One guys humble opinion...

[FlyingDutchman86]

Good day gents,

Like many pilots I have been browsing Avcanada for years for the job ads and to look for some advice on potential employers. In the 11 years I’ve spent so far in aviation I am happy to say that the majority of people I have flown with have been intelligent, switched on young professionals. However I doubt hardly any of the afore mentioned have posted a single thing on this forum. It has been a point of pride for me to have not yet made a single post on this site, but have decided to break my streak.

It never ceases to amaze me how quickly a thread (any thread) gets hi-jacked by imbeciles. Rarely do you get past 3 replies to a legitimate question before it landslides into a litany of ill informed attacks at the question, the company the question is in regards to, or some other unrelated rant about the state of our industry. I’m not sure where all the idiots are coming from but they seem to have all found a like-minded community here at Avcanada; where even the most soft penis debutant is a big tuff guy with all the answers. I would think those of you that work at any 703/704 company like mine would get your fill of airplane talk at work and want to spend your free time developing an identity for yourself beyond being a pilot, but the internet is still packed to the gills with disillusioned commercial pilots that think the world owes them something; there can’t be that many flight instructors out there waiting for the ceiling to lift?

I’ve spent a lot of time reading and listening to pilots drone on endlessly about their dire straights and how sickening they think our industry is while they voluntarily sit in a four-point harness and bore holes through the sky; and wondered to myself why there are so many of you? One thing I’ve noticed that many of these pilots have in common is that they’ve gone from high school, to flight school, to a flying job. I am fortunate enough to have had the experience of working several soul-destroying jobs like picking orders in a warehouse or sitting on an assembly line. There’s nothing like working in northern Alberta with a bunch of functioning alcoholic rig pig meat heads for 21 days at a time to make you enjoy sitting above the clouds with the sun on your face while a women with all her teeth brings you coffee.

Next time you’re drawing a long breathe preparing to deliver your well rehearsed but very tired diatribe about aviation please remind yourself…. You may quit. WHAT!? Yes my friends we have all made a very conscious and deliberate choice to be pilots, and this country is filled with opportunities in other fields. The fact that one could be so irretrievably morose about his lot in life and so gut wrenchingly offended by his chosen profession but still CHOOSE to stay in it says for more about himself than it does the industry in which he serves. And who knows, maybe this industry would improve if those individuals removed themselves from it?

I’ve worked for some truly shit employers, and I’ve worked for a couple great ones. When my employer was shit it was also some of the most fun flying in my career, I got over worked and underpaid like everyone else and when the shit got piled a bit to high I put in my resignation and moved on. For God sakes lads take control of your own lives, take responsibility for where you are in your career and move on. Everything is within your ability to change. So find a new company, get a hobby, or fu<king quit but please, please stop blogging about it; and when some poor soul is trying to figure out what the pay scale or bond is at a company you don’t work for spare us your “heard it from a buddy that worked there” conjecture and go outside, it’s a beautiful day!

[black hole]

Great post +++++++

BH

[Changes in Latitudes]

[JayVee]

Well said! Applies to some gals too.

[single_swine_herder]

Well said Dutchman ....... why some people love to live in their own whirlpool of misery of their own creation is beyond me.

However, it is typical of the pilot personality profile ......

1- Be in control

2- IF YOU CAN'T BE IN CONTROL, LOOK LIKE YOU ARE IN CONTROL.

3- IF YOU CAN'T LOOK LIKE YOU'RE IN CONTROL, LOOK FOR SOMETHING TO CONTROL .....

this is where things are either positive or negative .... positive is "Can I help you with something?"

Negative is ... "This place is screwed, the airplanes are junk, the boss is an idiot, the money is crap and always will be, that new F/O is a class A jerk-weasel, only a moron would like these jobs where you're screwed over every single day" ..... etc,

It is absolutely textbook behaviour.

[ScudRunner]

[EA757]

I am incredibly pleased that we have free speech in Canada.

