See - not everyone is in the same boat:
I agree with Zap. You can't always have everything, sometimes you have to decide what's more important. To him it's family. Maybe there are some people who can keep their family happy and fed and still have all their dreams and if so great for them. But I think it's really shallow and conceited of people to judge them, especially when they've never faced having to make a decision like that. Maybe it's easy for a young single guy to just skip a couple meals and wear their old clothes until they are worn out, but I hope you never wanna have children or marry a wealthy woman because you try explaining to a crying, hungry baby that sacrifices have to be made for daddy to live his dream... What if your dream is family as well as aviation and you are faced with not being able to have both? Which do you sacrifice for the other?
I never played with stuff I could not afford to play with. Its the peoples fault if they engage in relationships that force them to give up their dreams. I's also their fault if they value a "career" that can be ended by a simple doctors visit higher than people and family. No matter what you comply with - there is simply almost never a way
not to regret it later. I have made sacrifices in my live before joining the Commercial Pilot ranks - outside of Aviation, but, hell, thats why the house is paid off and the cars don't stink. Whatever you do takes sacrifices - some things, like our current aviation market seem to demand a bit more.
I think 3enginejock is not aware that he is incredibly lucky to be where he is, at the current stage of the game. I do not know his age, nor his real life experience with having relationships nor am I out to judge anyone.
All I am saying is that discouraging people in this industry will work only with the worst characters. He is full of excitement, and even though many of us may not understand why a 250 hour kiddo has a chance and we are looking at 4000+ hour people out of a job I am happy for him. I can yet understand him for feeling attacked by being presented like a bum, for "living his dream".
I take the old skool people in here very serious, and I do value their advise and insight - but... and there is always a but... there is just no way you can convince someone that has chosen this "profession" as his, that his or her efforts are senseless. This industry is probably one of the most disrespectful, ungrateful and insulting ones I have ever seen - yet, if I take off and make my money with flying... I mean - why do you fly? If I told a brain doctor that I was reducing his fee for doing brainsurgery from $80.000 a day to $1000.00 a day (even though he has healed and saved multiple patients), would he remain in this profession? Would he go out and accept employment as an anesthesist? I think from the day you told him that he was being exchanged for a cheaper doctor, he would artfully create drooling and lalling patients. If I knew I was hired on a CL601 for less than 10% of what I should make, would I still remember how to fly?
If people are in this for the money, or the prestige of being a pilot, I would encourage them to open their eyes, cleaning personell makes more money in my town than a 1'st year FO at MESA. No - they don't make $41/ hour, but their take home paycheck is bigger, and they are home.
Look - I believe that this trend of Chinese wage pilot employment (they have surpassed us with this too!) could be reverted by establishing a national association that shuns people and operators selling out for cheap money. I never hear much in the press about pilot wages - and such an organization could yield tremendous awareness on the side of the customer that is yet still believing that pilots make good money while coming in late for work. If some of the training contracts and employment contracts where PUBLIC knowledge people would finally have a chance to tell the airlines and operators that they are downright scared.
If you want to change the market and the industry, you will have to move closer to your fellow pilot and talk frankly. You will have to actively seek out operators like Air Tahoma (claimed to be unsafe) or 3enginejocks, or any others, and if you have something to say for their safety record or employment practices- for the sake of the lord, go SAY IT. You will have to actively position yourself against "academy style pilot slavery".
Don't say it here, where less of 1% of the population looks - say it on your local TV station, say it in the newspaper, go seek PUBLICITY! Do whatever it takes to get your fellow aviator on your side - and stand up and fight. We are such a small community of people. I don't wonder why we cant just skip work for one darn day. Would the airlines fire everyone and close up? Or is the fact that this spiral never ends only cause by the fact that we are allowing more and more scumbags into our business? When are we taking pride in what we do again? Where does it stop?
Whatever you do - if you don't stand up to it - don't expect anything to change. Rant mode: OFF
