Universal Pilot Trait: Shameless Self Interest

[Firebird2XC]

Hey, Airline Pilots!

It's time we stopped hinging our discussions on the issues that divide us and start finding ways to band together universally. That's been the long-time strategy for fighting unscrupled airline managers.

Unforunately, we're usually too busy arguing amongst ourselves. We're the grand poohbahs of self-interest.

Either we're scrambling for the next rung on the ladder, which we WILL get before the pilots around us, or we're trying to find a way to slide our buddies in sideways when nobody's looking.

It's time to face the fact that there are some blistering universal truths about airline pilots these days, most typically new ones, like myself. I'm sure a good part still applies to the older veterans, but since I have had the the most exposure to the 'newer' airline flyers, that's my source of information.

Universal Truth: Everybody has a theory, and given the chance, sooner or later EVERYBODY will talk about it. Some folks will start spouting it first chance they get, and some will wait until somebody does that and use 'debunking that other guy' to tout their OWN theory, all with disclaimers that somehow put them in a position of moral superiority to the first guy. We've all seen it, and we've all done it.
(This is not mutually exclusive to airline pilots. The freight community seems to have their fair share of this tendency.)


Career progression seems to go something like this:

First step: Everybody looks for the shortest way to the steady airline gig with the monthly guarantee, health plans, and travel benefits. Some of us had to flight instruct for a few years (or other types of commercial flying). We had to wait until somebody liked us enough to actually read our resume and call us in for an interview. Some of us didn't flight instruct that long at all, and just waited until the hiring boom minimums at the airline we wanted finally went our way. Some of us got picked up on the low end of the hiring minimums. Those of us toward the lower end of the total time requirements may or may not have been flight instructors.

This is where the second universal truth comes to play:

"I worked harder for my opportunity, regardless of the circumstances you found yourself in. Any opportunities or chances for advancement that you did not have to work as hard for, whether it was because of your doing or not, will be held against you. You, in turn, will do the same to the next guy. Only through this constant "dues paying" one-up-manship will we really know who the 'truly deserving' of us REALLY are."

(I'm guessing the pilots that win that contest get an extra cookie when they stay at a Doubletree on an overnight, or something.)

Second step: Pilots are competitive by nature, and will fight tooth and nail to keep their perception of fair (they get what they want first, and you get what you wanted of whatever's left). If they don't get it, they'll file lawsuits and class action suits and make crazy rhetorical speeches. They'll try to disband their own union, or start an entirely new one. Or they'll just pout alot. This refers back to the first rule- anybody you perceive as having suffered less is less deserving, therefore you have every right to demand preference over them, even if your present circumstance does not rationalize it.

Third Step: You've made it! You rode the ups and downs of the industry and managed to get to that spot at the top of the seniority list. Now it's the time to sit back and ruminate on the mistakes of those below you. You watch them closely, however, lest their ascension of the seniority ladder somehow come to affect you. It's still self-preservation, just decidedly less cut-throat.

The pilots that have achieved the third step seem to diverge in two directions here: Those that are aware of their self interest and speak of it openly, and those that deny it. The ones denying it are usually the ones most likely to be doing something to undermine someone else's interests. Often as not this undermining action comes in the form of 'altruism'. As altruism, is, in effect, a logically null concept, they default back to self interest. The big difference here is that you may not see it coming, and they will not be kind enough to warn you ahead of time.

Universal Truth: No matter what anybody says (refer to rule #1), there is no simple explanation or solution that will correct the problems of today's aviation industry. Each and every situation is indescribably complex, and for every 'official' story, there's an unofficial one that describes the events that actually precipitated some of the biggest changes in the industry as we know it today.

I'll now offer a short theory of my own on the nature of the industry and how to correct it. It's just my theory, but I'll come out right from the start that it stems from shameless self interest. I want to succeed, fly airplanes, and make money. Lots of all three things, really. Here's my theory, and why I think it's different, at least a little bit:

1) We all admit our self interest is more or less the same. Even when in competition with each other at the company level, we still have many, many common interest at the personal level, and labor group level. Admitting our self interest to ourselves (and in that, to each other) will allow us to clearly indentify what we want from our careers, our companies, and our peers.

2) Once we've idenitified the things we all want, we find ways to pursue our common interests. We need to be very clear that our common interests are being pursued and that we are not operating with ulterior motives. If we achieve this, we create a sense of 'mutual interest'.

