I'm sorry.

 

Any place that makes you buy type ratings and confines an industry to well-offs is a joke.

 

Thread revival batman.

Intersting thread...lots of snotty nosed kids with rich parents I gather....

 

But, The best way for me to become a pilot...is be become an accountant first...that way i have a skill which will always be needed and pays well

 

or I could spend 4-5 times as much money only to get a job flying airliners for half the pay.....errrmmm Easy choice really...would much rather work 9-5 with a calculator in hand and fly when I want to and race my car on the other weekends

This is some of the funniest stuff I have read in a long time. We have one guy who compares a captain flying a 747 at .78 mach across an ocean at 37000 feet with 400 lives in the back to a ferry boat captain, yea i can see the comparison, lol. The 17 year old kid above who sais its a joke to be an airline pilot in the US when he has never flown for a european company or an american company. A guy who sais that certain airlines "make" you buy a type rating limiting it to rich people, even more laughable And after all the bashing they sit in front of a computer and pretend to be an airline pilot on flight simulator and probably belong to a virtual airline. I needed a good laugh tonight thanks guys.

To each his own, if i had to be an accountant id put a bullet through my head.

Careful what you say Mr. Boeing717. Learn the industry first before giving us all a bum-rap. I've put my time and money into my career and profession...and it certainly inst a "pretend airline pilot on flight simulator".

 

Up here where I am, the concept of training bonds and purchased type rating (which is the norm in mainland Europe when it comes to getting a foothold in the B737/A320 business) is a total travesty which is regarded with great disdain in my neck of the woods.

 

Fair enough, I broke it down maybe too much. But the fact that someone has the gull to state that the North American airline business is a joke is short-sighted and offensive in my opinion.

 

All this while a Canadian operated European "owned" vacation carrier is spearheading foreign crews in my neck of the woods.

 

I don't know...something set me off reading this stuff.

I didn't say that the industry is a joke butvcomoared to the working conditions here in Europe it's not that "cool" to be a pilot in the US.

For instance, Lufthansa offers you an "ab initio" training, where they pay more than the half of the costs for your pilot training. You can apply just after school, as longs as you meet all the reqirements.

[Edited to constrain anger]

 

It's not about being cool. It's about being responsible for other peoples' lives. For f*** sakes.

With the word "cool" I wanted to cover all the aspects. And man, calm down, this is a forum.

If you feel offended then I feel sorry but this is not the right place.

 

Look, every US pilot I know is not really happy with his job after a few years. As I said, the working conditions are muvh worse there. This fact would make me think twice to persue that goal.

[Edited to constrain anger]

 

It's not about being cool. It's about being responsible for other peoples' lives. For f*** sakes.

 

+1. Anyone who wants a job because it's "Cool" is gonna have a bad time...

 

Rónán O Cadhain.

Ok guys, I see wehre this is leading us to. Let's stop this discussion or simply be polite.

With "cool" I meant that as a pilot you have to stay "cool" in each thinkable situation, sure, you have to be awere of what you're doing, you have to be responsible for everything and you have to be able to work in a team that changes about every week. I don't want to list all the requirements you need to become a pilot, I just want to say that for me this job is indeed "cool", since I don't know any better place to work in as the cockpit.

 

BTW: I am not saying that beeing a pilot in the US is horrible and deserves no respect or something, the job itself is as great as anywhere in the world. If you'd ask me to become a pilot over there then I wouldn't even hasitate to say yes. But I simply prefer Europe and some airlines here. I'd even fly some old DC-6's in Africa if you'd aske me.

Ya sorry. Was up too late last evening.

 

I understand what people are saying. Everywhere has it's pros-cons right?

Right! :)

Careful what you say Mr. Boeing717. Learn the industry first before giving us all a bum-rap. I've put my time and money into my career and profession...and it certainly inst a "pretend airline pilot on flight simulator".

 

How was I giving you "all" a bum rap?? I was talking about those three specific posts.

 

I am on my 7th airliner and have approx 10000 hours of airline flight time and this is my 4th airline and hopefully the last :) . So Id like to think I know a little bit about the profession. I just think its so absurd that a 17 year old virtual pilot is sitting here telling everyone that working conditions are SO much better in Europe than they are here. Please give me at least 5 specific examples of what you are talking about perhaps cite specific quality of life provisions in Lufthansas pilot contract.

I flew with 2 germans at Airtran and 1 Norwegian classmate at Southwest and they would beg to differ, so who do I believe, 3 professional airline pilots who have flown in Europe AND the US or a 17 year old Virtual airline captain??

Now having said, I am sure that there are companies in Europe that are much better to work for than some in the US and vice versa, there are crap flying jobs here and crap flying jobs there.

Then you count the fact that if EVERYONE was getting Ab Initio training over there you have to wonder why our flight schools are filled with so many European and Asian students.

 

And the context that you used the word "Cool" had nothing to imply being cool in the cockpit under pressure, you said its not that cool to be a pilot in the US, reread your post. When you grow up and get a job one of these days you will realize that its not about being cool, its about.........

1) How happy you are doing what your doing.

2) How much money you make so you can give your family a good life.

3) How much time you have off (ie your flying schedule) so you can enjoy life and polish your Porsche.

My motto is "I love to fly but I hate to work"!

 

As someone mentioned above, the flying is still fun. It's the politics and BS that goes with being an airline pilot really takes away from what should be a really great career. When someone tells me that they want to become a professional pilot, I don't hold back the negative stuff. The first thing I tell them is to become a doctor or lawyer and buy/fly your own airplane. That's what my father did, although I know that he sometimes envies the fact that I've been able to fly some neat planes while he has been flying the same Mooney for 47 years.

 

As much as I love to fly, I probably enjoy flight simulation with equal passion. Unlike RW professional flying, I can fire up just about any virtual plane that tickles my fancy and fly in what ever manner I like, whether it's aerobatics over KDCA or flying the NGX into Aspen CO. I also use FSX on a professional level as a tool to prep for those pesky check rides the Feds require every six months (ANOTHER stressful event that detracts from the glamour of the career). My other hobby is RC airplanes.

 

Flying professionally isn't for everyone. The "glamour" wore off years ago. For me, it puts food on the table and electrons through my computer and RC airplanes! As for you guys considering taking the plunge, go get that law degree! ;-)

How was I giving you "all" a bum rap?? I was talking about those three specific posts.

 

I evidently got riled up a bit last night and thought you had a beef with me. Obviously the "cool" comment and one previous got us both riled up a bit. I'm reading my stuff and I shouldn't doubt your opinion or knowledge about the industry ("...learn the industry first.."). This industry is too small to burn bridges, even virtual ones. :) For that I apologize.

 

I like to give everyone the benefit of the doubt when it comes to knowledge; I don't want to become of those 'prove it hot stuff' type of guys on forums.

 

As for clarification regarding my 'type ratings for well-offs' opinion. Granted, it's not the most informed opinion out there, but it's more of a product of seeing good pilots with good families get stuck as the result of monies woes. Kinda gets me riled up. Apparently it's something I'm more passionate about then I thought.

I kinda envision myself working more with flight service vs being the pilot, I like to fly for fun but not so sure if I would enjoy it as a job.