Airline Pilots Are Glorified Bus Drivers

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ppragman said:
What do you think we are? The days of "fate is the hunter" are over, your entire purpose is to transport people and things from point A to point B at a high rate of speed. If you cost too much, you'll be replaced, if they could, they'd replace you with a computer, or at least figure out some way to pay you less. Bus driver? More like videostore clerk, or pizza delivery boy...
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As Todd said, have some self respect.
 
"Those who say don't know. Those who know don't say. This holds up over time.". - Robert DeNiro

Anger is just fear in disguise. If somebody says something about you that makes you angry, you might just be afraid that deep down you think it's true.

Even if it is true, so what? Would a little humility kill you? When I worked Medevac, we had a pilot who said he was just a "glorified ambulance driver" and readily put his ego aside so we wouldn't be afraid to be frank with him when we had to be.

We respected him for that. A lot.
 
Firebird2XC said:
"Those who say don't know. Those who know don't say. This holds up over time.". - Robert DeNiro

Anger is just fear in disguise. If somebody says something about you that makes you angry, you might just be afraid that deep down you think it's true.

Even if it is true, so what? Would a little humility kill you? When I worked Medevac, we had a pilot who said he was just a "glorified ambulance driver" and readily put his ego aside so we wouldn't be afraid to be frank with him when we had to be.

We respected him for that. A lot.
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I said it before and I'll say it again..

Getting worked up and venting wasn't the intended purpose of this thread. I just wanted to see what other people thought to get some discourse on the subject of their jobs and what their career means to them. Its not like I'm still embittered by it. It was merely a subject get people talking.

I get to wake up every morning and love what I'm doing, so what this person said is of no consequence.
 
ppragman said:
Ok, here's where I require clarification. Is this how you carry yourself on the job, or everywhere? What does it mean to "carry one's self as a professional pilot?" There are a lot of different kinds of "professional pilot," what does this mean, that I have to wear sunglasses at night, and look down my nose at ground crews and freight dogs? A banner-tow guy can be just as much of a professional than the RJ Captain, but they're going to carry themselves differently, and act differently at work.

I dunno, the picture that came to my mind is the guy who wears his sunglasses at night in the bar, and tells women he works for United when he actually works for Skywest in United Colors. "Professional Pilot" means a lot of different things depending on who you're talking to.
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I might have a difficult time walking into a room and spotting the pilot versus the professional pilot :D However, I walked into an FBO one time on a cross country and this young guy had on a leather flight jacket, a scarf (I'm not kidding) and some big ass RayBan's (yes, inside). I thought to myself, now that guy can't just be a pilot, he has to be a professional pilot, I want to party with him!!!
 
bunk22 said:
I might have a difficult time walking into a room and spotting the pilot versus the professional pilot :D However, I walked into an FBO one time on a cross country and this young guy had on a leather flight jacket, a scarf (I'm not kidding) and some big ass RayBan's (yes, inside). I thought to myself, now that guy can't just be a pilot, he has to be a professional pilot, I want to party with him!!!
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Did he look like this?


http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hTgB3W0StR8/TTXHfQljtoI/AAAAAAAAAYo/imUaMVbg5To/s1600/pilot-training-2.jpg
 
ppragman said:
What do you think we are? The days of "fate is the hunter" are over, your entire purpose is to transport people and things from point A to point B at a high rate of speed. If you cost too much, you'll be replaced, if they could, they'd replace you with a computer, or at least figure out some way to pay you less. Bus driver? More like videostore clerk, or pizza delivery boy...
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This is a good point, because they say that one of the ways to make yourself irreplaceable in a company is to distinguish yourself. Make yourself different from all the rest.

My question to everyone is, how the heck do you make yourself different from all the rest when you do exactly what everyone else does? You fly the plane. I'd really like an answer to this one.
 
And this is news how? Anyone who works in the aviation industry is just a glorified something or other. I have no problem admitting my job is over glorified. When push comes to shove, its just a job. I really like it, but how many engineers do you hear mouthing off at bars? I'm sure they make more than i do, but they dont go bragging about it. I think a lil humility could do a bunch of us a lil good.
 
cmill said:
And this is news how? Anyone who works in the aviation industry is just a glorified something or other. I have no problem admitting my job is over glorified. When push comes to shove, its just a job. I really like it, but how many engineers do you hear mouthing off at bars? I'm sure they make more than i do, but they dont go bragging about it. I think a lil humility could do a bunch of us a lil good.
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But that's just the thing: I don't know anyone who mouths off at bars. If anything, all of us airline folk go to extreme and downright unnecessary measures to avoid telling the general public (outside of the airport) what we do. It's actually pretty funny how far some people go to avoid telling people they're pilots.
 
hambone said:
My question to everyone is, how the heck do you make yourself different from all the rest when you do exactly what everyone else does? You fly the plane. I'd really like an answer to this one.
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Well true, we all fly planes, but not everyone does it in the same form or in the same fashion. Everyone in this industry is full of crap, including me. I figure ive done ok for myself, if for nothing else, you have to know where you fit in. I wasnt cut out for the airlines, so i dont try to go there. It wouldnt work out for me. Find a niche and stick with it.
 
dasleben said:
But that's just the thing: I don't know anyone who mouths off at bars. If anything, all of us airline folk go to extreme and downright unnecessary measures to avoid telling the general public (outside of the airport) what we do. It's actually pretty funny how far some people go to avoid telling people they're pilots.
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I go to those lengths, but i think we all know someone whos first words are "I'm a pilot."
 
g4downin said:
I said it before and I'll say it again..

Getting worked up and venting wasn't the intended purpose of this thread. I just wanted to see what other people thought to get some discourse on the subject of their jobs and what their career means to them. Its not like I'm still embittered by it. It was merely a subject get people talking.

I get to wake up every morning and love what I'm doing, so what this person said is of no consequence.
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If it was really of no consequence, the subject would never have even come up. Not to mention, I wasn't necessarily speaking solely to you.

Like I said, a little humility never killed anybody. Granted, it's a hard lesson. Took me quite a while.
 
Well yeah on a routine basis generally we are, but when an engine explodes and fanblades cut through hydraulic lines, which leaves only assymetric thust to control the aircraft, and there is bad weather to deal with and flying at night, all of a sudden pilots aren't the so called glorified bus drivers.
 
bunk22 said:
LOL, take away that hat and yes, that was him. In college, there was this student who wanted to be a military pilot and he would wear a flight suit and scarf on campus. Weird, weird guy. Not sure if he ever made. I would have never allowed it due to his fashion sense alone.
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That is very strange. Aviation does seem to attract a certain sort of person, especially on the collegiate level today. I'll spare everyone the stories about some of these kids....
 
MikeD said:
O c'mon now......you can't throw that out then not deliver!
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Okay! Okay!
Here is one exceptional case;
My buddy in college (aviation major) had a roommate (also an aviation major) who had at least 20 sex toys. He had the directions to one of the said toys plastered to the wall in his bathroom. That is strange enough, but the same guy was a photographer for children, and more specifically, peewee sports (girls volleyball, etc). Nothing strange there right? Well on his website, where he would post these pics for the the kids and their parents to access, he had another link with access to the amateur porn he shot on the side, with some truly brutal pictures on it. He was forced to take them down by angry parents. The kid was an all around creep. Very socially awkward and the type where you wonder if he will end up in the news someday for some unsavory act.

This may be an extreme case, but interesting nonetheless..
 
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