3) Once we, as pilots, have determined some sort of mutual interest concept, we can use these as unifying factors to help us keep management from cutting us out of our paychecks, pensions, and livelihoods.

4) We must recognize this not as an attempt to champion a particular value by dominance but to determine a common value by cooperation.

5) We all have to exert some extra effort to stop deluding ourselves that we're all running 'the good fight'. Dig a little, and sooner or later you can find somebody's shameless self interest showing. We're all guilty, at some point and to some degree.

[WalterSobchak]

Originally Posted by Firebird2XC

Hey, Airline Pilots!

It's time we stopped hinging our discussions on the issues that divide us and start finding ways to band together universally. That's been the long-time strategy for fighting unscrupled airline managers.

Unforunately, we're usually too busy arguing amongst ourselves. We're the grand poohbahs of self-interest.

Either we're scrambling for the next rung on the ladder, which we WILL get before the pilots around us, or we're trying to find a way to slide our buddies in sideways when nobody's looking.

It's time to face the fact that there are some blistering universal truths about airline pilots these days, most typically new ones, like myself. I'm sure a good part still applies to the older veterans, but since I have had the the most exposure to the 'newer' airline flyers, that's my source of information.

Universal Truth: Everybody has a theory, and given the chance, sooner or later EVERYBODY will talk about it. Some folks will start spouting it first chance they get, and some will wait until somebody does that and use 'debunking that other guy' to tout their OWN theory, all with disclaimers that somehow put them in a position of moral superiority to the first guy. We've all seen it, and we've all done it.
(This is not mutually exclusive to airline pilots. The freight community seems to have their fair share of this tendency.)


Career progression seems to go something like this:

First step: Everybody looks for the shortest way to the steady airline gig with the monthly guarantee, health plans, and travel benefits. Some of us had to flight instruct for a few years (or other types of commercial flying). We had to wait until somebody liked us enough to actually read our resume and call us in for an interview. Some of us didn't flight instruct that long at all, and just waited until the hiring boom minimums at the airline we wanted finally went our way. Some of us got picked up on the low end of the hiring minimums. Those of us toward the lower end of the total time requirements may or may not have been flight instructors.

This is where the second universal truth comes to play:

"I worked harder for my opportunity, regardless of the circumstances you found yourself in. Any opportunities or chances for advancement that you did not have to work as hard for, whether it was because of your doing or not, will be held against you. You, in turn, will do the same to the next guy. Only through this constant "dues paying" one-up-manship will we really know who the 'truly deserving' of us REALLY are."

(I'm guessing the pilots that win that contest get an extra cookie when they stay at a Doubletree on an overnight, or something.)

Second step: Pilots are competitive by nature, and will fight tooth and nail to keep their perception of fair (they get what they want first, and you get what you wanted of whatever's left). If they don't get it, they'll file lawsuits and class action suits and make crazy rhetorical speeches. They'll try to disband their own union, or start an entirely new one. Or they'll just pout alot. This refers back to the first rule- anybody you perceive as having suffered less is less deserving, therefore you have every right to demand preference over them, even if your present circumstance does not rationalize it.

Third Step: You've made it! You rode the ups and downs of the industry and managed to get to that spot at the top of the seniority list. Now it's the time to sit back and ruminate on the mistakes of those below you. You watch them closely, however, lest their ascension of the seniority ladder somehow come to affect you. It's still self-preservation, just decidedly less cut-throat.

The pilots that have achieved the third step seem to diverge in two directions here: Those that are aware of their self interest and speak of it openly, and those that deny it. The ones denying it are usually the ones most likely to be doing something to undermine someone else's interests. Often as not this undermining action comes in the form of 'altruism'. As altruism, is, in effect, a logically null concept, they default back to self interest. The big difference here is that you may not see it coming, and they will not be kind enough to warn you ahead of time.

Universal Truth: No matter what anybody says (refer to rule #1), there is no simple explanation or solution that will correct the problems of today's aviation industry. Each and every situation is indescribably complex, and for every 'official' story, there's an unofficial one that describes the events that actually precipitated some of the biggest changes in the industry as we know it today.

I'll now offer a short theory of my own on the nature of the industry and how to correct it. It's just my theory, but I'll come out right from the start that it stems from shameless self interest. I want to succeed, fly airplanes, and make money. Lots of all three things, really. Here's my theory, and why I think it's different, at least a little bit:

1) We all admit our self interest is more or less the same. Even when in competition with each other at the company level, we still have many, many common interest at the personal level, and labor group level. Admitting our self interest to ourselves (and in that, to each other) will allow us to clearly indentify what we want from our careers, our companies, and our peers.

