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Jumpseat: The Love/Hate of Airline Pilots

Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • Airline pilots face a complex "love/hate" perception, viewed by others as both highly skilled professionals with top safety standards and as arrogant or privileged.
  • The author, an experienced airline pilot, emphasizes humility and personal responsibility in general aviation, sharing an anecdote where he prioritized safety over perceived professional expectations.
  • Professional tension and rivalry exist between airline pilots and other aviation sectors (GA, corporate, mechanics), often stemming from differing job structures, responsibilities, and perceptions of expertise.
  • Pilot unions, largely associated with airlines, have played a significant role in establishing crucial professional standards, safety protocols, and fair career progression methods across aviation.
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Admit it. Airline pilot or not, when you read the title of this month’s column, you smirked. It’s OK. I get it. That’s why I decided it was high time to approach the issue head on. What am I really talking about?

It’s no secret that general aviation pilots, and I include the corporate world, harbor some unfavorable perceptions about us airline types. We have cocky attitudes. We are all-knowing. We can leap tall buildings in a single bound. We can fly anything, etc., etc.

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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