VmoMmo

Well I've only been flying professionally 20 years myself so I'm not exactly from that era. However from what I've seen sitting in the left seat, the right seat and being a check airman in more than one turbine aircraft I can honestly say that the "ole guys" I've flown with have shown me much better basic skills and decision making capabilities than present day talent. That's just been my experience, so it's not a general statement. Your mileage may vary.

On the flip side of that door, if you're a young one and refuse to listen to what the "ole" salts have to share....don't let it shut.

Zayghami

even though times have changed....the good old days must of been great...reminds me of the movie catch me if you can when they show the pan am pilot giving an autograph to a kid...

jaflapilot

You guys are missing the point of the essay, it is meant to emphasize how our profession and the industry as a whole is loosing the respect and pride that we as pilots once had. You might not agree with every line, but you have to agree that we can't demand better pay, work rules, and improve our overall status, if we don't hold ourselves to certain standards. Shine your shoes, press your uniform, take the friggin Ipod out of your ears, get off the cell phone, wear your hat (it is one of the main things that identifies yourself as a pilot to the public), button your coat, and walk with pride. We all have paid dues to get to the cockpit, some more than others, but nevertheless, we are professionals in an increasingly unprofessional world. It is our responsibility to ourselves and other pilots to "act the part" and earn the respect that our position should demand. If you don't agree with me fine, if you want to look like a slob, act like a teenager in the cockpit, and dress like you are still in college go right ahead, just do it outside professional aviation. This is a professional career, just as medicine or law, only we have much greater responsibility and many more lives are at stake. If you are happy with making $19,000 a year as a pilot, fine, go flight instruct, but if you feel that we need to bring back the respect and dignity that our profession once had, start by setting a standard for others to follow.

⌐ AV8OR WANNABE

This is an aviator watch commercial (IWC Schaffhausen) and has nothing to do with this thread. It’s simply a romanticized view of the “good ‘ole days” - at least when it comes to aviation.

Pilots by IWC - Brightcove

jaflapilot

Sirus the Virus from Conair must be hurting for work LOL!

SKYKN6

Those days the Songbird burned green gas @55 cents/gal and the sound of big radials burning purple gas was common. (115/145, 100/130 and 80/87 octane for the youngsters) Oh yeah....and two J79s in burner made just about the right amount of the sound of freedom. Blue gas was a sissy 91/96 octane.