This comes from a co-worker of mine at Northwest Airlines, who was a former Eastern and US Navy pilot. It's the truth, and explains why you'll never see another airline pilot race his own airplane in unlimited at Reno.
Well , The good news is, Today I officially Retire from Northwest Airlines
and I was hired last week for a Service Advisor job in the automotive
division of Sears (which is the first real job I had while going to college
and loved it and it's what I want to do in my old age)--pay is good and it
includes full medical,dental,401k & profit sharing---should be more than
enough even without the retirement money---may still consider the same line
of work at a regular dealership at some point, covering my six for now----
I'll be home every night---no more check rides--no FEDS or commuters on my
jump seat taking up my office space---no more 25% PENALTY for being
legitimately sick---no more scum bag hotels---no more old bitchy flight
attendants---no more 14 hour duty days with 10 hour layovers---no more
drafting my butt downline to fly the remains of somebody else's trip because
they can't staff the airline correctly---no more zero/zero approaches into
blinding thunderstorms or blizzards--no more strip searches at the security
checkpoints by high school drop-outs ( my I.D. means nothing )--no more
subway sandwiches at the airport served by Somalis that can never get my
order right. Can't sit down and have a hot meal between legs at a nice
restaurant cause there's not enough time---no more missed recitals,
birthdays or holidays---no more 3:30 am (body clock) wakeup calls on the
east coast--no more number 20 for take off behind 18 little regional jets at
LaGuardia---no more company bus rides from the employee lot in machines,
where either the rear door doesn't work or the A.C. or heat is out of
order---no more "fear and intimidation style management" to live under( the
head honcho of the Sears store actually gave me the second and final
interview ( not normal) " he actually wanted to meet me" and said I should
consider a position in management with my credentials and philosophies about
how I believe people should be treated and that he was really happy to see
someone like me consider a position with his company ..he told me I would be
an asset to any organization, unlike my current employer, that has always
"behind the scenes" regarded me and my peers as liabilities and prima
donnas..go figure ! I'm not unique. Most Pilots at this point still fit the
same mold. Unfortunately that mold is slowly and methodically being reshaped
by corporate robber barons into something they can shackle to a Yoke and,
who they hope, will never question the methods to their madness.
The more I re-read this e-mail, the more I wonder why it has taken me so
long to come to this decision to hang up flying---oh yeh, it's cause I
couldn't touch my retirement money till now, penalty free....I'm finally
ready for the simpler life with considerably less stress. It use to be that
the Airline rewarded us for all these little inconviences we take for
granted and the time we spend away from home and family that was part of our
daily lives in this profession. We made good money, had considerable time
off and the benefits were to brag about.That is no longer the case. My
Plumber makes more a year now than I do. His labor rate alone is $95.00/hr
when he set my kitchen sink last May and he's a high school drop out. His
yearly salary is based on a 160 hour work month (40 a week) --My $93.00/hr
and annual salary is based on an 80 hour month (hard time in the air) with
considerably more time on duty and away from home. I suspect the New Airline
Pilot of the future will probably be one of those kids you remember in high
school that got out of classes on a 2:30pm work permit to go learn a trade
because they weren't particularly bright. Of course he'll have to be on some
kind of Government program to pay for his training. There's no way he'll be
able to come up with the $100,000.00 in flight training costs to get his
licences, and you'll never see another Military Pilot leave the armed forces
for an Air Carrier position where it will take almost his entire career to
reach the salary he left behind at his Military job. I would not recommend
this profession anymore to anyone I really cared about. My guess is the
Airline industry will have to lower their Standards as well as their
requirements as the airplanes get more automated (the FAA will agree) if
they're gonna get any applicants. Let the buyer beware when he takes his
next airplane ride in the future. I have absolutely no regrets about getting
out while the getting is good. I use to love my job and the adventure that
every trip brought. It's just no fun going to work anymore. It's all about
quality of life ---unfortunately, you don't figure that out till you're on
the back side of the clock in most careers and in the Big Scheme of things,
approaching your own ultimate demise.
Life is really to short to devote one extra minute of your time to a company
as well as a profession that is not everything you had hoped for.. I'm
baffled trying to think of another industry that has so brutally passed on
the increased costs of doing business to their employees rather than their
customers. Even my garbage man is charging a surcharge for fuel to me rather
than rape his employees.
