Flying for a living

[rbrady]

How do you guys/gals that fly professionally like it? I have my private certificate with about 150tt and have been considering going pro. I work as a loan officer right now and it's the same old routine day after day. I think about aviation constantly and sit out at Lambert all the time listening to my scanner wishing I was in front of one of those jets. Does flying ever get old to you folks after you've been doing it for a while? In other words if you had it to do over again would you have done the same thing?

Thanks!

 

[ballsdeep123]

How do you guys/gals that fly professionally like it? I have my private certificate with about 150tt and have been considering going pro. I work as a loan officer right now and it's the same old routine day after day. I think about aviation constantly and sit out at Lambert all the time listening to my scanner wishing I was in front of one of those jets. Does flying ever get old to you folks after you've been doing it for a while? In other words if you had it to do over again would you have done the same thing?

Thanks!

Can you get me a job as a loan officer?

 

[labbats]

As a loan officer, you can appreciate the problems of trying to pay $40-80k in student loans on $20-25k a year.

 

[yaya]

Here is a pilot pay comparison calculator

http://airlinepilotcentral.com/resources/pay_comparisons/pilot_pay_comparison_20061025145.html

 

[acaTerry]

OMG...here it comes...
but seriously, if you PM me I'l be happy to share my opinions and observations.

 

[hmmurdock]

How do you guys/gals that fly professionally like it? I have my private certificate with about 150tt and have been considering going pro. I work as a loan officer right now and it's the same old routine day after day. I think about aviation constantly and sit out at Lambert all the time listening to my scanner wishing I was in front of one of those jets. Does flying ever get old to you folks after you've been doing it for a while? In other words if you had it to do over again would you have done the same thing?

Thanks!

Greetings..Yes, flying does get old and repeticious after a while just like anything else. Also being away from home, 5 am duty ins, airport food, hotel food, and traveling in general, all gets extremely old. The pay is not great, and you will be in debt FOREVER unless you have a slush fund somewhere to spend on flying. If it was me, I would stay where you are at and fly for leisure. It makes no sense to go into debt for a job that pays 19,000 a year to start and after 5 or 6 years you still will only be making 40K or so as the upgrades are long these days. Anyway just my opinion.

 

[Soverytired]

Make sure you're cool with never being home for the next 3, 5, 10, or 20 years.

This is the part of the job that I find the hardest to deal with. Very tough on family life, the pets, the lawn, etc.


Didn't really appreciate it until year 5, when I realized that this would pretty much be the norm for the rest of this career.

 

[PeanuckleCRJ]

This is probably the worst website possible to ask that question. Everyone on here is pissed off at everyone and anything for some reason or another.

I love it... I'm 25, a CRJ CA, and making well over 60. The past few months I've had a minimum of 16 days off with only 3 years seniority. Last month I had 19 and this month I have 17- only gone 4 nights this month, though.

Our contract needs work definitely, but the company rarely calls me on my days off and if they do I ignore it and open up another beer.

I can't see myself doing any other job, personally.

 

[KeroseneSnorter]

Two furloughs, Two company shut downs (Corporate and pt 135), 15 years in the business and back looking for work yet again. Never seen 6 figures contrary to what my neighbors think by watching movies and the new, and I probably never will. And that includes a legacy airline, the first one i am furloughed from.

Airplanes flown, from a Cub to a 747, pretty much the smallest to the largest.

In short flying is great, a career in flying sucks.

 

[deadstick]

Aside from the debt to income issues mentioned above, if you have fun going out to the airport, flying, bs-ing with other airport bums, then don't do it for a living. Have a real job that affords you the opportunity to fly on your own.

I know many other full-timers who, when they are home, don't go anywhere near an airport until they have to.

Baah Humbug! etc...

 

[CoolSidePillow]

Like anything in life, that most of the younger people wouldnt know because they havent lived long enough, is that flying is dynamic. As you posted you were asking about professional pilots and not just airline pilots. There is a fairly wide range of possibilities to work as a pilot. It should be approached depending on YOU, YOUR life, YOUR needs, YOUR desires. Some of it is planning and working hard a lot of it is LUCK. What a certain company is today they might not be tomorrow, who is hiring, where they are hiring, what equipment they are hiring for, what contracts are up for renewal, who is buying who, who was a backstab to the pilot group (Goatjets), who is a bottom feeding piss on the employees terrible reputation company(Mesa), economy, fuel prices, stability of their particular market, etc etc etc.....
The job is fun, flying is fun, the challenge is fun, when you are with the right crew it is a lot of fun, it is a very cool job, the life however, can be a living hell if you arent lucky or werent smart in what you chose. DO NOT get an aviation degree, DO NOT rack up debt in earning ratings, DO NOT take the advice of bitter people. Flying for a living is very much different than flying around the sky for the joy of it though. A pleasure pilot or even a CFI doesnt mean you will make a good professional operation pilot or even like it. I was like you. I changed careers. I made my money and paid for flying outright. I was lucky in aviation. 5 years from intro flight to Captain 121 that included instructing, charter, and corporate. I was never laid off or furloughed and never step I took was up and not back or sideways. I would like to say because I was so brilliant in picking my path but I was just lucky. Flying for a living fits my life and treats me ok. I make more now than I did and I enjoy my job a lot more but it just isnt for everyone.

