"Incredible!" you might say, "Pilots qualifying for food stamps. Surely you must be joking!"
We see airline Pilots in their pressed suits and crisp shirts as they walk through the airport terminals, hear their calm, friendly voices informing passengers of flight time and weather conditions on the plane and assume they are making six figure salaries, or something close to that.
Wrong, wrong, wrong!
This book is a true to life account of the current pilot crisis facing the nation; its origin, the current status and what needs to be done to fix this problem.
If your Physician put in six to eight years of medical education, training and internship in order to provide you with the best, up to date medical care, would you expect him or her to be paid less than that of a fast food worker with much less training?
Would it be fair if the Physician's salary was calculated only on the actual time he or she was in the office or in surgery with the patient, without taking into consideration the doctor's time spent on patient telephone calls, availability for the times on standby when the doctor was "on call", travel to and from the clinic, hospital or office as well as supervisory and administrative duties?
Why should a pilot only get paid for his or her actual flight time?
Is it fair for airline passengers to have their flights cancelled and planes grounded because there are not enough qualified pilots?
As we read this book, we must ask ourselves if we will garner the political will to demand better wages for our pilots and if we will hold our elected officials accountable for ensuring adequate airline and passenger safety. And then we must act to make sure the job gets done.
A Must Read.
5.0 out of 5 stars Scary to think that people who hold so many lives in their hands, everyday, are paid so little...., September 27, 2014
This review is from: Pilots On Food Stamps (Kindle Edition)
“PILOTS ON FOOD STAMPS: An Inside Look At Why Your Flight Was Cancelled” by Ben Mandell is just that, an INSIDE look at the Aviation Industry.
My husband is an Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic. In other words, he is licensed to work on wind turbines and Airplanes - he fixes them and makes sure that they stay grounded if they can’t be repaired. Once I asked him if he wanted to be a pilot, he answered that yes he would – but we couldn’t afford to be that poor.
This book, insightful and brutal, sheds light on that answer in such a stark way it will make you rage against the corporations that control our airspace. Learning to fly is a passion for some…. A passion that can cost in excess of a quarter of a million dollars just to achieve. To have the privilege of being able to fly a big jet (or even a small one) it costs money and lots of time – and what you have bought with your blood, sweat and tears is the ability to bankrupt your family for the near future. One might think there is prestige in being a pilot, and while the uniform gains respect, that uniform doesn’t swell the bank account.
There are hard numbers in this book – and harder truths. As a voting populace it is our obligation to review the material here, and vote accordingly. We can’t change the airline industry, but we CAN change the politicians and elect ones that will stand up for safer regulations, higher pay and student loan programs that don’t cripple EVERYONE for life.
5.0 out of 5 stars Eye opening info from Mandell, September 25, 2014
This review is from: Pilots On Food Stamps (Kindle Edition)
I saw a short news article that eluded to some of this information a few years ago and it blew me away. This in depth look at the aviation industry and how pilots work and are grossly underpaid is eye opening to say the least.
While many people are aware that this is a very competitive industry and it's understandable that cost-saving measures are taken at every level, what most don't know and what is revealed in this book is just how far things are taken with regards to the minimal pay and benefits afforded to airline pilots. The policies and rules are dumbfounding and I had no idea about pilot shortages or flight cancellation issues until delving into this book.
Important information here and this is a must read.
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About the Author, Ben Mandell:
Ben Mandell is a commercial pilot and a leader in the aviation industry. Ben has testified before governmental commissions regarding the flight training industry and has pushed for consumer protection laws to insure that pre-paid student flight school tuition is safely protected.
Ben has a unique understanding of how all of the pieces fit together within the aviation industry and has been instrumental in helping pilots and aviation employees at all job levels within the industry.
Ben works tirelessly within the industry to help improve the quality of life for everyone connected within it. This book is a direct result of his desire to help prospective pilots avoid the bad guys and keep their career on track.