I never ever want to see anyone ever lose that right,
(to free speech) no matter how much I may disagree,
or dislike that individuals view or perspective.

[Johnny#5]

Ah yes, another thread that complains about complaining...

*yawn*

[iflyforpie]

Hate to break it to you FlyingDutchman86... but I'm pretty sure that the people you admire in the real world are the ones you deride here on AVCANADA.

The on-line forum is a flawed medium for human conversation and interaction. It is very difficult to convey mood or expression, small mistakes cannot be detected or corrected easily, and our personal filters often don't work as well as they should due to the anonymity offered and the fact that you don't have to directly deal with the consequences of what you post here. All of the above is evident in your post.

Then add to the fact that people can come on here who aren't even in aviation and start tearing your posts down with their internet expertise and eventually even the more constructive posters will start showing and venting their frustrations.

I had a rule for online stuff in which I figured a person was about 25% of the asshole in real life as he or she is on this board. After meeting many of the posters on this site and talking to them through PM or email... I've revised that percentage significantly downwards.

Nobody is forcing you to read what is on here, and if you feel a post does not conform to AVCANADA's posting etiquette, report the post and put the poster on your ignore list.

As for why I am on here so much instead of having other hobbies.... I only fly 300 hours a year, sometimes significantly less, most of which happens over two months of the year. I have no commute time, lots of dead time, and currently it is too cold to sit on the beach and there isn't enough snow on the ski hill. I do do Judo Mondays and Wednesdays.

Most of what I post on here negatively is to prevent people from whoring themselves out on jobs that will either a) get them killed or b) leave them in indentured servitude only to wind up like every other schmuck out there who hates their job and has no future.

I've managed to do fairly well for myself starting out in aviation, never having to sign a bond, never having to go north (if you want to, great, but for many it is only an undesirable means to an end), BECAUSE I was able to refuse less than perfect jobs from less than perfect employers, and BECAUSE of the so-called negative posters on here who convinced me that the rat race wasn't worth joining.

Getting information first-hand about jobs isn't necessarily the best either. Some employees are still delusional about their job (Navajo time.. WOOHOO!) or afraid of repercussions if they are found out. Aviation is small and it is often easy to smell a turd from a mile away.

Safe flying.

[x-wind]

+1 to iflyforpie's response to an apparent honest but ill concieved (im my humble opinion) post.

May I suggest, w/ the goal of being constructive, that everyone here contemplating the validty of the comments expessed learn about the CPPC. That's the College of Professional Pilots of Canada.

Look forward to running into you again iflyforpie, you likey don't remember me.

[Rowdy]

Ah yes, Avcanada, the national enquirer of canadian aviation.

[frozen solid]

..another factor is that guys don't tend to be as vocal when everything is going well, or when there is no point in debating, like if the title of a thread was

"Man, I love my job", or

"Gosh, I sure had a great day today", or

"Aeroplanes and helicopters really are cool, aren't they?"

"I just got a raise today and the company I work for is perfectly safe".

These threads would die out pretty quickly.

I try to be constructive, but really, I visit the forum when I'm bored, and to be honest, even though I try not to participate in fights, some of the bickering here is grossly compelling the same way I assume reality TV shows about poorly-behaved families are compelling to certain people. I'm actually pretty ashamed that I participate in this forum, and I don't really appreciate guys like flying Dutcman pointing out the very reason for my shame.

The internet is just like that. It makes people feel better because they can go online and admit how many times a day they beat off, or confess to not particularly liking Scandinavian people, or whatever, things they can't tell their friends. Behaviour being the way it is, I wonder if a person's true personality is their crappy online one, or their real-life one. If I felt like I wanted a Masters' degree, this would be my thesis subject.

Ah yes, another thread that complains about complaining...

*yawn*

...and now, a post that complains about a thread complaining about complaining.

[Colonel Sanders]

Just to be clear: is your post complaining about a post that complains about a thread complaining about complaining?

