What's still good about major airline flying?

[grinder]

This job is about 3 things: chics, money and time off.

Anyone that tells you that they do it for "their love of flying" hasn't really done any (real flying) and probably lists a Cessna in their profile.

Oh, did I mention it's just a job? Remember that, and you will never worry about 99% of the crap on this board.

New Flash...Hot chicks don't dig 50 yr. old balding FOs even if they are making almost 100K/yr with two whole weekends off/month! Its over.

 

[pilotyip]

pleeeeeeease

Anyone that tells you that they do it for "their love of flying" hasn't really done any (real flying) and probably lists a Cessna in their profile.

.

What is wrong with loving to fly Cessna's? I have got over 2,000 hours flying the Cessna's I have owned. I loved every minute of it. Stuff like landing on boats, low level night time ASW ops and flying in Vietnam don't count either I guess. But I loved every minute of it. But then I guess I have not done any real flying in my 12,000 hr, 41 year career.

 

[Spooky 2]

Always the same lines over and over again from you, yip. The fact that you've never achieved 100k doesn't make it a "good income" for a professional pilot. It just means that you've had some incredibly bad luck in your career. I didn't get in this business to just make 100k. I have far higher aspirations than that, and you should encourage others to have the same rather than trying to justify low expectations.

Hello PCL 128 and a Happy and prosperous new year to you as well. Don't want to hijack this thread but just wondering if you have started writing up all the old Capt.s that you fly with? Curious as to where you draw the line before you decide on writing them up, 40,45,50,55, or is it only those beyond help at say 58?

I don't suppose you would share with us the name of the airline that fly for by chance??? I would imagine it's VJ, no I mean AT but I wouldn't want to jump to conclusions.

 

[PCL_128]

Spooky geezer, I never said that I was going to write up anyone. And as for who I'm flying for, if you can't figure that out, then I think your senility might be interfering.

 

[Spooky 2]

Spooky geezer, I never said that I was going to write up anyone. And as for who I'm flying for, if you can't figure that out, then I think your senility might be interfering.

Your memory is pretty short sonny. That or your simply a liar?

 

[Whine Lover]

At a Major you are allowed to take the soap and shampoo from your hotel room.

So that's pretty good cause' you never have to buy soap or shampoo, and if you have room you can take the toilet paper too (Both rolls).


YKW

 

[hindsight2020]

As I was driving back with my fiancé after a week with her family we drove past the approach end at KLIT and I saw an RJ taxing to the hold line. My first thought was realizing how important spending time with my family has become. Without knowing the people sitting on that jet, nor having a clue what kind of seniority they hold at their carrier, I felt for them and wished they could go see their loved ones soon.

No kidding as soon as we pass the runway I look left and there was this huge banner that read " XXX Trucking: $54,500 STR. SALARY, 98% WEEKENDS HOME" ....and it hit me. I tell my fiance "if they [trucking ind.] get it, why can't these motherf$%ers [the airlines] do the same!?" Of course she chuckles and proceeds to leave me to my talk-to-myself-during-12hr-drive rants, but it really hit home for me. The airline industry is not for everybody, and somebody's pros can be somebody else's cons.

What I do take exception with is the cop-out of "love of flying". The working presumption is that if you do not find the flying profession in its current form attractive, or even suitable, then it must be because you are not truly passionate about flying. The fact of the matter is that one shouldn't have to starve to fulfill one's passion, and those who buy into that bowl of sh$t need to get their priorities straight, or stop being disingenuous. I do not mean to suggest becoming a trucker was the point of my epiphany, but rather the realization that working today for a plate of food tomorrow is not OK for me and my family. If you can live in-base, don't mind the lack of pensions, lack of lateral career progression in the profession, the job security issues that accentuate the lack of lateral options problem, and can sidestep or accept the constant pay regression in your 30s or 40s, then my friend go for it. If that does not hold true in some or all accounts, then forgive me for not being "passionate" enough about my passion in life.

To the original poster, I'm also a Reservist, and brother let me be honest in suggesting that in spite of my early stage in the mil flying business I can confidently say that if mil flying wasn't available to me I don't think I would have been able to go through the financial and personal hurdles that the civilian professional job environment presents, specifically regarding having to choose that "career" to feed myself and my family. My point with that is that you have a HUGE buffer with the reserves, and if you didn't have the benefit of a mil career behind you and a backup flying job of the govt cheddar flavor (sweeeet) with all the retirement perks the civilian jobs lack, nevermind the common military mindset of "failing to attain the goal is not an option", you'd think very differently about the prospect of the 121 gig. Skepticim may be frowned upon in the military, but a small dose of it can save your a$$ in this line of work, FWIW. I used to think the same about this board, what a bunch of whiners, but guess what, then I talked to real people, and sans the literary flair you may see here, the theme commonality rang many of the plights and "bitching" to be no-sh$t true. I know I've read and heard enough to stay away from an airline job for the time being, as the conditions don't appeal to me, and if I can say that without even being qualified yet for a major job, then those who are currently qualified for one can exercise the same thought process and look at the conditions of employment and how that stacks up with their individual situation, rather than pawning it off to the "well, if you love flying.." mantra. Best of luck to all in this new year.

P.S. To the 100K entitled poster.... I disagree, 100K is good money...now if that 100K took 3 paycuts (including some of the 50%+ kind) then I agree with you it's chump change. Plan accordingly. Flying may be fun but I can think of less painful ways of attaining 6 figures, academically speaking of course lol.

 

[PCL_128]

Your memory is pretty short sonny. That or your simply a liar?

No, my memory is just fine. Yours must be slipping in your old age, though, gramps. Your cloudy old memory is probably referring to a quote that a poster named "regionaltard" uses for his signature line, in which I sarcastically stated that it would be "a shame" if some FOs started writing up these geezers. I never said that I was going to write up anyone. But, maybe your reading comprehension is slipping along with your memory due to your advanced age. Don't forget to pick up another box of Depends before your next trip.

 

[AA717driver]

Spooky may be a lot of things but senile he's not...

Be careful who you dump on here, Gulf...er, I mean PCL. TC

 

[ASADriver]

Hey 128, didn't you pay to be an airline pilot? Not sure how you can lecture someone who thinks 100,000 per year is bad money. That is probably about 110,000 per year more than you made you first year.:laugh: