Flying Cheap and Professionalism

     The buzz about the shortage in pilots is one that I've heard more than anything else over the past few years and I believe it's true. Last Christmas alone American airlines faced severe pilot shortage. The scheduling system allowed too many pilots take time off for the holidays and there wasn't even pilots to fill in. As a result thousands of flights had no crew. It was also reported in the "Dallas Business Journal" that American Airlines is offering signing bonuses of up to $45,000 for experienced pilots. I think all evidence points to the fact that there aren't enough pilots in the industry at the moment. Also I don't think the pay increase will solve the pilot shortage problem because according to Brent Bowen, dean of the college of aviation at the Prescott campus, entry level pay for first officers has rebounded in the last year and signing bonuses of up to $60,000 at air carriers. And across the board, pilots have been payed more over the past two decades. So my thing is, if the increase in pay hasn't solved anything for the twenty years, it's not going to change anything now.
     The 1500-hour rule was birth, in my opinion, from complains of aviation ignorant people who needed to see something change, didn't matter what changed, they just needed to see something change. Understandably, due to their grief and what they where facing they needed someone or something to blame and something to hold on to. They needed some kind of closure. And they got it, the rule makers increased the requirement for hours needed to fly for passenger and cargo airlines. Among other things of course. This affects the hiring pool at regional airlines because the rule has made it more expensive to get an Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) certificate. It has also made the time to get an ATP significantly longer. These factors can be discouraging for any student thinking about applying for an ATP and so it reduces the applicants the regional airlines receive which of course reduces their options to hire. 
     Professionalism is the conduct and qualities one exhibits on the job without fail. From the documentary the captain and first officer's conduct before and during the flight lacked professionalism. Also, the administrative culture lacked a lot of professionalism.
     I feel like the first year pay and compensation structure of regional airlines did contribute to the lack of professionalism demonstrated in the documentary because if I or anyone for that matter was treated the same way there is a high probability that the job wouldn't be taken as seriously as it probably should. If my employers don't think my services are worth much then it seems to me that my job isn't worth much either, so why break my back for something that doesn't seem worth it ?
     As my definition implies, my professionalism is my conduct so the first way I'll maintain my level of professionalism is to be who I am. Act the way I was raised, with dignity and self serving. The second way I'll expand my level of professionalism is to look/ dress how I want to be addressed. Basically, dressing the part or more.

REFERENCES

http://www.travelweekly.com/Robert-Silk/How-1500-hour-rule-created-pilot-shortage

https://www.faa.gov/news/press_releases/news_story.cfm?newsId=14838

https://thepointsguy.com/2017/11/aa-nightmare-before-christmas/