According to this article we only work 23.5 hours a week!

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Lawndart
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According to this article we only work 23.5 hours a week!

Post by Lawndart » Thu Jan 22, 2009 3:38 am

This is such a joke! Looking at this article that was highlighting jobs that require less than a 40 hour work week. Apparently they have no idea. Sure, we can't truly consider time sitting in a hotel "labor", but if I count the amount of time I'm away from home when working, it's WELL over 40 hours a week! More like 80 hours, sometimes more.

Jobs with under 40-hour work weeks - CNN.com

Also, our annual earnings are $119k? Anybody at a regional making that yet? I'm not. Not even close. Heck, most of my friends at majors don't even make that nowadays, unless you're really senior.

Sometimes I really wonder about this... when I'm doing my walkarounds, or doing the paperwork, or sitting at the gate for 20 minutes waiting for a push crew. I remember we were sitting there for quite a while and passengers were remarking: "You guys don't care, you're getting paid anyway" and the Flight Attendant told them that we weren't getting paid for any of that time. They were flabbergasted. (Like they should be). I mean even to the average traveling public it's obvious that's considered work. I'm not even talking about having to sit around in the crew room during down time, but actual work like preflighting and checking routing, weather etc. Why are we not paid for this work? How did the tradition of getting paid only for block time begin?

Here's the truth people:
"When you see a pilot, he’s not getting paid.

When you see a pilot going through the same security you go through, he's not being paid.

When you see a pilot walking in the terminal, he's not being paid.

When you see a pilot at the gate pulling up the paper work, planning the flight, and conferring with the agent, he's not being paid.

When you see a pilot walking around the aircraft doing a preflight inspection, he's not being paid.

When you board the aircraft and look in the cockpit and see the pilots setting up the flight deck, they're not getting paid.

When you land safely at your destination and walk off the aircraft and see the pilots shutting down the aircraft, they're not being paid.

When you see a pilot waiting for a ride to a hotel for the night, he's not being paid.

The only time the pilot of your aircraft is getting paid is when you DON’T see him... When he's locked behind the cockpit door as you push back from the gate. Every thing else he does until this point is for free, for no wages, nothing!

The average airline pilot is at work 12-14 hours per day, yet gets paid for less than 6 or 7 hours (on a good day).

The average airline pilot is away from home, at work, for 70+ hours a week, yet gets paid for only 15 to 18 hours per week.

Most pilots’ schedules have them working 15 days or more a month. That means they are not at home half of the month. Holidays, weekends, birthdays, anniversaries, summer vacations... (usually) not at home.

A majority of pilots have 4-year college degrees. Then they begin training as pilots.

A large majority of pilots have spent 8 years or more flying in the military, risking their lives and protecting your freedom for wages most of you wouldn't accept in the civilian world.

Civilian trained pilots have spent $50,000+ or more to acquire the training that qualifies them for a Regional Airline job, which pays a wage less than the poverty level in most Western countries.

Most pilots do not attain the required experience level to be hired by a Major Airline until they are well passed the age of 30. The average age of a new hire airline pilot is 32.

Airline pilots are subject to random drug and alcohol testing any time they are at work. Fail a test and they lose their job and may face prosecution.

Airline pilots are required to undergo rigorous training and certification every 6, 9 or 12 months, at which time they could fail and lose their jobs, licenses and livelihoods.

Airline pilots are required to submit to random government "line checks" during which their license could be revoked and livelihood destroyed.

Airline pilots are exposed to radiation levels far exceeding the normal safe radiation limits mandated by the FDA.

Airline pilots are required to submit to a government medical examination every 6 months for Captains and every 12 month for First Officers. Year after year. Fail one and their career is over.

How many of you go to work where people try to kill you?

How many of you have had your office turned into a cruise missile?

How many of you work behind a bullet-proof door?

How many of you are responsible for the lives of hundreds of people, with any small mistake in your performance resulting in the death of your customers (and yourselves) and the financial destruction of your company?

