To all you Peeved Pilots

[Jet_Driver]

I spent a year down in Haiti. In some ways it was one of the most beautiful places that I have ever been. The people there have nothing, but what little they have, they give it all. Un-employment down there is around the 75% level, education is almost non-existant, and living to see the end of the day is a big accomplishment. I have been stuck in barricades, felt the sting of tear gas more than once, drank some of the best beer ever for 68 cents Canadian, watched our company airplane get hi-jacked by the police and flown at 10 feet over the water.

Would I trade it for anything, nope. Would I go back if someone offered another contract, probably. Do I think I'm a better person for it? I'm still undecided about that. After a while the poverty and destitude doesn't register on your conscious thought. That's the way it has always been, and that's the way that it will continue to be. The country was built on bloodshed, and will continue to thrive on bloodshed.

Sorry to derail the thread, but it looks like it was already heading in that direction at full speed.

--Bongo

Here is someone who knows what I'm talking about. There are people who have life a lot more difficult than we do. Bongo made my point very clear. No matter how bad your day was, someone always has it worse.

I was in Haiti twice and saw a lot of good, and a lot of bad. It is a very difficult place for a materialistic American to visit. In some ways there were ways of life in Haiti I could take back with me, but there was plenty I was ready to leave behind. I learned that Americans complain over the dumbest things. We've got it good.

Thanks Bongo for sharing. I think you are a better person for it.

J_D

 

[Bongo]

Just since I'm at work right now, here are a couple pictures from Haiti. I'm not sure if I can post pictures here, but I'll give it a shot anyways.


One of the markets on the way home.
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b196/BongoOnHisMongoose/P1060029.jpg

The "Domestic Terminal" in Cap Haitien
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b196/BongoOnHisMongoose/CAPbefore.jpg

One of the strips we went into quite regularily
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b196/BongoOnHisMongoose/P1010009.jpg

That was one of the funnest strips to go into with the twin otter. While not a typical twin otter strip, the amount of turbulence that would come off the hills was amazing. The strip was 2000 feet to the wide part, anything after the taxiway, (the little gravel bit on the right hand side) was unusable. Gross weight on paper (probably over in reality, none of the woman are 135 lbs there)

Here is another view from the taxi way. This is looking towards the bulge at the end of the runway.

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b196/BongoOnHisMongoose/P1090041.jpg

This was another strip that we went into a couple times, too busy on final to take any pictures, so here is the result.

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b196/BongoOnHisMongoose/P1010008.jpg

That's about the best picture that I have. The red part in the middle was the "runway" 900' or so was the length, we went in there at 10 500 with no wind at 30 degrees C. That was pretty intense.

Cheers,

--Bongo

 

[acaTerry]

I can't believe you guys. I too have had an eagle-eye view of hardship, both as an observer while in the military and as a recipient when I was a child. But rather than just shrug my shoulders and quit, I fought and came above my circumstances.

But something to keep in mind is that there was a REASON to fight out of it. That reason was the hope of something better. And for you guys to just sigh and say "Oh well, there's always someone who has it worse, so I might as well take it up the rear" is both weak and sad. You look at the less-fortunate, and be thankful for what you have. But you don't use the less fortunate as an excuse to quit fighting for better when you SHOULD have better for what you do.

This is not Haiti, this is not Bangledesh. This is America. The country that has the ideology that honest work pays off. It is what we were founded on. The American Revolution was brought about by a tax increase of less than what equates to 1 cent on the dollar. So why should you be content that you are in a job, no, a profession, that requires so much yet gives so little when only the workforce takes a bite so the managements can reap the benefits at ridiculous rates? Have you seen the separation packages for management? Meanwhile YOU are paying for the fare war that is holding this industry down.

Have any of you worked long for this? Or did you just slam down a $50,000 loan and start flying professionally in just 2 years? The military pilots are usually very vocal in labor issues. Why? They earned it the hard way. The fast-track pilots and career changers didn't give too much and so they say that if you expect better that you are a whiner. Well sorry but not everyone walked into this job when it was fast and easy.

