Am I the only one who thinks the pilots of airlines should quit whinning?

Question

Many planes were taken out of service to bring them up to federal standards. I don't see a problem with anything airlines are required to do to make planes safer. But pilots are crying because they are paid by hours they fly. Aren't they being a little selfish thinking only of themselves? What do you think about this situation?

Answer 1

SOME people  whine at everything. Do I think they have a legimate point to complain about, NO. In the particular instance, the aircraft were pulled from service because of a safety issue, which means that the aircraft were not Airworthy.  The pilots and their unions agreed to the contract of flight pay, by block time. Since the aircraft are not flying, they should not be getting paid. However, they should still be able to collect unemployment pay due to temporyary lay offs.

However, there are some issues that the pilots have the right to complain about, but this is not one of them, And i belive the pilots and flight attendant unions are doing more harm than good for American Airlines right now, because if the airlines goes under, then they will be out of a job.

However, I do belive that they have a vaild complaint about exective compensation at American, but that is a different arguement.

EDIT- If the post below is true, and the AD DID have an 18 month compliance, and the airline did nothing to schedule the aircraft to be fixed throughout the course, and waited until last minute to pull all of the aircraft, I do belive that they have an issue to complain about. I was under the assumption from the news i read the FAA required the fix immediality, if the later is the case then no they do not have the right to complain, but if the first sceniro is true, that is mismangement issue and the pilots have every right to complain.

Answer 2

Whats the difference between a pilot & a jet engine? The engine stops whining once the plane parks.

Answer 3

If you couldn't do your job because they had to do building maintenance or something and you were sent home without pay, would you be happy?

I agree that safety is the number one priority, but the pilots do have a right to complain about their loss of pay.

Answer 4

Actually, Matt C, the Pilot IS the one ultimately responsible for the safe operation of the aircraft.  At least from the FAA's viewpoint - regardless of who owns it.

And to the question asked - I'm a pilot, and very thankful for the job I have.  I don't make alot of money, but I do something I love.  To complain and belly ache does not sit well for me.  I would prefer to try and take some pro-active action that might prevent planes being taken out of service en mass.

That's just mho, though...

Answer 5

naw  they should stop drinking too.

Answer 6

Are you a pilot?

Answer 7

Yes, you are the one and only.

Answer 8

No!  The aircraft aren't the pilots responsibility.

What if you showed up to work and got sent home because your computer was broken, then you were told you weren't going to be paid for the next three days, but "see you in four days"?

Employers are responsible for keeping equipment up to par, any way you cut it.  A pilot shouldn't fly an aircraft that is known to be bad, but they should expect to have workable equipment at the gate.  The odd mechanical failure is expected/acceptable and they don't complain about that.  AA's problem is an exception and some pilots are going to lose a substantial amount of pay.

Also the whole "selfish" thing is ridiculous because the pilots are ALSO riding in the equipment that they fly, which means that they're equally as concerned about the safety of others/themselves.  It's all the same "safety", because it rides on the same wings.

FYI Thom...

With respect to AA, Aircraft MAINTENANCE is not the pilots' responsibility.  The pilots do not have to MAINTAIN the aircraft, that is the responsibility of the company.

I might not be a pilot but just because I'm not a pilot, doesn't make me an idiot.  I spend enough time sitting at airports talking to pilots at the gates or whatever, not to mention sitting in old rattling cans clunking my way from one city to another week after week.  Not only that, I've followed aviation since I was a kid.  And on top of that, I have thousands of operational hours in a maritime environment where safety is equally imporant, so don't go high-horsing me, I'm well aware of who is responsible for what, I had my own checklists and my own responsibility, WHILE OPERATING.  Including safety.  But if I showed up for work and there were mechanical failures all over the place, I would be whining about it.

And on top of that, I have two bachelors' degrees, and seven years + (14000 hours?) in my present field, which makes me one of the most experienced in the country, at my specialty.  Just because you're a pilot, Thom, doesn't mean that you're the only analytical person capable of answering a question.

Obviously you totally missed the point of the post (and gave me a thumbs down, right back at ya, BTW)

Answer 9

Who even said pilots are whinning?

Answer 10

Like Webster, what whining?

And, unless you're in their shoes, you don't know.

Answer 11

I agree. Considering how much they do get paid, and the fact that I used to work around them and EVERY one I met had a drinking problem (and most of them had an attitude problem too)...the last thing that concerns me is they lose a weeks pay...

Answer 12

To Stache:  Anyone who calls an A&P a knuckle dragging hangar ape is a moron.  You're living in the past dude.  I'm a registered nurse, and we dealt with similar issues with doctors YEARS AGO, it's not the same now.  

Besides most mechanics make a h**l of a lot more than a pilot.  Check out regional airline pay rates.  You can make more at McDonald's

Answer 13

no.

pilots work there ar*es off trying to get you into the air and to land, fly, and takeoff. They really should be paid set fees. and they can only fly a certain amount of hours so it is a bit afraid.

Answer 14

Pilots and flight attendants and anyone who is supposed to be working has a right to complain.  This was a preventable fiasco and people lost many hours of income!

Answer 15

Yes, I do thing pilots complain (whining) way much.  Since pilots are responsible for the aircraft being safe for flight and all AD’s are complied with before flight (review the maintenance records) part of the preflight inspection.  They have to share some of the responsible for what has happened.  Pilots are required to look the aircraft over before flight so what are they NOT looking at?  I believe pilots consider themselves as professionals.

The definition of a professional is a member of a learned profession, especially one characterized by or conforming to the high technical and ethical standards of that profession.  A&P Mechanic is required to obtain and absorb an enormous amount of technical training.  This training is perceived as a minimum standard of training.  So let’s compare A&P’s training time (hours) with that of engineers, teachers, and pilots.

A&P’s

· Experience minimums

· 1900 hrs (pt. 147)

· 4800 hrs (pt. 65)

· Tough standards        (41 subject areas)

Written, Oral, and Practical Exams

Pilots

· 300 hrs (Commercial)

· 1500 hrs (ATP)

· Tough standards

· Written, Oral, and Practical Exams

Engineer or Teacher

· 1680 hrs classroom

· 127 credit hours

Certification Testing

So I wonder why pilots call us A&P mechanic’s knuckle dragger, grease monkey’s and the like.  When it is the A&P that keeps their butt in the air.  You don’t hear us mechanics whining.  We go about our business unseen and unheard as the true professional we are.

Just one man’s opinion.

Answer 16

What would you do if you were told, don't come in to work today, the computers are down for a week...and you had a wife, kids, a mortgage to pay off,car payments, saving to put your kids through college? You'd be one unhappy person.

As for pilots, remember they're flying the plane, so God forbid something happen, they are just as concerned for the passengers as well as for their own safety.

Answer 17

They don't know how to stop whinning.

Answer 18

When the AD is question had an 18 month window for compliance, and the airline did nothing about it , as evidenced by the massive groundings and flight cancellations, that "whining" sounds more like justified righteous indignation.

Why should the pilots take a hit on pay when the company is negligent?

They're still employed by the airline, so they can't collect unemployment.

Answer 19

Many of the commercial airline pilots that I know are miserable in their jobs - but they would be miserable no matter what.

There are some who love their jobs and don't complain about anything - but they seem to be in the minority.

Also, you lose the love of flying when you do it for a job. A job is a job - period.