How many of your jobs require you to fight your way through thunderstorms, rain, snow, ice and turbulence, day and night, year after year? No mistakes allowed. The excuse "I had a bad day at work" never accepted.

Many pilots volunteer on their own time and at their own expense to be trained as Federal Flight Deck Officers and to carry weapons to defend their aircraft, crew and passengers. They maintain their proficiency and qualifications twice a year on their own time and with their own money.

How many of you go to work where you are searched, patted down and your personal items scrutinized by strangers?

And remember that airline pilot pay scales and hours worked are usually posted by absurdly overcompensated managers who are waging a PR campaign against pilot unions and trying to justify their own greedy bonuses while asking for lower labor costs from others."

-Author Unknown
So, there you have it. The unglorified truth, but it's still one of the best jobs anyone could have. Just remember next time you see your pilot (even if it's in the Hudson), he's not getting paid... :|
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Tailhook
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Post by Tailhook » Thu Jan 22, 2009 1:23 pm

Pfft that's ridiculous. How about a Pilots Union?... :roll:
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Post by Cobra » Thu Jan 22, 2009 9:29 pm

I just arrived home from an all-night flight from Shanghai to Sydney. 12.5 hours on duty. I was entrusted with complete responsibility for 249 other lives and a 300 million dollar aircraft. I have slept less than 8 hours in the past 48.

For the priviledge I was paid less than the fare for one return economy ticket. You gotta wonder if pilots aren't as smart as you would think.

The sunrise over northern Australia was spectacular however, as was the constant fireworks display in Chinese cities we were overflying. The job does have the moments that make it all worthwhile...
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Post by Beaker » Fri Jan 23, 2009 2:52 am

Viper101 wrote:Pfft that's ridiculous. How about a Pilots Union?... :roll:
You mean, like the ones that are going to guarantee I get an awful starting salary when I leave this flight school and apply for a flying seat? :lol:
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Lawndart
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Post by Lawndart » Fri Jan 23, 2009 3:02 am

Not to mention, the vast majority of airlines already have Pilot Unions...

@Beaker, what flight school are you going to?
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Post by necigrad » Thu Jan 29, 2009 2:42 pm

The summary of what Lawndart said is that a pilot (and flight attendant) only get paid from when the plane pushes from the gate to the time it stops in the gate. There certainly are exceptions, but by and large that's it.

And if you want to know how stupid a pilot is, look at this for an example. The longer the flight the more a pilot makes. So why is it they always try to get home as soon as possible?!!?!?!? I love the airline industry, but I swear to God it's the most backwards one in existence.
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BonJobie
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Post by BonJobie » Thu Jan 29, 2009 8:30 pm

You have obviously never had to suffer through taxiing behind any Delta, American, Northwest, Continental, etc. as they move along at a snails' pace trying to stretch their block length. And another thing: I think going faster on the leg home only makes sense when you spend half of the month away from family and friends.

Bon
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Lawndart
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Post by Lawndart » Thu Jan 29, 2009 9:50 pm

Not all airlines have "block or better" either! Secondly, if it was only that simple... It's not!

I'm all about redlining it, and undershooting the block time any day. Time off is time well spent to me!

"It's not that I'm lazy (Bob), it's just that I don't care"... :wink:
necigrad
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Post by necigrad » Sun Feb 01, 2009 12:28 am

Rereading my post, I think I kinda gave off the wrong tone, and I apologize for that. I was also basing my comments on what I've discovered of my own airline, and a few others.
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Post by Sawamura » Sun Feb 01, 2009 5:47 am

German pilots struck last year in summer, cause they weren't paid good enough. :?


One of the pilots said: "We don't drive a bus. We fly aircraft, that brings a lot more responsibility with it."

And he´s right. 8)



P.S. Btw, the new "Welcome" picture on www.virtualthunderbirds.com looks good. Great job. :mrgreen:
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