Are most airline/airline contracted ramp agents and customer service agents interested in aviation?

N918KT

N918KT

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I am wondering, but are the majority of ramp agents or customer service agents who work in ticketing/gate duties/etc. at the major airports interested in aviation, want to become a professional pilot, or go into other better careers in aviation? Or do they view this as just like every other average job?

I always seem to read stories here online that for the line service techs or customer service agents at GA airports they most likely want to become pilots or find a better job in the aviation industry, viewing these jobs as a starting point for their careers, but I am not sure if that is the same case for the majority of line guys/customer service reps at major airports.
 
I've met plenty and judging by their lack of wanting to learn anything on the technical side I would say it's just a job to them.
 
I suppose most don't. Personally I would hate working around airplanes if I couldn't be a pilot. Never been much of a spectator in life, but to each their own.
 
Its a job. Occasionally I hear stories of pilots who started their airline career on the ramp, but that was usually a part-time college job. There's not a very direct connection between gate/ramp agent and getting hired as a pilot.

Working customer service or line service for an FBO, particularly an FBO that offers flight training or charter services, there's a better possibility of getting discounted flight training or non-revenue flight time.
 
I worked the ramp,back on the Stone Age,as a damper the goal was to make gate agent. Two of us ,did get our private ,with the intent of eventually moving on in the airlines as pilots.eventually took a job with the fire Dept. And never looked back,however there’s always the thoughts of what could have been.
 
I think for most it never enters their mind.
In addition, I don’t think you’d want most of them to be your pilot.
 
We had a few rampers that got all their certificates and were able to be hired as pilots with our airline, keeping their vacation time and company seniority, but having to start as the low man on the pilot roster. Captains now. Know a few FAs who took a leave of absence and are probably Captains now. Had a couple airline mechanics that became airline pilots too. Don't recall any gate agents who wanted to do it though. May have been a dispatcher or two.
 
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Some are interested, but of those that are interested, it's a pipe dream. Ramp just doesn't pay very well.

At IAD each year they have a charity event for the Special Olympics called the "Plane Pull." It takes place on the air cargo ramp. They use a big FedEx scale to weigh the teams. In addition to the big event there's lots of other little exhibits and they invite people to bring in aircraft. I spent a lot of time letting kids sit in my plane, but as the day went by I put more than a few cargo handlers in the pilot's seat. Here are people who spend all day long working around big aircraft, but they've never got a chance to sit in one.
 
Worked OPS for NWA and for the most part the gate and ramp folks were not interested in learning to fly. I did get my rating eventually and it was a huge help in dealing with crews. I soloed in 1969 and would have jumped into the ratings game and made a run for ATP but basically the major airlines were all staffed by the WW2 boys, and I know NWA for one didn't hire a single pilot for a ten year period back in those days. In the 80's I talked to a guy with 10,000 hours who was trying to get hired by a small commuter that flew a Navajo. This is shaping up to be a golden time to get hired for an airline career, if they don't replace everybody with robots..........lol
 
hindsight2020 said:
I suppose most don't. Personally I would hate working around airplanes if I couldn't be a pilot. Never been much of a spectator in life, but to each their own.
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Yeah, that would be like being the sound guy on a porn set.
 
It’s just a job to the vast majority of them but they are not alone in this respect. I know mechanics and pilots who do not have a passion for aviation. It’s just a job to them.
 
I think a good amount of them are interested. Delta is starting a program for current Delta employees giving them a pathway to become Delta pilots.
 
There are some but I think the majority just see it as a low paying job. I've even be yelled at after saving someones skin or trying to teach them to be a bit safer. One lav guy followed me yelling after I stopped him from walking backwards into the APU exhaust. Mind you that exhaust port is at head level on a CRJ 200. Dude I'm sorry I didn't let you get third degree burns and blown eardrums.
 
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