Comments on: So You Want My Job: Airline Pilot

By: Felix Isaiah Lafal

Felix Isaiah Lafal — Sun, 13 Jan 2013 14:34:36 +0000

I am Felix Isaiah Lafal,am a Nigerian i have completed my training as Airline Professional Pilot.I need a job

By: oopsy

oopsy — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 06:09:50 +0000

Thank you for clarifying. I agree that pilots and schedulers should stay within the contract. Well said.

By: Doug

Doug — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 12:42:06 +0000

There was a brilliant part in Michael Moore’s “Capitalism: A Love Story” about the state of pilot’s jobs. If you can work your way around Moore’s typical emotional blackmail, the film’s fairly interesting, and really develops this whole airline affair quite well.

By: Mark M

Mark M — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 07:17:09 +0000

Oopsy, you misinterpret my meaning of the rule. I am always courteous and professional with a crew scheduler when I have to talk to them. They can be great assets when you need to rearrange your schedule. That said, some crew schedulers try to get you to skirt around the pilot contract or will purposely mislead you on the contract language in order to better serve them. Rule three directly refers to rule two. You should never be hostile towards any scheduler, but you need to be absolutely fluent in your contract language in order to be given your rights guaranteed by your pilot contract. Your union reps and members fought hard for that contract, why give those rights away? It would be selfish and detrimental to the group to say that you can ignore certain parts of a contract in order to better serve you. The old saying goes “If you give a mouse a cookie, they will ask for milk”. If you give up your rights once, they will expect you to give them up again.

By: oopsy

oopsy — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 04:38:01 +0000

” 3. Never ever trust your Crew Scheduler”

A pilot with a great relationship with a crew scheduler has a much easier life. He can get those trades approved and days moved in several different ways. A pilot who writes “Never, ever, trust your Crew Scheduler” right underneath his picture on the internet will not get alot of sympathy on those long duty days.

Change your attitude with your Crew Scheduler and doors will open.

By: Paul II

Paul II — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 02:02:47 +0000

My father has been an airline pilot for 20 years, and has some great stories. It used to be a job up there with being a doctor, but now is more common of a job – what a shame, but still a great job. Should of got my father to help with this article a while back, but Mark did do a bang up job.

I’m always delighted to read about pilots, and listen to my dad’s friends.

By: men's t-shirts

men's t-shirts — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 20:21:50 +0000

You’ve sold it to me! Although I’m not a massive flying fan…..bit of a downfall that.

By: Mark M

Mark M — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 17:03:32 +0000

Nick, while your individual comfort level may differ from others, you can’t use statistics from a news source as reliable data. News sources can “cherry pick” their data to paint the picture that they want you to see. Regarding the news article, NOT all regional airlines (or Majors) are created equal. While I may not personally agree with Gulfstream’s business tactics, I can assure you that almost all airlines do not follow the same operating principals. Safety is always the primary concern for ALL flights at an airline. Fixing a malfunctioning part is ALWAYS better than an incident or accident. If you are truly concerned with our pay, hours or service, and working conditions, then by all means contact your Senator or Representative in DC and voice your opinions. The NTSB has recommended for years that the rules be changed in those respects, but it seems to have fallen on deaf ears in Washington. The FAA has drafted new duty rules, but the legislation has since stalled due to lack of media and consumer interest in addition to “political pressure” from parties that would suffer financially. The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) does tremendous work to advance our quality of life and enhance the overall safety for passengers and flight crews. That said, they cannot do it all alone. They need help from consumers (voters) to change things for the better.

One final note, don’t assume that all pilots at a regional airline are young kids with little experience. My airline has been around for over 40 years and has partnered with several major airlines over the years. We have pilots in our ranks that have been with this airline for over 30 years. We also have pilots that formerly worked at major carriers that either went bankrupt or furloughed many of their crews. These guys also have vast amounts of experience to bring to the operation. So the assumption that a B777 is safer than a turbo-prop because of the so called “gray hair factor” is just plain false.

By: Nick

Nick — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 16:13:15 +0000

Again, I respect your opinion Mark, but I’m not basing my opinion on naive news stories or scare tactics either. Statistically you are NOT as safe in a puddle jumper as you are in Boeing 777. The last five fatal crashes of commercial passenger carriers in the U.S. involved planes operated by regional airlines. That’s a fact. It’s also a fact that regional airlines cut corners to save costs, that their pilots have far less experience that those at the major airlines, and that because of their low pay, some take second jobs and have to commute from hundreds of miles away because they can’t afford to live near the airport. And that’s just the beginning. This article is a good read:

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601109&sid=aaNPBjZ2kB54

At the end of the day, I would prefer a 35 year old with 10,000 flight hours of experience who makes 100k a year over a 24 year old with 2,000 hours who’s making $17,000. I think that’s a wise choice personally.

By: Mark M

Mark M — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 15:30:50 +0000

Sam, if you still have the urge to fly, never give up the dream. Find a local FBO (flight school) at a nearby airport and ask them if they offer Discovery Flights. They are usually less than $75 and last about a half hour. You will know right away after the flight if the “bug” has bitten you. You can always get your Private Pilot’s License or Sport Pilot License. We as pilots are very enthusiastic about our vocation and love to see new guys (and gals) join the pilot ranks. Every one of us started out a a student pilot at one time. You will never, ever, forget your first solo experience. Trust me.

Nick, although Southwest is a great airline, they are subject to the same duty time regulations as any other airline and their schedules can be just as grueling. Their pay is better as far a the industry average, but it is unfair to pigeonhole regional airlines because of naive news stories and films that aim at scare tactics to incite fear of sorts. All US airline pilots are held to the same standards and training requirements, regardless of the airline or whether it is a “major” or “regional”. You are just as safe on a so called “puddle jumper” as you are on a Boeing 777.