2) Once we've idenitified the things we all want, we find ways to pursue our common interests. We need to be very clear that our common interests are being pursued and that we are not operating with ulterior motives. If we achieve this, we create a sense of 'mutual interest'.

3) Once we, as pilots, have determined some sort of mutual interest concept, we can use these as unifying factors to help us keep management from cutting us out of our paychecks, pensions, and livelihoods.

4) We must recognize this not as an attempt to champion a particular value by dominance but to determine a common value by cooperation.

5) We all have to exert some extra effort to stop deluding ourselves that we're all running 'the good fight'. Dig a little, and sooner or later you can find somebody's shameless self interest showing. We're all guilty, at some point and to some degree.

Of course we have self interest because I'm not counting on any one other than myself to build a resume that is competitive. I don't think everybody is the same with the same goals so I don't think there is pilot eutopia. I didn't take the shortest route to the airlines, but I don't blame those that do as long as they don't do it at the expense of others. If you aren't moving forward then you are moving backwards in life.

[SoCalAprch]

Originally Posted by WalterSobchak

Of course we have self interest because I'm not counting on any one other than myself to build a resume that is competitive. I don't think everybody is the same with the same goals so I don't think there is pilot eutopia. I didn't take the shortest route to the airlines, but I don't blame those that do as long as they don't do it at the expense of others. If you aren't moving forward then you are moving backwards in life.

Whats Eutopia? You mean Utopia

[Doug Taylor]

I think the only "Universal Truth" is that there really isn't such a thing as a "Universal Truth".

Freaky, huh!

[adreamer]

the only "Universal Truth" is that there really isn't such a thing as a "Universal Truth"

Yes, my master.

[Airdale]

Self Interest? I don't work for free and I certainly don't do it to please anyone other then myself and my wife. Self interest is part of being HUMAN. You don't really give a crap about the next guy, so long as what he does isn't affecting you. You never want to see bad things happen to fellow pilots and you certainly don't want to be *that* guy that seems to piss in everyone's cheerios. But lets be honest...do you really care about anything other than your own self interest or that of your friends and family?

"Company A is about to furlough."
"Oh thats terrible. Hope everyone finds something else quickly. So did you hear about John sleeping with that Flight Attendant?"



And Charlie, what kind of industry Kool-Aid are you drinking dude and where did you get it? I hope its not in bottled water otherwise I'm switching to TAP.

[FlyChicaga]

This thread is not about me, so I don't care to participate in it.

[MQAAord]

Matt, why do you hate America?

[PCL_128]

Originally Posted by FlyChicaga

This thread is not about me, so I don't care to participate in it.

[Doug Taylor]

Originally Posted by MQAAord

Matt, why do you hate America?

Because we're free. And because Max thinks you're hotter than him.

[MQAAord]

Originally Posted by Doug Taylor

Because we're free. And because Max thinks you're hotter than him.

Hey, what can I say, Max likes boobs! Matt doesn't have any. Sorry, Matt.

[FlyChicaga]

Originally Posted by MQAAord

Hey, what can I say, Max likes boobs! Matt doesn't have any. Sorry, Matt.

Hey now. I have boobs. They just aren't mine.

[Hacker15e]

I don't think there's anything wrong with self interest. In fact, that's what makes us free individuals and not lemmings in some Marxian collective.

"Selfishness" is a word that has been artificially given a negative connotation.

[Firebird2XC]

Originally Posted by Hacker15e

I don't think there's anything wrong with self interest. In fact, that's what makes us free individuals and not lemmings in some Marxian collective.

"Selfishness" is a word that has been artificially given a negative connotation.

Finally, somebody that gets it.

Thank you, Hacker.

I wasn't talking about Utopia, nor was I talking about us all joining hands and singing songs and crap.

I was talking about how many times I see people I see things like "We should all band together like this! (because when this tanks that OTHER guy, I'll make out!)".

I see alot of people telling OTHER people what to do in terms of sacrifices for the 'greater good'. I'm saying that our SELF INTEREST is actually what we should be looking into- because that's the strongest motivation.

We find out what we ALL want and make movements towards that. Beyond that, everybody worries about their own crap!