These kinds of threads are awesome. They always devolve into the "cool factor/mystique" issue. It makes me giggle. I'm glad you like your job. But...the mystique is gone. ATP and other pilot-mills feed on the mystique but can you really say that today? Now, Sully has cool-factor. He had to ditch an Airbus to attain it, but he has it. Other pilots have it. Many do not. Either way - if you are young and reading this:
Do not pick a vocation on how cool you think it is, or the people are. Or whatever "mystique" it had when airlines were flying Connies. In a job, you are selling your time for money. Period. If I could make more money cleaning septic tanks, I would clean septic tanks. If I could make more money running carnival rides, I would run carnival rides. Whether you are a prostitute or the CEO of Goldman, you are selling your time for money. At the end of the day, you make your own mystique.
I see things very differently when it comes to being a pilot and making a living flying. There are few things as a kid that people truly dream of doing. Some dream of being in the military, or being a fireman or a doctor or a vet or a pilot, etc., No one sits around and dreams of becoming a banker or an accountant or being a manager at Home Depot, being a plumber, working in an underwear factory or hundreds of other jobs. And this is not to knock any of those vocations or jobs, believe me. Careers change and take many people on different roads, some of them good, some of them not so good. Things do happen by circumstance as well and not everyone gets access to certain opportunities. Everyone understands this.
I never viewed (and still don't) being a pilot as just trading time for money and being just something I would make good money at. Now, back in the day, pilots had a bit better security and did make more money and of course that is something that I did count on somewhat in my decision making, but it truly was not the end all be all for me, nor for any of my friends. But that really isn't the point. If I could have made more money doing anything else, I would not have chosen to do so nor would I, even today. Never. You ask any old fart pilot why he became a pilot and out will come the stories of, my Dad was a pilot and I went to see him at work, he traveled and brought me such and such from so and so, I used to watch planes, I used to build aircraft models, and on and on. For many, and I would say most in all reality, pilots and their true love of flying, their love of planes and all things aviation related is what took them on the path to fly and wanting to be able to make a living doing it. Ask any pilot about his first flight or his first lesson and he can recount every tiny detail of that experience, no mater how many decades ago it was and he will have a gleam in his eye, an excitement in his voice and a smile on his face, while he happily and eagerly recounts it for you.
It's an adventure, you get to travel, it's technical, you are always learning something, you multitask, you meet a lot of people, you have a lot of free time, you have many responsibilities and many people depending on you, you have out of the ordinary non mundane schedules (and when you are off, you really are off and don't have to take any work home with you or even think about your job), you may move several times, and if you fly internationally, you experience different cultures and histories. This may sound weird to some, but aviation is steeped in history and tradition. Who do you see re-building old warbirds and other planes and at airshows and aviation museums. ....a lot of pilots. There is a reason for this. All pilots have a connection that they can feel to pilots and planes of the past. There is no denying this. Flying and aircraft are a passion. Pure and simple.
There are also such a wide variety of flying careers available to someone, that it's almost endless in what you can fly as a plane type, where you can fly geographically in this country or around the world, and the types of flying. That is something you just don't have in most other careers. There is a bond that you feel with other cabin and cockpit crews. This was even stronger in most of my time as you often flew with the same crews. They became a family and dear friends. You get to mentor and train other pilots, either in SIM or in the school house setting and in the cockpit on the job. I always enjoyed that. Sure there are downsides, but what job or career doesn't have any? There are plenty of perks too.
So while I have never seen my job as "cool", for me it has always been special and something which I can take great pride in, garner respect from, excel in, enjoy and have always wanted to do. There are many jobs that do not make you feel this way, nor afford you many opportunities or growth. But you can change companies in aviation, upgrade to bigger and different plane types, go into instructing and much more. You don't have to experience the burnout or the boredom that may come with other occupations. You can still fly and love the hell out of it, need it and desire it, crappy knees and all, even when you are an old fart like me.
And how many times do I have to mention, that we own the most remarkable views on the planet.
