So what you're saying is "....flying a cargo plane full of rubber dog crap[ sic] out of Hong Kong..." is a actually a better gig than being an airline pilot?  |
Everybody is locked on the airlines. They think the stews are hot, and the pay is great. The reality is, cargo always has to go, it never complains, and flights are assigned on the basis of seniority, on top of which modern sexual harrassment policies mean today is a long way away from Southwest's hotpants clad stewerdesses of the 70s. Most airline pilots will be furloughed at least once during their career, and though the same thing happens to cargo dogs, a strong cargo outfit will likely survive better than an airline due to the fact that it is carrying an essential payload that has to get somewhere. In tough economic times, air travel is optional. However, in today's interdependent global economy, high value cargo will go by air.
Fedex is probably the best job in aviation right now, and that's where most of the former military guys go. So the answer is...yeah, flying cargo is a better gig than being an airline guy....if you value job security and a climate where you can do your job without complaint from the earth loving mortals riding in back. Cargo and fractional ownership are my preferred gigs, and there are plenty of aviation jobs away from the airlines. So my preference is for something other than the airlines. This doesn't mean I am knocking airline pilots, far from it, they have all put in long and hard hours to get to the seats there are in. But the more my contemporaires focus on airline gigs, the better my chances of landing a decent flying job somewhere else.
Skysurfer808