[complexintentions]

And I would just like to clarify that I am at LEAST 50% the asshole in real life that I am on this forum. None of this 25% or less nonsense, no sir!

hahah What a great thread, I'd also like to complain about the Colonel's post because it hurt my head. Or maybe that's the fine malt speaking...errr. Whatever. What was the topic again?!

[frozen solid]

Just to be clear: is your post complaining about a post that complains about a thread complaining about complaining?

Well, I just think that if you wanted to make a complaint about a post complaining about a thread that complains about complaining, you should make that complaint here on this thread, in case anyone wants to complain about your complaint regarding the complaint about a thread complaining about complaining. I certainly would have no complaint if you wanted to complain about that.

[Impact]

Beautifully written first comment, dutchman. I wholeheartedly agree that there are far too many in this industry that have lost perspective of what a great lifestyle we lead. When confronting one of these incessantly bitter people, I normally ask them why don't they quit if life is so bad for them in this job/career/industry. They instantly retreat with the predictable "Ahh...no...ah, I..ah...ummm...ahh..."

It's amazing how some people will b1tch and complain about everything in their lives, and affect everyone elses morale by their selfish behavior. My suggestion: If you don't like your job, or this industry, please quit.

[willow burner]

No fair. Now I feel guilty about complaining.

(thats not a complaint)

[frozen solid]

Actually every man has the right to keep a job he doesn't like, for reasons that are his own. How dare you presume to tell him to leave or to stay. Your only prerogative is to not listen if you don't like to listen to what he has to say. He has as much right to make himself miserable as you have to make yourself happy. Either way, listening to his complaining about his job or your complaining about his complaining is equally odious. None of you have the right to determine who gets to stay in the industry or who doesn't. If you don't like the complaining then that's your problem. If you have some complaining to do then that's your problem too. The problem that you ALL seem to have is the false impression that you can come here and tell someone else what to do. How do you like them apples?

[single_swine_herder]

Actually Frozen .... a worker (us) does have a reasonable expectation of being in an environment where we (us) aren't subjected to gossip, rumour mongering, and negativity.


Telling a co-worker to get out of the business may be one of the best reality checks they may ever receive.

I've heard an interesting description of the personality type ...... The Chief Pilot and Ops Mgr could walk up to the complainer's door and give him a cheque for a million dollars, and the guy would still come into work the next day miserable and telling his co-workers what jerks the managers are because they walked across his grass to get to his front door.

Some people are just like that ..... and as a recipient to their message of misery, you have the right to ask them to change the channel, or turn off the transmitter.

These people don't realize their actions are just as unprofessional as ducking 300 feet below minimums "to have a look."

[Colonel Sanders]

I always figured if someone was unhappy, it was up
to THEM to do something about it. No one else is
going to fix your life for you.

Then I realized that some people are just whiny
@ssholes, presumably because that's what they
want to be. Doesn't matter where they go, or
what they do, or who they're with, they're going
to be whiny b1tch buzzkills.

Once you recognize people like that, get as far
away from them as you can. Their apparent objective
is to make everyone else's life as miserable as theirs,
and they can be pretty nasty and unpleasant to
people who don't drown in their misery and sorrow.

I can think of three TC Inspectors (two retired, and I'm
waiting for the 3rd to retire) who fit that description
perfectly. What destructive people.

[frozen solid]

You guys are right. I don't like being around miserable people either.

[Shiny Side Up]

Its too early for you people to be hitting me with all your negative waves.

[1000 HP]

I liked my flying job it was fun. However as a bush pilot I spent way too much time away from home and made a decision to change careers. I hope whoever moved up to my spot enjoyed the people and places as much as I did. The last 4 years the pay was great! I look back on the old gold memories and often miss all the good fun and great people.
With my new career I was able to buy and pay off an airplane in 18 months. Unfortunately I'm just too busy to use it now but it is for sale on controller.
Have fun folks. Try not to complain about the complainers complaining too much

[Beefitarian]

Ah yes, Avcanada, the national enquirer of canadian aviation.

I like that one with batboy better. The Globe?