My two cents
I realize the below is easy for me to write because I currently have a job, but I'd like to throw my two cents in.
First of all, I don't know about you guys, but I get annoyed when I read people post that you can either "fly airplanes or flip burgers for McDonalds or greet at Walmart." What a bunch of crap. The people that write that are either selling themselves short or perhaps are the few whose only skills would allow them to fill those types of jobs. I KNOW that doesn't apply to many of the pilots I come across.
Unfortunately at UAL, I have had the opportunity to fly with many jr. F/O's who found themselves on the street during furlough#1. For those who got non-flying jobs, they almost always ended up landing on their feet. Maybe not right away, but many were able to find non-aviation jobs that they were able to support their family on. You're a college educated professional. I don't care what your degree is. You were responsible for a multi-million dollar aircraft and the safekeeping of 10's of thousands of passengers. Unless the economy goes completely tit$ up, I bet most will find something.
But let's say you don't. You got a college degree before. Can you not get another one? Is there NOTHING else but aviation that interests you? I feel bad for you if you have no other interests. It's probably not going to take you 4 years to get another Bachelor's Degree, especially if you're young and just out of college. Have you looked at your local community college? The ones in my area charge $30/credit hour and have some Associate Degree programs that you can acutally make a living with AND have in your back pocket in case oil goes back to $200/bbl. some day and you find yourelf on the street.
How about a graduate degree? It may take you a couple of years to take the standardizing testing, to get into a program, and then to complete the degree. Maybe you can complete your education during these economic doldrums and perhaps be looking at a better economy 2 years down the road?
How are you going to pay for this? Does your State's unemployment benefits help pay for retraining? Have you heard of the
Hope and Lifetime Learning Credits? Could you work
any job just to pay tuition for a couple of years in order to obtain education or training that actually is in demand?
For those of us that currently have jobs.....I know many financial planners tell their clients to have 6 to 9 months of living expenses set aside in case you lose your job. For airline pilots, that's not nearly enough. We have a special profession that has unusual carrer path progressions. If an accountant loses his $60K/yr. job, chances are he'll be able to find a job that pays something resembling that figure within 6 to 9 months. If an airline pilot loses his $60K/year job, chances are he'll be making $20K/yr. when he starts over at his new airline OR will have to WALK AWAY FROM THIS CAREER, either for a few months, years, or permanently. Figure out what it is going to cost you to completely walk away or start over at 20K/yr. Have that figure set aside in cash. It's amazing how stress free your life will become when you have that figure sitting in a liquid account.
I think airline pilots have to always have the mindset that they may wake up one morning and their job is *poof* gone. This mindset should go with the profession just like Christmases in Cedar Rapids and proficiency checks. If you take the time to sit down, figure out what you would do if that really happened, and have a plan (and the cash) to execute that plan, I bet most airline guys would lead much less stressful lives. That money also makes for an ample strike fund should that day ever come in your career.
And for God's sake, stop disparaging your fellow pilots by reinforcing the ridiculous "walmart/McDonald's" stereotype.
RANT OVER.
