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Day Job?

Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • The author observes a growing trend among airline pilots, including himself and his colleagues, of treating their profession as a "side job" while actively pursuing or developing other, more lucrative business ventures and alternative incomes.
  • This shift is primarily driven by significant reductions in pilot pay and benefits, increased working demands, inconvenient security procedures, and overall dissatisfaction with airline management and the erosion of job satisfaction.
  • The author expresses concern that this widespread pursuit of alternative financial avenues could lead to pilots losing focus on their primary career, potentially impacting proficiency and raising questions about the implications for flying public safety.
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My copilot walked over to the counter top in JFK Operations where I had scattered various segments of the flight plan paperwork. His pace was quick. He introduced himself and apologized for his slight tardiness. He had commuted in from South Carolina to La Guardia and had taken a taxi ride through rush hour traffic over to JFK. We were departing to Zurich, a destination I had never been.

Almost nine months had passed since my last trip across The Pond. I felt a little rusty with the procedures. A proficient copilot would keep me out of trouble. My biggest challenge was to shake off the lethargy of almost a month’s vacation. The next challenge, about nine hours away, would be flying the arrival idiosyncrasies into Zurich.

Les Abend

Les Abend is a retired, 34-year veteran of American Airlines, attempting to readjust his passion for flying airplanes in the lower flight levels—without the assistance of a copilot.

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