Cessna profits plunge......OT (or is it?)

"Dan Luke" wrote in message
...
| C J Campbell wrote:
| In every sector of aviation there appears to be bunch
| of losers that are barely able to tie their own shoes, and a
| couple of performers that seem to make money despite
| all the excuses the losers have.
|
| And why is this so? Because aviation businesses are almost all terribly
| difficult to be successful in:

Every field of business is terribly difficult. No excuse. If you can't stand
the heat, get out of the kitchen. What I said about aviation can be applied
to almost every other field of business. There may be exceptions, but I
can't think of any right now.

I have had just about enough of the idea that aviation is somehow different
than other businesses, that ordinary business principles don't apply to
aviation, that the only reason to get into aviation is that you love it,
etc. Well, here's a news flash: people succeed because they work hard, use
their imaginations, keep costs to a minimum, and charge enough for their
labor and capital to get a reasonable return. They try to sell a product
that people actually want. Loving your work makes all that a lot easier, but
it is not totally necessary. Nevertheless, I'll bet that Bill Gates loves
his job.

Now, there is no question that people want to fly. Look at what they put up
with in order to do it. The customer in this industry is generally treated
like crap. The whole message from the time he walks in the door is, "We
don't value our jobs very highly, and we think even less of you. At best,
you are an inconvenience. At worst, a dangerous criminal."