Don't Become An Airline Pilot

[Princedietrich]

Agree 100 percent. Sorry, if you're snivelling about how poor you are making $80,000 per year, you have completely lost touch with reality. $80,000/ year is way more money than the vast majority of people in the country make. $80,000/year is just slightly under the top 15'th percentile in individual incomes in the US. That means that in a crowd of 100 people, 85 of them make less than that, and only 15 make more. True, $80,000 may not allow the extravagant lifestyle you've convinced yourself you *deserve* by watching my sweet 16, 'pimp my crib", and lifestyles of the rich and famous, but trust me, the vast majority of people in the US feed thier families, keep a roof over their heads, and live failrly comfortable lives for considerably less than $80,000/year.

While I agree that the job of airline pilot probably ain't what it used to be, if you think that $80,000/year is poverty level, you desperately need to look around you and see what's going on outside your shallow little shell of unrestrained materialism.

That's the level where my income is at, and while I don't consider myself fabulously wealthy I certainly don't consider myself poor by any stretch. I do consider myself broke and in debt, but recovering and paying off debt rapidly. If I ever said I was poor, I'd be forced to slap myself upside the head with a fire poker.

 

[pilotyip]

sounds like you understand

Please see Pilotyip's signature. 'Nuff said.

If that is the reason you fly, you are truly blessed and I wish you the best

 

[skyaddict]

Turbine PIC is not a be all and end all anymore though... Foreign carriers and fractionals don't really care about it, for example. Not saying that one shouldn't try and get it when it's available, as a good backpocket for US majors (since they still care), but 121 SIC jet time counts well outside that venue- in fact for foreign carriers it is given more weight by and large than turboprop PIC.

 

[Daytonaflyer]

I've gotta agree with these other guys. How can you be in debt when you're making $80K/year? I've never made over $37K and I've managed to save over $20,000 in the last 3 years.
If I was earning $80K/year, I estimate I'd have about $100,000 in savings.

Good lord, man, it's time to cut your spending a little.

 

[navigator72]

Just think, if you had no debt...... You would have some serious $$$ every payday.
For one of the first time in my life, I have extra money at the end of the month.

Read a bit about Dave Ramsey the financial guru
www.DaveRamsey.com

 

[N6069L]

My Retort

Fellow Aviators,

I agree that $80k and flying a 757 and 767 sounds like it's great, AND BELIEVE ME IT IS and truly rewarding and I do consider myself very lucky to be in this position especially after having paid my dues as a CFI and as regional pilot for 6 years and then again my first couple of years at the major. What some of you may not know, is that if you are based in the North East of the USA, $80k is not nearly enough money to live in a decent area in a decent home, (please note I said decent, not luxury) Forget about putting money aside in a 401k, and forget about saving for a child’s education, (and I am sure most of you know how expensive that is). NOW I know we can always commute, trust me I know that this is an option but I prefer to just go home about 30 mins away, and not have to play the standby game and stress out while I just flew back from FCO and am very tired. What a chimera, to be able to live decently at your base! Commuting is very tough and hard on you. For those who continue to think its so much money check out some of the home prices, state income and real estate taxes in the NY Metropolitan Area and you will be shocked. PLEASE fellow aviators, I am not doing this for the love of money, if that were the case I would be with some Wall Street Firm earning the salaries that are required to live DECENTLY here in the tri-state area. Once again I am stressing DECENT and not requesting luxury. I also would like to once again reiterate that I love flying airplanes and don't prefer another profession, but I do think the salaries need to be addressed since many pilots are unable to afford to live in a DECENT area near his/her base so that he/she won't be tired and fall asleep while crossing the pond just because he/she has been hanging around the airport all day because he/she had to catch the 6:43 am flt from MCO because all the later flights were booked. Dear aviators please do realize that we are very underpaid and sometimes miserably treated by our leaders. Now I am not trying to be rude, but if I were to bet, most of you who I think I am acting childish and avariciously, probably are not pilots for AMR, UAL, CAL, NWA etc.
Once again, I want to stress that I am not seeking luxury, I want decency and respect, and most importantly I do not want to be in a fatigued state while flying passengers. They deserve a pilot who does not have any financial worries and not one who has been commuting all day.

 

[Publishers]

While I appreciate your comments, everything begins and ends with "YOU"/ It is your definition of "decent", it your desire to live in a certain place in a certain way, a certain style. Obviously the company should have asked you where to fly and where to base people. I know that during the interview you mentioned to them all of these issues so they would understand your needs.

 

[N6069L]

Further info

First of all, I never intended to upset anyone here but simply state some facts of what you will be getting yourself into if you want to fly for a major US carrier. All I am trying to say is that this profession has become all the things I previously mentioned. You will see this when you fly for a major. To give you an example, I just finished having some snacks and drinks in Paris in the hotel crew room (which is really nice by the way) and there were two NWA pilots and 1 UAL pilot. We initally discussed general things, scub diving, kids, how nice Paris is, etc. But, of course shop talk is inevitable. Let's just say that I am not that far off course with my previous posts...ONCE again, we want DECENY AND RESPECT. I will admit that my inital post may have been very harsh and crude, and for this I appologize, if some of you were offended. What we need to do as pilots is to become aware that we deserve what is fair, NOT MORE and DEFINITELY NOT LESS.

 

[Mickey]

I made more my sixth year at a regional. I don't have sjs and refuse to take a pay cut to start commuting to a "major" in an expensive city. There are a lot of smaller airlines and corporate flight departments that pay 90-100k which is darn good in the smaller communities that these companies are in. Of course you don't fly the heavy iron, the QOL as a whole, I feel is higher. Flying can be a great career if you research and make your sound decisions based on economics and not sjs. It's amazing that so many pilots talk about QOL but then don't act accordingly to attain it. Maybe if pilots stopped flocking to these "majors" the pay would go up.

Good luck.

 

[pilotyip]

Stop it!

I made more my sixth year at a regional. I don't have sjs and refuse to take a pay cut to start commuting to a "major" in an expensive city. There are a lot of smaller airlines and corporate flight departments that pay 90-100k which is darn good in the smaller communities that these companies are in. Of course you don't fly the heavy iron, the QOL as a whole, I feel is higher. Flying can be a great career if you research and make your sound decisions based on economics and not sjs. It's amazing that so many pilots talk about QOL but then don't act accordingly to attain it. Maybe if pilots stopped flocking to these "majors" the pay would go up.

Good luck.

This is a pilot site, stop dealing in reality.