I’m thinking this will be a bit of a rant, but I’m overdue for a rant, don’t you think, seeing that I’ve not ranted one single time during the history of this blog…unless I don’t remember ranting, which is entirely possible with writing deadlines, teenagers, and jet lag distorting my reality…
Ahem. Onward to the topic of this post, which is, also uncharacteristic of this blog, a serious one.
Last night while flying home from Japan, I indulged in some pondering on an issue that has been bothering me for some time: the reputation of commercial airline pilots and why it is so poor. Cruising at 36,000 feet, I puzzled this out as I listened to radio chatter on 123.45, the VHF frequency used by pilots of all airlines to communicate about weather or turbulence ahead, who’s at what altitude and when they might be climbing. A China Air pilot could help you out just as easily as Virgin or another United plane. Last night as I listened, the pilot I was flying with jotted down notes and did math to get the most comfortable ride for the passengers as well as using methods to conserve fuel at the same time. Every half hour or so, I plotted our position on a chart, comparing it to where our GPS navigation said we were supposed to be, while keeping up with what the weather in San Francisco would be when we arrived. Hours on end, we did our jobs, like we do on every flight. But how many passengers in the back fretted that we might be sleeping in the seats, not paying attention, maybe even working off the drinks we downed prior to arriving at work?
Why would I think that? Well, I’ll tell you.
Flash back to a little over three years ago: I was in court before the judge who was deciding the matter of my divorce. A little background: I’m home a lot. I work as few as 8 nights a month, a luxury allowed by my seniority and an international schedule with long overseas flights as opposed to multiple domestic hops. But not everyone understands how our schedule works, and the judge made a few assumptions from the bench that weren’t accurate. So, I attempted to clarify. She stopped me, showing me the palm of her hand, and she sneered, “That’s okay. I know all about airline pilots.”
That stopped me cold. What did she mean? How did she know “all about airline pilots?” And what the hell was so sneer-worthy? But deep down I knew the answer. Airline pilots are rich playboys (or girls), cocky, risk-loving, and immature…if you believe the legend perpetuated by the pilot wannabe immortalized in the movie Catch Me If You Can. And it seems a lot of people do. We’re seen as sort of oily, lumped together with used car dealers and ambulance chasers. Of questionable morals, airline pilots are overpaid, under-worked prima donnas. Wherever did this perception come from? It makes no sense to me.
One would think there’d be respect for any profession where you are responsible for hundreds of lives, where you need to have a vast store of knowledge at the ready to use in a split second without warning and without hesitation, possibly under conditions simulating combat. I would think there’d be respect for anyone required to be a professional in their private life, too, taking care of the mind and body with decent rest and nutrition and exercise so as to be in top form for the rigors of air travel and all the crap that accompanies it, shifting time zones, working against the body clock, odd meal times, etc. Emergency room docs have that respect, so do police and firefighters, but not, apparently, commercial pilots. Why is that?
I remember just after 9-11 hearing everywhere I went the kudos and thanks going out to law enforcement and public safety officers, soldiers, too, people expressing their gratitude, which these heroes did deserve, but just once, once, it would have been nice to hear someone say thanks to the airline crews who had to leave their fearful families at home when it was time to go back to work, families worried for our safety as we climbed back into the planes in the chaotic weeks after 9-11. Getting the world’s transportation system back on its feet was just as important as security in many ways, but not once did I hear anyone comment on our courage in doing so. I don’t think people realized it? But hearing my youngest say before I went out the door that day, “Mommy, please don’t fly into any buildings,” was one of the most gut-wrenching things I ever had to experience.
Let me tell you how impressive your cockpit crew is on a typical flight. I hope it will reassure you the next time you board a plane. A big percentage of the pilots who bring you to places were military pilots, like I was. Some still are, serving in the reserves and the Air National Guard. Many more have advanced degrees. These are bright, bright people, the very best. Many could have been surgeons or engineers, but they chose to follow their love of flying. Though I think in coming decades you will see less of this. Aviation will no longer lure the best people. Faced with the decimation of salaries and benefits, the best will simply go elsewhere, where their skills will be properly compensated. Left manning your cockpit of the future will be the second tier. But that is a problem to be faced by our children’s and grandchildren’s generation, and it will be a problem someday, mark my words.
Speaking of the gutting of my profession, and please understand I am not complaining but only stating fact, I am now living on less than half the salary I earned in 2002. But my mortgage hasn’t changed. In fact, it has gone up. Expenses like groceries have, too. Let me just say that there are times it is a weeeeeeeeeeee bit tight in the Grant household, as I’m sure it is in many airline pilots’ homes, especially those 60+ year-old pilots who retired only to see their pensions go poof. At 46, I at least have some years to get some money saved, but they’re screwed, to put a fine point on it. But, I make it a policy not to lay awake at night worrying about what I can’t change. In fact, I often joke about it all because in black moments, humor is a lifesaver. In fact, my irreverence surfaced in a newspaper interview. (link may require a one-time, no obligation registration) The joke I made about the lack of furniture in my living room, something brought up by the reporter, not me, torched off a firestorm of hate mail. “You airline pilots are ungrateful,” wrote one man. “You should be happy you’re at least getting some retirement! (meaning $800 to live on as opposed to zero). Yeppers, I should be happy, a college degree from the USAF Academy, 25 years flying jets, 17 years with this company, and I should be happy to get a tenth of the pension I was promised. And how dare I joke about the lack of furniture, humor that somehow keeps me sane, as you, my blog readers, well know. “You are a spoiled brat,” ranted one woman–a pastor’s wife!–“You airline pilots are nothing but a bunch of whiners.”
In the end, the bitter anger on the part of the public directed toward my profession shocked me. Why is this? Like I said, I have no answers, only speculation. Why do you think this is? What is your opinion of commercial airline pilots? If it is negative, how did it get that way? Some say it’s been perpetuated by the airlines themselves, but that seems so diabolical. I’m just curious and will be interested in seeing any comments you care to leave!
I’ll close saying that despite some public opinion out there, I remain immensely proud of my flying brothers and sisters. I know what we do and how few people can do it. I know how good we are, how professional, and how much we value the lives of those we fly. With tens of thousands of aircraft taking off and landing every day, and with accidents so rare, I hope you take a moment to appreciate this, too, as we appreciate e
ach and every one of you who buys a ticket and trusts us to fly you there safely.