The Real Cost of Cheap Airfare
"Gifted? No, not many of us are. But dedicated and focused upon excellence, you bet! I have told my kids one thing many times since they were little children: “I don’t expect perfection, I expect excellence.” I expect 100 percent effort in all you do. This is the creed of every pilot I know."
That is a quote from the Freakonomics blog regarding airline pilots. They have an excellent article regarding the public perception of airline pilots and how they make the difficult task of flying seem routine. Unfortunately, economics and competition have forced airline prices down, and airlines (especially smaller regional carriers) have had to "settle" for lower pilot salaries, which means they're getting younger, less experienced pilots at the helm of their jets. I'm 28 and have been flying for about a year and a half now. I've flown a variety of aircraft and spent some time in a twin-engine Piper Seneca with my instructor. That airplane is like a sardine can compared with the large jets flown by the carriers, and I had trouble keeping up with that airplane (that will improve with experience though). Airline pilots have hundreds of hours of training, thousands of hours of experience, and are subject to an enormous amount of government regulation. Someday I hope I can gain the experience necessary to join their ranks. For now, all I can do is sit back and agree that yes, every pilot I know gives 110% to their flying, and that drive tends to carry over into other areas of their lives. I'd like to think I do the same.
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