ChrisH

Plenty of people return home, everyday, from non aviation related jobs, after a long day of work, to bills that are unpaid, and to a house that could soon be foreclosed on. Many of these people have a college education, and probably thought they would be making a cushy six figure income, and then, reality set in. To assume that because someone is, or will become, a pilot, that they will not be able to afford to pay bills, and to assume that people working in other careers are all doing fine, is false.

I also don't think anybody can predict what will happen to pilot pay, and the profession, over the coming years, and deeper into the future. Pay rates, and work rules might very well return. Delta and NW will get a nice new contract for their pilots, with this merger, AA and CAL are in negotiations, as we speak, and many other majors will enter into negotiations in the next couple of years. When age 65 becomes a factor again, in a few years, and as the economy recovers, it might be a booming career, with much income potential, in the future. You just don't know.

Many doctors will say that the medical field has been in steady decline, and that doctors don't earn what they used to. How are we to know that changes in healthcare, etc., could cause a further decline. It may not be such a lucrative career to get into, years from now. As the baby boomers, who go to a doctor, if they get the sniffles, die off, and the younger generation of Americans, who don't tend to go to the doctor, begin to become the majority, you could see the appointments that stretch out for months, dwindle significantly, and thus the career. I just don't think anybody can accurately predict the future of any career.

SkyHigh

Most likely both doctors and pilots have seen their heyday. However at least the doctor can still make his investment back and has value outside of the hospital. It is becoming more and more difficult for pilots to be able to overcome the cost of their own training and education.

It is difficult to predict what the next big thing will be however it is easy to tell which existing careers have crested and are on their way downhill.

SkyHigh

Luckydawg

So what do you propose? Bankruptcy? Abrogate the contracts? Flush out the pensions? Get all employees in line with emerging markets? Pilots already went through this in the early 2000's. Time for automotive workers? Doctors next (they make a lot more than the Wal-Mart greeter, is that fair)?

I am not for a redistribution of wealth from the top down but neither am I an advocate for a bottom up transfer. Somewhere there is a balance in the middle.

I am glad though you are an advocate or a voice for what is real in this industry, we do need a balanced look. It is a tough industry for sure, not everyone will land a great job. I am sorry that you were dealt some bad cards in the airline game but sometimes it seems like you won't be happy until everyone else is as unhappy as you.

SkyHigh

I agree that totally unmanned airliners will always be a hard sell however I believe that the authority and roll of pilot in command can be reduced to the point where the people up front are little more than a back up system and for the mental comfort of the passengers.


SkyHigh

SkyHigh

From what it sounds like if the big three can not find a way to unload some of their financial responsibilities then they may not be around long to honor pensions anyway.

Skyhigh

de727ups

"I believe that the authority and roll of pilot in command can be reduced to the point where the people up front are little more than a back up system and for the mental comfort of the passengers."

There's a keeper. Spelling/grammer, and all....

Would you like to say that again? Just for the record?

I thought you said you didn't drink....

SkyHigh

I don't drink and can not spell or have a solid command of grammar either. Hopefully you can figure out what I was trying to say anyway. Sorry if I have disappointed you.

As far as my post goes don't you think we are rapidly approaching that situation anyway?

SkyHigh

de727ups

"As far as my post goes don't you think we are rapidly approaching that situation anyway?"

Well, I'm not really completely sure what you are trying to say....

But I'm guessing you meant to say "the role of the PIC is nothing more than to keep the pax happy thinking there is a human up there to make sure the computer doesn't screw up" (that's a paraphrase).

And, no, I don't think we are rapidly approaching that situation. Sky, comments like this do nothing more than further damage your credibility here. Stuff like this simply shows how out of touch with reality you are.

SkyHigh

Just to clarify I was writing about my expectations of the future. However I do think that airline pilots today are little more than programmable humans who conduct a flight by following a highly scripted and choreographed series of rote memorized procedures and actions. They are manual driven flow chart following automatons who carry out the direction and decisions of others. Dispatch, maintenance control, Boeing engineers and ATC run the show. The pilots are spring loaded to react to situations in a pre-determined manner and if they run off the script will contact others for further direction. The mantra is "Do not think just do". Follow the procedure. Thinking gets pilots into trouble. My concept is that a computer could do the same thing and that automation is already making it easier for engineers and others to get their hands on the electronic yoke. The only thing missing is a direct link. Pilots could still be there as an on site overseer of the flight but the plane would be largely controlled by others on the ground.

Compared to a steam gauge DC-3 over the cascades we are already there. I understand if you feel differently.

SkyHigh

Icelandair

What if we polled people in the 1930's about the possibility of completely automated trains? Sounds like sci-fi to them, but we get on them all the time without even winking.

Maybe it won't be our generation to see fully automated cockpits, but I'm sure that our grandkids will.