Why professional pilots suck

Palmpilot

Palmpilot

Touchdown! Greaser!
PoA Supporter
Joined
Apr 1, 2007
Messages
22,755
Location
PUDBY
Display Name
Display name:
Richard Palm
Just thought I'd start this thread in the interests of equal time. :D

Here, I'll start things off:

1. Condescending attitude...
 
2) all those epaulets act as chick magnets and it's tough for us GA/PP guys to compete.
 
Palmpilot said:
1. Condescending attitude...
Click to expand...


Here's a nightmare for tailwheel CFIs - an airline pilot who supposedly has a little time a Champ or Cub way back. :) Had an airline pilot once pompously proclaim that to land a tailwheel airplane on one main wheel and the tailwheel in a x-wind was a recipe for a groundloop. There are attitudes here, not that I'm generalizing. Seems about like a bus driver thinking they have well above average driving skill and knowledge when it comes to whipping a Mazda Miata around an autocross course, only because they are "professional" drivers.
 
Stupid question, but how do you classify the non-professional pilot that flies primarily for business/commute reasons? There should be a rant thread for them too but I don't know what to call them. Or us rather.
 
Sometimes they eat all the popcorn before I get any.
 
They fly with hot stewardess's all day and night long and arguably have the greatest job in the world.

Seriously, one of my best friends is a Captain with Southwest Airlines, he earns over $300k per year (if not more) and seems to only work about an hour a week. Takes the summers off to go boating. Oh yea and at 40+ he is still always dating some hot twenty something... that is why they suck!
 
That sounds high. Are you sure he's not a male prostitute on the side?
 
Sac Arrow said:
Stupid question, but how do you classify the non-professional pilot that flies primarily for business/commute reasons? There should be a rant thread for them too but I don't know what to call them. Or us rather.
Click to expand...

Since divisive rhetoric seems to be popular these days, I don't think there's any limit to how many ways we can divide ourselves up! ;)
 
ryoung99 said:
They fly with hot stewardess's all day and night long and arguably have the greatest job in the world.

Seriously, one of my best friends is a Captain with Southwest Airlines, he earns over $300k per year (if not more) and seems to only work about an hour a week. Takes the summers off to go boating. Oh yea and at 40+ he is still always dating some hot twenty something... that is why they suck!
Click to expand...

I fly Southwest every two weeks or so, and have yet to experience a hot flight attendant...does he date exclusively Singapore and Cathay Pacific employees?
 
Why do pro pilots suck, well it's a hard job being THIS badass ;)

Think there is a difference between the airline and corp jet managers, and the specialty air service aviators (ie AG, backcountry, DZ, acro CFI, floats).
 
It sucks being a professional pilot, getting paid to fly interesting people to awesome places...
 
That does sound like fun!
 
I wouldn't be flying my own plane today if it weren't for the kindness, patience and teaching ability of professional pilots. I learned more from my Southwest captain friend and my Fedex captain friend than the 3 GA flight instructors I had before them.
 
Inverted said:
It sucks being a professional pilot, getting paid to fly interesting people to awesome places...
Click to expand...

I sure hope that there are more interesting people out there than the stuck up rich people you get to fly around.

I still wish I had your job though.

David
 
Pilots aren't required to interact with the stereotypes you mentioned. They're mostly really nice people who are fun to talk to or people who totally ignore anybody else so no interaction is required.

either
flhrci said:
I sure hope that there are more interesting people out there than the stuck up rich people you get to fly around.

I still wish I had your job though.

David
Click to expand...
 
Typical problems I experience:

- Wait what's the date? I have to go to work today? 10 days have gone by already?

- Where did I put my company ID? I haven't seen it it weeks.

- I wonder if my uniform pants still fit..? I haven't worn them in months (that actually happened.. 3 months of reserve and never got called).

- Do I want the filet or the duck tonight?

- Where should we go for a beverage in Tel Aviv tonight?

- Oktoberfest again? *sigh* ok...

- What do you mean I only have 20 days off this month?



Those are obviously the "good problems" some can have in the job.
 
flhrci said:
I sure hope that there are more interesting people out there than the stuck up rich people you get to fly around.

I still wish I had your job though.

David
Click to expand...

Of all the people I have flown, maybe 1% are stuck up. Most are awesome and the well known individuals/celebs/actors/actresses/models/CEOs etc. are really fun to fly. Plus getting a 500 dollar tip for a 1 hour flight is cool too.
 
