GunshipGuy

Different experiences in life for different people I suppose. My lawyer friends are hard and efficient workers when they work, but enjoy their free time when we hang out on the weekends. One's on his own and is a criminal defense attorney, and the others are together at a firm that does pretty well.

I shared what I have observed as a rebuttal to the argument of "We do better than lawyers, doctors, and dentists." I think we do ourselves a disservice when we try to compare ourselves to other professions. I guess it's a good way to manage expectations. What is it with airline pilots: We're not paid enough, but we sure do have it better than those saps who went to law school or med school, right? Which is it? I don't need to compare myself to someone else to build my ego up. I'm fine with them making more (or less). But I do think I'm worth more for my skill set than what I'm currently paid based on the profits I'm helping produce.

Gif added for emphasis.

Mesabah

The doctors and attorneys that make big bucks are in business for themselves. The only way to make lots of money is to own your own business, and be successful, which, is very hard to do. As far as being an someone's employee, airline pilot is the top job.

Another thing, the government allows doctors to set up an "illegal in all other industries pricing model", no way to compete with that.

BenderRodriguez

This is an interesting side track. To what can you credit "our" high success rate? How many engine failures have you dealt with in your career? (Perhaps we should be cutting checks to P&W or GE) How many real no kidding Cat3 approaches have you flown. (Honeywell?) Had any frozen NDB approaches to minimums lately? (Are they even possible in our modern glass cockpits?) How about Oceanic navigation/communication? Taken any cel shots lately? The newbies today probably won't know what it is to go hours trying to call Shanwick on HF trying to get a position report out. (Position report?)

In reality, to us, the vast majority of our flying is no more challenging than a bus driver's. To us.

I am not in any way degrading what we do. Far from it. We work in a more dense airport environment than any of those that came before us, but to take credit for success rates and expect compensation based on that metric alone is a very slippery slope indeed.

forgot to bid

Hence, two different business models between those professions and us. Its not worth trying to compare.

Imho nothing compares to aviation, it's the only industry I know where you fly airplanes for hire. We offer time. The machines are extremely expensive and easily broken. at one moment in time we frankly have the future of the company in our hands not too mention dozens and dozens sometimes hundreds and hundreds of lives in our hands.

I mean yeah sometimes they're just middle class scum, but, they're alive.

We frankly just have to set our own rates regardless of what other industry and competitors are doing.

Orthodontist are the guys who come out the winners btw.

Karnak

My next door neighbor is a physician who does nothing but circumcisions. Last year he made $400,000 in tips alone!

maddogmax

A few things!

1. I gave OE to a 330 CA who was also a Dentist. He would bid Africa trips and do Pro Bono dental work there.

2. This thread is 8 years old today!

3. Always remember, Doctors bury their mistakes, Pilots get buried with their mistakes,

Back to washing my cars!

Scoop

I pretty much have the same issue. The bottom line is that "life" often gets in the way of GS's.

On the positive side "Karma" seems to even things out. Twice I passed on a 4 day GS to fulfill social plans, both times I scored a juicy "greenie" later in the month.

Scoop

NuGuy

The part time doc/lawyer thing can really skew the average. Not only does it drag the annual average compensation down, but the motivations of those working part time affect the support level for compensation.

It's really no different than a guy who made a bundle in whatever going out and flying 135 "for nothing" just to fly. Makes life harder for the rest who are trying to make a go of it for a living.

Not saying anything about that being right or wrong, but the numbers will change because of it.

Nu

forgot to bid

Yall must be doing fine though, so many rich next door neighbors.

full of luv

Yessir, one of my neighbors just hit the scratch card lotto and had the axels removed from the house finally just in time for the 20th family reunion.