbs. A true definition of a target rich environment. Layover in Paris, Tahiti, Sydney made for some great destinations.

So when Schiff says that these days are over, I suspect that he is on target. If there is something out there that looks like this I have not seen it yet. Certainly not flying for Fed Ex or UPS. As good as theses jobs are, I don’t think they can hold a candle to the past experiences.

Would I discourage anyone from becoming an airline pilot today? No, but I sure would not expect anything like in the past.

Being an airline pilot is not just about the paycheck, but the over all journey through ones life. It was a great ride once upon a time but your not likely to see anything resembling this in the near future, if ever again.

 

[captainv]

spooky,

i don't disagree with you. but what job is like it was 40 years ago? for the average worker, gone are the days of a career at one company, a gold watch and a pension for your golden years.

plus, where's the common sense? how long can an airline stay afloat paying six figures for a pilot to work a third of the month? maybe that works when the airlines were regulated, but not now...

 

[flyboyike]

I think what Capt Schiff is trying to do (albeit in a roundabout way) is to discourage what I call glamour pilots from coming into the industry. You know the ones I mean, people who are in it for the uniform and for the leather jacket. And maybe, like someone else pointed out, his article will provide a much needed counterweight to all the super-glossy ads in the same magazine.

 

[tracearabians]

I agree ! Never again !

I think what Schiff was saying or trying so say it that it’s unlikely we will see the glory days of airlines like Pan Am or TWA again in the future. These were airlines where there appeared to be no limit to the future and opportunities for advancement into what most pilots aspired to, big airplanes, big pay checks and pretty awesome working conditions. If you were hired in 1964 at either of these two airlines, you were a made man. Within a year you were flying international at TWA, and of course Pan Am had nothing but international in 1964. The pay was great and there appeared to be little if any ceiling on your rise to the top. Trips were great. Take TWA’s around the world flight in those days. Eleven days westbound and twelve days east bound. If you were flying this trip on an annual basis you only needed to work ten trips a year and you were done for the year.

Numerous opportunities for engaging the ladies that were on trips in those days. They typically were not married, younger than thirty and did no weigh in at 180lbs. A true definition of a target rich environment. Layover in Paris, Tahiti, Sydney made for some great destinations.

So when Schiff says that these days are over, I suspect that he is on target. If there is something out there that looks like this I have not seen it yet. Certainly not flying for Fed Ex or UPS. As good as theses jobs are, I don’t think they can hold a candle to the past experiences.

Would I discourage anyone from becoming an airline pilot today? No, but I sure would not expect anything like in the past.

Being an airline pilot is not just about the paycheck, but the over all journey through ones life. It was a great ride once upon a time but your not likely to see anything resembling this in the near future, if ever again.

 

[wrxpilot]

The glory days never existed for anyone but the lucky few. Pre deregulation, working pilots made a lot of cash, but the number of positions was few. Earning the equivilent of a new Caddy every month was great but I'd rather have a job making the equivilent of a new Caddy every four months, than not have a pilot job at all.

Enigma,

Very good point. Apparently a lot of people here don't know their airline history that well. Ever read "Fate is the Hunter" by Ernest Gann? The professional pilot's life was a dangerous one filled with financial uncertainty.

My Grandfather flew for TWA back in the OLD days, but bailed to work as a salesman due to QOL issues (but still remained close to GA).

Would've been great to be part of the '60s/'70s airline life, but like Enigma some of us wouldn't have stood a chance because of corrected vision.

 

[FN FAL]

I think what Capt Schiff is trying to do (albeit in a roundabout way) is to discourage what I call glamour pilots from coming into the industry. You know the ones I mean, people who are in it for the uniform and for the leather jacket.

The people who work at the Ray Ban factory have to put beans and biscuits on their tables too.

 

[Flyerjosh]

It's called being the son of an enlisted man in the military . Poor, broke and one half of the homefront is usually living in a tent in a war zone somewhere. And if ANYONE believes that our military is being paid generous wages they need to stop taking whatever halucinogen they're popping.

I made more money on active duty (stateside) as an enlisted soldier than I did as a 3rd year Regional Jet FO when my reserve unit was deployed. That should say something.

Keep in mind too that most military enlistees don't have 40-70K in student loans to pay off, and if they're enlisted the housing benefits are pretty decent. Don't get me wrong, I think they're still paid crap for the job they do, but overall, a lot of the costs you have as a civilian may not be applicable to an active duty enlisted soldier.