Random Thoughts - Part Deux [NO POLITICS]

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by Dadhawk

Many years back I had the opportunity to spend an hour in the L1011 (think 747) full motion simulator at Delta. That was an amazing experience particularly when things "went wrong".

It also totally sucked you into the experience. Towards the end I managed to do a clear weather landing where I wouldn't have killed anyone (with some help from the autothrottle). After the landing, we "stopped" on the runway and I was chatting with the instructor in the right seat. I looked up and realized we were rolling off the runway and had a near panic attack as I tried to stop the plane from rolling off into a ditch. For a split second my brain was going "Dammit I'm going to get fired if I wreck this plane".

I got to play with an F-101 training cockpit when I was stationed in Comox. Not a "simulator" as we think of today since it was all analog and there were no screens showing what was happening just instrument readings. I managed to get it off the ground (as per instrument readings) but never managed to land it successfully.
Tried to find a picture of it and although there seems to be a couple surviving in museums the only pics are close ups of the inside.

[echo419]

looks like the perfect place for my ADD to use it's power to it's full potential.

I swear if it was legal I'd go find my high school guidance counselor and beat him/her with a frozen banana for not pointing me in this direction.

then again my failed attempt to enlist might really be to blame. I tested very high on my ASFAB(iirc) and could have done anything I wanted and after seeing Top Gun as a kid all I wanted to be was a fighter pilot. however I couldn't pass the physical. turns out that years later I found out that I had hyperthyroidism and wouldn't have been allowed in anyways.

[Dadhawk]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

,,,,I managed to get it off the ground (as per instrument readings) but never managed to land it successfully.
.

It would be hard to land based on instruments only with no ground reference I would think.

That said, I've also found that a real airplane is much easier to land than a simulator, even with video.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by Dadhawk

It would be hard to land based on instruments only with no ground reference I would think.

That said, I've also found that a real airplane is much easier to land than a simulator, even with video.

There was an audible tone to help visualize how close you were to the "ground". Since they were an all weather interceptor the theory was that you could fly from take off to landing with no visibility at all. Actual practice of course was a whole different matter.

[echo419]

landing in Top Gun on the original NES was super hard for 6 year old me.

[ichitaka05]

While driving to work, I was listening to radio (which is rare) & they were talking bout under/fair/over paid jobs. Listeners send how much they get paid p/hr and if they feel under/fair/over paid. I was surprised to see how much underpaid some of nurses or school teachers. While secretary jobs are getting way overpaid. It's interest/sad how some of jobs are crazy high paying &/or underpaid.

Not trying to make some kind of gov talk here, but was interesting info I heard this morning.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by ichitaka05

While driving to work, I was listening to radio (which is rare) & they were talking bout under/fair/over paid jobs. Listeners send how much they get paid p/hr and if they feel under/fair/over paid. I was surprised to see how much underpaid some of nurses or school teachers. While secretary jobs are getting way overpaid. It's interest/sad how some of jobs are crazy high paying &/or underpaid.

Not trying to make some kind of gov talk here, but was interesting info I heard this morning.

What was the baseline to determine "over or under? Was it just people calling in and saying they felt they were one or the other? Did they average things out to account for regional cost of living differences? Were the different levels of income tax for amount of income calculated in?
The idea of being over or under paid is not as simple as it appears on the surface. The pay rate for exactly the same job can vary considerably for many different reasons but people only see that end paycheck and do not understand why it is different.

[ichitaka05]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

What was the baseline to determine "over or under? Was it just people calling in and saying they felt they were one or the other? Did they average things out to account for regional cost of living differences? Were the different levels of income tax for amount of income calculated in?
The idea of being over or under paid is not as simple as it appears on the surface. The pay rate for exactly the same job can vary considerably for many different reasons but people only see that end paycheck and do not understand why it is different.

There was no baseline. Radio station simply asked how what you do, how much you get paid per hr and if you feel under/fair/over paid.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by ichitaka05

There was no baseline. Radio station simply asked how what you do, how much you get paid per hr and if you feel under/fair/over paid.

Well a really bad indicator then!

[ichitaka05]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

Well a really bad indicator then!

I know, in general, ppl gonna feel "underpaid". But it was interesting to hear what other ppl do and how much they make. Someone was working 3 days a wk AND making $61k annually. Question I wanted know was, that 3 days is +13hrs to do 40hrs a wk or just simple 9-5 shift (8~9hr).

[Sapphireho]

I'm under paid.

[Dadhawk]

Originally Posted by ichitaka05

... I was surprised to see how much underpaid some of nurses or school teachers. While secretary jobs are getting way overpaid. ....

(Full disclosure, MomHawk works in the school system, not as an educator but a therapist, and works the same scale as a teacher, so I've put thought into this)

Here's the thing with teachers from my prospective, and based on the Georgia school system published STEP rates.

A first year school teacher in our county makes $43,465 a year. This is with 0 experience, a 4 year degree and a teachers certificate. (An advanced degree gets you more pay, up to $59,540)

They also work a 188 day schedule, versus the full time 260 day schedule for most working stiffs. So, the net annual salary equivalent is $59,591 per year.

Yes, they work outside school hours (don't we all if you are salaried?) and there are other expenses that come with the job but they all also go into it knowing what the positions pay, and God bless them for doing it. Any increase in pay would result in an increase of property taxes as well, which about 70% of the property tax already goes to pay.

I realize this varies greatly from area to area of course, but it's not a bad starting job. The other end of the scale is a little more painful in that someone with 30+ years of experience only makes about 40% more than a starting teacher.

[ichitaka05]

Originally Posted by Dadhawk

I realize this varies greatly from area to area of course, but it's not a bad starting job. The other end of the scale is a little more painful in that someone with 30+ years of experience only makes about 40% more than a starting teacher.

In Utah, teachers are most underpaid in the nation. (something like that) I'm not expert in general, but I feel like teachers are one of the important asset. Better education younger kids = better future for the city/state/country. Of course, I'm no expert in these kind of things, so I'm pretty sure I'm missing something in the equation.

Also I work for Library, so increase of property tax doesn't mean negative for me. (Library operate 90% through property tax) More money to buy materials, so patron can get their hands on... not everyone feel the same way, which I understand.

[Spuds]

Originally Posted by Dadhawk

(Full disclosure, MomHawk works in the school system, not as an educator but a therapist, and works the same scale as a teacher, so I've put thought into this)

Here's the thing with teachers from my prospective, and based on the Georgia school system published STEP rates.

A first year school teacher in our county makes $43,465 a year. This is with 0 experience, a 4 year degree and a teachers certificate. (An advanced degree gets you more pay, up to $59,540)

They also work a 188 day schedule, versus the full time 260 day schedule for most working stiffs. So, the net annual salary equivalent is $59,591 per year.

Yes, they work outside school hours (don't we all if you are salaried?) and there are other expenses that come with the job but they all also go into it knowing what the positions pay, and God bless them for doing it. Any increase in pay would result in an increase of property taxes as well, which about 70% of the property tax already goes to pay.

I realize this varies greatly from area to area of course, but it's not a bad starting job. The other end of the scale is a little more painful in that someone with 30+ years of experience only makes about 40% more than a starting teacher.

+Retirement benefits as I understand it(?)