 

[PeanuckleCRJ]

VERY good post, CoolSidePillow.

 

[Muppets]

Two important questions:

1) How old are you? If you are 25, go for it. If you are 45, no way
2) Do you have family that is use to your loan officer hours? Leaving the wife for 20 days a month with screaming kids can be an issue.

Best of luck to ya!

 

[pgcfii2002]

If you have family and a wife, its pretty tough from what I have been told.

It's either in your blood or it isn't.......don't fly for the money or glamour, you will end up being disappointed.

 

[Secret Squirrel]

If you have family and a wife, its pretty tough from what I have been told.

It's either in your blood or it isn't.......don't fly for the money or glamour, you will end up being disappointed.

I am a professional and I fly for money. I wish more people would remember that. The problem is too many people getting into this career with unrealistic goals. Like spending $150,000 of money you do not have and will probably pay off the day you retire.

 

[Muppets]

You wish more people would remember that you are a professional and you fly for money???? Im confused.

 

[SBD]

Make sure you have a degree in something non-aviation related. Good luck to you. Love the flying but can't stand the politics of regional airline life.

 

[pgcfii2002]

Get used to working a second job aside from flying.

 

[30West]

Airplanes rock. Aviation stinks. As long as you don't bring aviation into the cockpit you'll have fun!

 

[viper548]

You wish more people would remember that you are a professional and you fly for money???? Im confused.

You get money? I get turkey coupons

 

[Slice121]

You get money? I get turkey coupons

Welcome to Mesa! :beer:

 

[#%&@$!]

As a career changer who spent 20 years bored and stressed out at a desk, dreaming about flying, but making good money, I can give you my perspecitve...

I already had 1500 hrs and CPL, AMEL, Inst ratings when I decided to make the career change. Still had trouble getting interviews, but after getting my CFI and 100hrs instruction that changed.

The first year my salary went from $170k to $15.9K. After 6 years I'm up to about $85k, half of what I left behind.

After six years my wife still hates me for giving up "our good life".

I have spent five of the last six years commuting.

I miss the $100 hamburgers and 3 day weekend getaways.

I miss going where I want, when I want.

I hate the politics of mgmt vs union.

But - The worst day flying is still better than the best day at the old job.

 

[yaya]

As a career changer who spent 20 years bored and stressed out at a desk, dreaming about flying, but making good money, I can give you my perspecitve...

I already had 1500 hrs and CPL, AMEL, Inst ratings when I decided to make the career change. Still had trouble getting interviews, but after getting my CFI and 100hrs instruction that changed.

The first year my salary went from $170k to $15.9K. After 6 years I'm up to about $85k, half of what I left behind.

After six years my wife still hates me for giving up "our good life".

I have spent five of the last six years commuting.

I miss the $100 hamburgers and 3 day weekend getaways.

I miss going where I want, when I want.

I hate the politics of mgmt vs union.

But - The worst day flying is still better than the best day at the old job.

And his wife is saying...... GET OUT!

 

[climbhappy]

follow your dream, you only come this way once.

No, i haven't been drinking ......we all have our story.....it sounds like you have a yearning....do it....see where it leads....I assume you're young so nothing ventured, nothing gained. have your eyes wide open...

 

[Tarzan]

As a career changer who spent 20 years bored and stressed out at a desk, dreaming about flying, but making good money, I can give you my perspecitve...

I already had 1500 hrs and CPL, AMEL, Inst ratings when I decided to make the career change. Still had trouble getting interviews, but after getting my CFI and 100hrs instruction that changed.

The first year my salary went from $170k to $15.9K. After 6 years I'm up to about $85k, half of what I left behind.

After six years my wife still hates me for giving up "our good life".

I have spent five of the last six years commuting.

I miss the $100 hamburgers and 3 day weekend getaways.

I miss going where I want, when I want.