I guess I would have at one time classified as a professional pilot since I did get paid to fly, but now I am just a useless fly for fun guy. I have noticed that some of the yahoos who drive the regionals into our area seem to think themselves pretty special. But as we ALL know it's the military pilots who are the supreme example of humanity. :yes: :D
 
flhrci said:
I sure hope that there are more interesting people out there than the stuck up rich people you get to fly around.

I still wish I had your job though.

David
Click to expand...

Well, that attitude won't really do much for getting you hired.
 
airlinecaptain_zps261edb76.jpg
 
I don't have any of those fun stereotypes.
 
Military pilots are among the worst.

Yeah, they own the combat airspace, and can put ordinance on station, and land on boats, and fly under fire and all...

But try and get them to fly an ILS as a crew to mins. Good luck.
 
Captain said:
Military pilots are among the worst.

Yeah, they own the combat airspace, and can put ordinance on station, and land on boats, and fly under fire and all...

But try and get them to fly an ILS as a crew to mins. Good luck.
Click to expand...

Oh crap, a breath of fresh air. I thought I was going to have to deal with POA alone.
 
Captain said:
Military pilots are among the worst.

Yeah, they own the combat airspace, and can put ordinance on station, and land on boats, and fly under fire and all...

But try and get them to fly an ILS as a crew to mins. Good luck.
Click to expand...


Maybe the captain isn't setting the right tone...
 
They suck because they figured out how to pay for all that training to become professional pilots and I haven't.
 
RotorAndWing said:
airlinecaptain_zps261edb76.jpg
Click to expand...

Left column middle was literally me today. Last plane to land KMEM before the skies let loose.

Coming from Long Island we flew past a cell over the airport with the idea of going through the line and coming back from the east.

The line tightened and closed off. I was flying and my Capatin co-pilot was working ATC like a pro. We were shooting for a closing gap and it became apparent we were not going to make it. Magenta all around on the radar...

I keyed the mic and told them we need a 180 and we're doing it now. Delta was behind us with the same plan. As soon as they heard me they too requested a 180.

ATC turned us south and I complied for about as long as it took to turn there and then said we're coming about to East. ATC approved. (didn't matter, we were going to with the present squak code or 7700).

So now we are eastbound and ATC asks if we want to try to sneak in to MEM on runway 9. We ask MEM weather and hear calm, broken at 1,200.

I look right with raised eyebrows...

He smiles and I nod. Roger goes out and we get a left 270 turn to South to intercept. Perfect because we were in a small pocket of clear beneath a rapidly building storm.

We need to turn now. The auto-pilot is too slow so 'ding', off it goes. I roll it into a 30 to 40 degree bank for a tight descending 270 degree turn from 4,000 to 2,000. We roll out heading south and the rain starts.

Quick vector south west and we get turned onto the ILS. No way was it a legal intercept but I took it. On the LOC and GP at the same time we rode it in.

My speed was fast trying to beat the weather. 5 out I chop the power... descending on the glide slope and configure on speed. We are stabilized at around 600 AGL. Lower than standard but with a purpose.

As we are flaring the skies open up and dump. Tower keys the mic and says, "All aircraft. Numerous winds hear alerts, all runways." and proceeds to name all the stations (all runway ends) reporting shear.

We just made it by seconds. It was a smooth ride for us with no airspeed gain or loss...but the taxi in was a mess. Couldn't see a lick. Poor co-Capatin couldn't have gotten wetter getting the pax bags on the ramp if he jumped into a swimming pool.
 
Ted DuPuis said:
Well, that attitude won't really do much for getting you hired.
Click to expand...

Wel let me see, pretty much have given up on any type of flying career. Haven't even tried to be a CFI Since late 2008. Paying on $30k of flying loans for the rest of my life probably.

No CFI jobs available here in Columbus except at Ohio State's non-student clinic with hellacious pre-hire testing that I won't do. So not too worried about getting hired.

Life sucks. Barely flying anyways. Almost a waste of money.

/rant off

David
 
Last edited:
Captain said:
Military pilots are among the worst.

Yeah, they own the combat airspace, and can put ordinance on station, and land on boats, and fly under fire and all...

But try and get them to fly an ILS as a crew to mins. Good luck.
Click to expand...

:rofl: Hmmmm. I seem to remember fumbling along OK in Alaska, and when at at CGAS Sacramento when we wanted to fly an ILS to the deck all we had to do is hop over to Arcata or Crescent City and do in in actual IMC.
 
Captain, I've done similar to your MEM flight before. Good to know I'm not the only one.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top