I'm out - a - here.......
Well , The good news is, Today I officially Retire from Northwest Airlines
and I was hired last week for a Service Advisor job in the automotive
division of Sears (which is the first real job I had while going to college
and loved it and it's what I want to do in my old age)--pay is good and it
includes full medical,dental,401k & profit sharing---should be more than
enough even without the retirement money---may still consider the same line
of work at a regular dealership at some point, covering my six for now----
I'll be home every night---no more check rides--no FEDS or commuters on my
jump seat taking up my office space---no more 25% PENALTY for being
legitimately sick---no more scum bag hotels---no more old bitchy flight
attendants---no more 14 hour duty days with 10 hour layovers---no more
drafting my butt downline to fly the remains of somebody else's trip because
they can't staff the airline correctly---no more zero/zero approaches into
blinding thunderstorms or blizzards--no more strip searches at the security
checkpoints by high school drop-outs ( my I.D. means nothing )--no more
subway sandwiches at the airport served by Somalis that can never get my
order right. Can't sit down and have a hot meal between legs at a nice
restaurant cause there's not enough time---no more missed recitals,
birthdays or holidays---no more 3:30 am (body clock) wakeup calls on the
east coast--no more number 20 for take off behind 18 little regional jets at
LaGuardia---no more company bus rides from the employee lot in machines,
where either the rear door doesn't work or the A.C. or heat is out of
order---no more "fear and intimidation style management" to live under( the
head honcho of the Sears store actually gave me the second and final
interview ( not normal) " he actually wanted to meet me" and said I should
consider a position in management with my credentials and philosophies about
how I believe people should be treated and that he was really happy to see
someone like me consider a position with his company ..he told me I would be
an asset to any organization, unlike my current employer, that has always
"behind the scenes" regarded me and my peers as liabilities and prima
donnas..go figure ! I'm not unique. Most Pilots at this point still fit the
same mold. Unfortunately that mold is slowly and methodically being reshaped
by corporate robber barons into something they can shackle to a Yoke and,
who they hope, will never question the methods to their madness.
The more I re-read this e-mail, the more I wonder why it has taken me so
long to come to this decision to hang up flying---oh yeh, it's cause I
couldn't touch my retirement money till now, penalty free....I'm finally
ready for the simpler life with considerably less stress. It use to be that
the Airline rewarded us for all these little inconviences we take for
granted and the time we spend away from home and family that was part of our
daily lives in this profession. We made good money, had considerable time
off and the benefits were to brag about.That is no longer the case. My
Plumber makes more a year now than I do. His labor rate alone is $95.00/hr
when he set my kitchen sink last May and he's a high school drop out. His
yearly salary is based on a 160 hour work month (40 a week) --My $93.00/hr
and annual salary is based on an 80 hour month (hard time in the air) with
considerably more time on duty and away from home. I suspect the New Airline
Pilot of the future will probably be one of those kids you remember in high
school that got out of classes on a 2:30pm work permit to go learn a trade
because they weren't particularly bright. Of course he'll have to be on some
kind of Government program to pay for his training. There's no way he'll be
able to come up with the $100,000.00 in flight training costs to get his
licences, and you'll never see another Military Pilot leave the armed forces
for an Air Carrier position where it will take almost his entire career to
reach the salary he left behind at his Military job. I would not recommend
this profession anymore to anyone I really cared about. My guess is the
Airline industry will have to lower their Standards as well as their
requirements as the airplanes get more automated (the FAA will agree) if
they're gonna get any applicants. Let the buyer beware when he takes his
next airplane ride in the future. I have absolutely no regrets about getting
out while the getting is good. I use to love my job and the adventure that
every trip brought. It's just no fun going to work anymore. It's all about
quality of life ---unfortunately, you don't figure that out till you're on
the back side of the clock in most careers and in the Big Scheme of things,
approaching your own ultimate demise.
Life is really to short to devote one extra minute of your time to a company
as well as a profession that is not everything you had hoped for.. I'm
baffled trying to think of another industry that has so brutally passed on
the increased costs of doing business to their employees rather than their
customers. Even my garbage man is charging a surcharge for fuel to me rather
than rape his employees.
I'm out - a - here.......
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