A doctor will be the first to tell you that outpatient surgery is lickity split. So why do they charge so much? Liability, cost in life of a mistake, education, and the road to get their job. Sound familiar?

I don't think that pie-in-the-sky demands are reasonable, but for crying out loud guys. $25,000 a year for an airline pilot is ridiculous. And anyone who did military service, or several years of flight instruction, or box hauling has right to expect a fair wage when their employer can do it. And if the CEO, COO and other corporate types are doing a pi$$ poor job of running the airline, it is THEY who deserve a pay cut. Not labor who does their all, day in and day out.

Y'all should join the French army.

 

[FN FAL]

I have got plenty of gripes myself. You've heard some of mine before, so I'll spare you.

I just want to remind you that you have a job. You didn't lose your life on 9/11 or in London on 7/7. You're putting money in the bank (even if it goes out the next day to pay bils), you're flying airplanes with a white shirt and tie (sometimes), you get to see the sunrise and sunset from FL200 through FL410 surrounded by colors more beautiful than Michalangelo could only dream of, you are the envy of so many people that look at you in your uniform in the airport, the chicks dig it (for some of you younger guys bragging at the bars on the overnights).

You worked your tail off and spent lots of money to get in that seat (most of you). You are doing what you always wanted to do. You only gripe to insult yourselves. Don't you have anything good to say? I'm just curious.

Before I got into the seat I'm flying I would hear guys gripe like this and I thought, the same thing I think now: If you don't like your job or what you're doing, you know where to go. Wal-Mart is always hiring, or maybe you could be the guy who dumps trash, or cleans up after your mess in the crew lounge while you are lounging around complaining about the job you have. I dare you to go and see how people in Haiti live and see if you have anything on their situation. I doubt it. Grow up and look at life through the eyes of reality. Did it ever occur to you that you have the ability to affect change around you? Or did it ever occur to you that your griping nature causes things to be worse for you than it could be?

I have four words for you: That's Life, tough it.

Remember that scene in "Mars Attacks"? Where the president was giving the Martian the "gipper" speech and the alien looked like he was buying in and then ZAPPPPPPPO!

 

[acaTerry]

FN FAL

Love the post, but I have no idea what you mean

 

[Southbound]

acaTerry,

I agree 100%. I wasn't going to respond to the Jet ORD guy with his AGI but you were a breath of truth injected into the discussion. Thank you for that. It has been eye opening to see how many pilots don't see it this way.
The whole "aw shucks, it could always be worse" mentality is lacking in most other professions however professional flying is full of it. Maybe this is why our chosen field is becoming a trade. You are right, this isn't Haiti, or Nicaragua (where I lived and flew) or even Europe. In life and in aviation expectations drive negotiations.

Speaking of doctors and breathing and your Avtar. My friend the ER Doc once treated a gentleman for trying that exact stunt.... only minor burns.

 

[BSkin]

They used to be at the Officer's club at NAS Oceana.

Ahhhhh!, pre-tailhook-investigation Friday's at the O'club at Oceana. Good sh!+, even for a COD-boy!

 

[acaTerry]

acaTerry,



Speaking of doctors and breathing and your Avtar. My friend the ER Doc once treated a gentleman for trying that exact stunt.... only minor burns.

Actually, it was a guy at an oil rig with a good imaginatin. Wish I could take the credit!

Fly Safe

Terry

 

[FN FAL]

FN FAL

Love the post, but I have no idea what you mean

Correlate dude, correlate!

Ok...here was this poster, posting the oft heard "Why can't we all just try to get along?" thread and immediately, my beer infected brane went right to the classic scene in "mars attacks".

The president is giving his speech to the laser toting alien...the alien appears to become empathetic, a tear welling up in it's eye as it lets the ray gun drop to it's side...then it looks up with a grin and "BZZZZZZZZZT!" Hahaha...gotta love it!

It was meant as tounge in cheek fun...nothing personal.