ABSTRACT
So what is the pilot thinking about as she or he flies the aircraft or monitors the instruments on your commercial flight? Is she wondering if you’re having a good flight experience? Is he ensuring that your ride is as smooth as possible? Will the flight crew get you to your destination on time? Or are the minds of your flight crew plagued by personal problems: worrying about better trip bids that allow time to enjoy life, wondering if the present partner will understand why crazy flight schedules aren’t the pilot’s fault, or anticipating pay cuts because of the economy. As one retired commercial pilot said,
I left the airline because of all the crap I had to put up with. I’m making less now than when I made Captain five years ago, and I doubt that will change. I already had to give up my pension, after the economy tanked in 2008, because management said it was either losing pensions or being furloughed. The union caved in and accepted management’s offer. When I fly my monthly schedule, the First Officers I’m crewed with don’t have a clue about what they are supposed to be doing. I have to babysit them on every flight. They know how to fly the airplane, but they don’t know what it takes to get from point A to point B. I got so disgusted that I left the airline and went to work for the government.
