4 year+ Regional F.O.s -- lifestyle changes

[shon7]

For those who have been flying as First Officers for more than four years with a regional --

- what lifestyle changes have you had to make?
- do you have to take on additional debt of any kind (living, housing etc.)
- anyone managed to keep a second job while flying?
-- any other tips on how to cut down on expenses

 

[~~~^~~~]

Four year Regional F.O.'s based on a survey of the guys I sometimes fly with....

1. More days off than their Captain buddies. They have a tan, less grey hair and less stress. Excellent at snowboarding, water skiing and any other fun activity that Captain's can't do with families and a 9 to 10 day off schedule.
2. Nope. The play pick up and drop to effectively get close to and sometimes exceed Captain's pay.
3. Yep. Real Estate, from flipping condos to fixing up older houses is the most popular side gig and some of the guys make some excellent money at it.
4. Free food at the hotels, free booze and movies while commuting in first class on mainline. Free lodging with girls who just graduated from college and have moved to the big city. Refer to the answer to question #1.

With the end of the RJ explosion on us and mainline MEC's marching to the theme of the "Empire Strikes Back" you had might as well be happy where you are at.

 

[Stifler's Mom]

For those who have been flying as First Officers for more than four years with a regional --

- what lifestyle changes have you had to make?
- do you have to take on additional debt of any kind (living, housing etc.)
- anyone managed to keep a second job while flying?
-- any other tips on how to cut down on expenses

1. Haven't had to change my lifestyle. Basically I have never experienced a large paycheck, so I have been living accordingly since I started my flight training years ago.

2. Fortunately my wife makes more than me (Sugar Momma) and that makes the ends meet. We can collecively attack the college/training loans and credit card debt.

3. No second job for me, although I have considered going back for a Master's Degree, but I hate studying. If I need a large paycheck I will bid a line with high block hours or good TAFB. QOL is more important to me, and I love having 3 or 4 days off a week.

FWIW, I'm a 4th Year FO at ASA.

 

[FurloughedAgain]

shon7,

Ain't in funny when guys who have been in the left-seat ever since their sixth month on the property try to give you advice on how to be a career F/O?

You're doing the right thing. Look for alternate sources of income, keep the resume updated and look for opportunities to continue doing what you love (in either seat) that may offer significantly better compensation or lifestyle. Don't sacrifice your family-life (pick-up extra time on days off) in order to pad your paycheck. Live within your means. Remember that this is a job. Your life outside of work is far more gratifying.

Take your captain's advice with a grain of salt and weigh it heavily against their background. Many regional-airline Captains today were hired in 98, 99, 00 when hiring was brisk and upgrades came very quickly. Many of them won't understand and will be unable to put themselves in your shoes.

Always have a plan "b". Take a look at the guys at Independance (who all expected to be Airbus pilots or CRJ captains by now), or US Airways (16+ year F/Os). There may come a time when you are forced to abandon this profession for a short time. Make certain that you have enough liquidity to make it through this period -- at least six months. Sacrifice "toys" if necessary to make that a reality.

I wish you the best of luck. I've been an F/O for 9 of the last 10 years and i've enjoyed every minute of it. I admit there have been times when i've been jealous of my partner and wished that I were sitting in his (or her seat) but I'm happy with my lifestyle and wouldn't change a thing given the circumstances.

Sometimes you've got to roll the hard six. Some of the gambles i've taken paid off. Many more have not.

Aviation professionals are, by nature, gamblers. Our profession has never been one of stability. Those pilots who go their entire career without disruption... with quick upgrades and smooth movement from regional to major to widebody to retirement ... are an anomoly and not representative of what most of us go through.

I once asked a former Braniff pilot what it was like to go from the left seat of a 747 to the right seat of a Bac 1-11 when Braniff went out of business and he hired on with US Airways. His response?

Gear up. Clear right. I'll take the chicken. This is all I know how to do.

 

[DannyNoonan]

cant freaking wait to get into the right seat of a turbine and stop yelling, no you freaking idiot, you dont ADVANCE the throttle for Vmc recovery!!!!!. and WHY IN THE HELL ARE YOU TURNING AWAY FROM THE LOCALIZER. (venting)

-burned out CFI whos looking forward to the future

 

[n757st]

cant freaking wait to get into the right seat of a turbine and stop yelling, no you freaking idiot, you dont ADVANCE the throttle for Vmc recovery!!!!!. and WHY IN THE HELL ARE YOU TURNING AWAY FROM THE LOCALIZER. (venting)

-burned out CFI whos looking forward to the future

Hehehe.... WTF! who the h3ll told you that you pull the nose up 20 degrees in a take off engine failure... oh... and next time please remember to flair on landing numbnuts.

Given time, we will look back and laugh... and of course start shaking in a cold sweat for hours.

 

[fly4ever]

DN, n757st and anyone else in their league,

You guys(gals) that consider yourselves to be "burned out cfi's" at such low time are pathetic. Definitely not someone I would ever want my kids to take a flight lesson with. Why don't you try and adopt a better attitude before you start interviewing for something else.

 

[n757st]

DN, n757st and anyone else in their league,

You guys(gals) that consider yourselves to be "burned out cfi's" at such low time are pathetic. Definitely not someone I would ever want my kids to take a flight lesson with. Why don't you try and adopt a better attitude before you start interviewing for something else.

While we might make fun of some current situations, by no means do I nor anyone that I know of in our current situation even show a hint of unprofessionalism towards our customers. As a full time MEI working in the accelerated multi program enviornment it is often healthy to make fun of certain situations which, at the time, might have been more significant than you give credit. Everyone looks forward to making the next step, as long as a CFI looks at the job at hand and does not treat it like a chore there is absolutly nothing wrong with it. So please... lighten up francis.

 

[Biatch5]

cant freaking wait to get into the right seat of a turbine and stop yelling, no you freaking idiot, you dont ADVANCE the throttle for Vmc recovery!!!!!. and WHY IN THE HELL ARE YOU TURNING AWAY FROM THE LOCALIZER. (venting)

-burned out CFI whos looking forward to the future

quit whining!

 

[FurloughedAgain]

Nope. Now you'll have to THINK those things (really loud).

The little voice inside your head will be screaming, "The centerline is over THERE you moron!" and "WHY are you using the spoilers? You could have avoided it with a little descent planning!" and when he takes the controls from you before the nosewheel even touches the ground on rollout you'll just smile and offer, "Your controls".

Your venting will not end when you take off your instructor hat. It'll just be quieter.