I hate the politics of mgmt vs union.

But - The worst day flying is still better than the best day at the old job.

Please don't take this the wrong way but..... YOU'RE NUTS! Glad you're happy though. Wish there were more like you that had some sort of perspective on what the rest of the world has to offer. I get tired of these guys ranting about how terrible it is only to find out, they've never done anything else. Straight out of college into aviatio. Sheesh.

 

[tjsatter]

As a career changer who spent 20 years bored and stressed out at a desk, dreaming about flying, but making good money, I can give you my perspecitve...

I already had 1500 hrs and CPL, AMEL, Inst ratings when I decided to make the career change. Still had trouble getting interviews, but after getting my CFI and 100hrs instruction that changed.

The first year my salary went from $170k to $15.9K. After 6 years I'm up to about $85k, half of what I left behind.

After six years my wife still hates me for giving up "our good life".

I have spent five of the last six years commuting.

I miss the $100 hamburgers and 3 day weekend getaways.

I miss going where I want, when I want.

I hate the politics of mgmt vs union.

But - The worst day flying is still better than the best day at the old job.

AMEN Bro! AMEN,

I would not go back to the office for double what they were paying me when I left for a job that paid less than my tax bill used to be.

What people who Biatch about flying BS (mgt especially) don't realize is that it's the SAME Krap no matter what you do. Mgt treats themselves even worse than they do the worker bees! When you are on salary they think they own you and are not hesitant to remind you of this. You are lucky to get two consecutive days off on a weekend and there is always work left undone. This job has a start, a stop, and NO homework. I did that in school, I don't want that as a way of life

Let's talk QOL for instance. I traveled a lot as an office drone. Not as much as now but I spent plenty of time in the back of the bus. I still have lots of travel as part of my job but I sit in First Class all the time (1st class = forward facing windows) and I don't have to go to those boring meetings when I reach the destination. I sit next to someone who is competetent, at least minimal intelligent, some of them know more about flying than I do (hard to believe LOL) and worse case paired with an Arschloch; I endure him for 4 days and never see him again. I don't listen to phones ringing with people constsantly trying to make their problems my problems.

In an office job TOTAL ignorance is no impediment to an expert opinion. Kind of like FlightInfo in that regards, except that in an office some of those total idiots are in higher management and can inflict their views on you. In this job total ignorance is not seen in the seat next to me.

The worse day flying is better than the best day at an office job, Don't you doubt it.

 

[svcta]

I am a professional and I fly for money. I wish more people would remember that. The problem is too many people getting into this career with unrealistic goals. Like spending $150,000 of money you do not have and will probably pay off the day you retire.

I really not happy that this point went right over everybody's head. Maybe that's the problem. You see, kiddies, he meant that more people need to quit ruining our lives by taking this job because it's just so darn neat. I'm trying to be a professional here! This means that I understand that these shiny, pointy things don't go anywhere without a couple of people like me in the front....and that's worth a decent lifestyle! Thank god I left the airlines.

 

[crashpad]

I really not happy that this point went right over everybody's head. Maybe that's the problem. You see, kiddies, he meant that more people need to quit ruining our lives by taking this job because it's just so darn neat. I'm trying to be a professional here! This means that I understand that these shiny, pointy things don't go anywhere without a couple of people like me in the front....and that's worth a decent lifestyle! Thank god I left the airlines.

We're glad you left, also. That's the difference between 'pilots' and 'aviators'. If it's your job, then you probably suck at it. If it's your vocation, then you are probably the best. If you're doing it for the glamour and riches, you're in it for the wrong reason (like any job). I clear six figures, have a hot wife (who's a doctor) and absolutely love my work. Good Karma for anyone who is a real aviator happens.

 

[svcta]

So how do you feel about all the people lined up to take your job for 19K/yr?

How do you feel about the pilot-fueled race to the bottom?

I regard flying as an art. Flying jets as a perfect blend of art and science. I'm a "professional" because I take the time to be. It's important to me to carry myself as such (when I'm at work) and have the people for whom I work treat me like they want me to work for them. You know nothing about my work ethic or skills as a pilot.....but I can tell that you're a butthead.

The fact remains that you would probably not fly that airbus for the same money you flew a CRJ for. And if you would you're a hack. How's Compass gonna treat you?

 

[crashpad]

I regard flying as an art. Flying jets as a perfect blend of art and science.

You must be a Butthead too, because you're quoting me.
Scarey, huh?
Sorry the airlines didn't work out for you. Nobodys' gonna fly my jet for 19k. Aviators at this level will see to it, trust me.