Airline pilot means no control over your life!

[pilotyip]

Skyline he sounds happy, is there something wrong with that? And if you are happy that is great for you. You can both be happy together, except it sounds you can not accept his happiness because it not what you would accept as happiness. The longer you stay some place the more control you over your life.

 

[BluDevAv8r]

Well, actually today I don't think too many want to due to the state of the industry. I wouldn't.

Any way here is the deal:

I have been with one of the larger regional airlines for over 5 years. I upgraded to Capt. ASAP because of the PIC time and $$ (what little there is of the $$).

It blows me away how little control over my life. I was on reserve for almost 2 years which of course I had no control over my schedule, worked all holidays. The company always decides my schedule and it is hard to move days off.

Now I can hold a line, but it is one of those lines where scheduling decides what days I work and what days I have off. This month they did not honor my one request for a certain 2 days off and then they packed it full. A few times this month I am basically gone for 5 days.

And to top it off there is little open time trips to pick from and if there was my schedule is so packed with 4 days I can't move any around.

The airlines don't care about families. This is why I won't be around for too long. So if you new pilots are thinking about an airline career take this into consideration.

It is not that great out here because when you upgrade or switch jobs your control over your life goes down the toilet, and it goes down for many years.

The sad thing is a lot more women are getting into this business. I don't know what your schools are telling you but if a family is important to you or you don't want to be 30+ years old to have kids, you might want to do something else.

I love to fly but I don't like the airlines! This is what it is really like out here and I know it is hard to accept this when you are training and this is all you want to do.

The airlines could be a good place but with this constant battle between management, the union and the pilots the airlines will probably never change.

Good luck to all, we need it.

That's odd...I'm a 6th year Captain at my airline and have a great quality of life. I live in my domicile, have weekends off, don't show before 1pm, get the vacation weeks I want, and fly with great people. I guess it is all about perspective, choices, and expectations.

-Neal

 

[FN FAL]

Skywest,

Yea, but do your wife and kids live in a ghetto? I did something similar and was not comfortable with leaving them alone in the city while I flew off thousands of miles away and helpless if there was a problem.

What's the matter cuz, don't 911 make house calls in the hood?

Living out in the country aint any better, it could take hours for the volunteer firefighters to sober up enough to be able to help you out, now that .08 is the law of the land.

In addition, if it's armed assistance from the Sheriff's office that you need, think about this one...my buddy is a deputy with a county and he tells me that one hour response times are common, because they often only have two deputies handling the night shift.

 

[RichardRambone]

Im an up and comer and Im trying hard to stay away from the airlines. All I hear is you guys trashing them. Maybe 1 in 10 likes being an airline pilot. I got plans for my career and they are to avoid the airlines right now. Next step is to get some twin piston times flying freight and then hopefully a cushy gig somewheres.

 

[F16fixer]

Questions

Hey everybody,

I thought this would be a good time to ask a few job hunting questions.

I live in MN and due to the fact that my wife is still in law school for another year and a half I really don't want to make a long term move yet. How can a person find out if a job is a one leg commute or two? I would fly out of MSP to where ever. I know these questions are kind of green, but I don't want to waste my time applying for a bunch of jobs that won't be suited for my situation. I think I have used up 6 or 7 lives flying single engine freight, so it's time to start looking for that coveted regional job. American eagle is based out of chicago, but do the new hires ever get that? I always thought they had to go to PR first.

One last question. Is it really a bad time right now nation wide to try and become a regional pilot, or is that the feeling this board always gives off.

 

[AA717driver]

Rambone--It's all what you want out of life. Yeah, the $200k a year jobs are pretty much gone for the airlines (unless UPS and FEX hire you) so you just have to decide if you are willing to settle for the pay at AirTran, JB, SWA or wherever.

Other than my very brief flirtation with the really good pay after AA bought TWA, I never made more than $125k in my career (and that was just for a couple of years). I was happy, though.

Money isn't everything. If you HAVE to have the $1M house and boats and a garage full of Mercedes' go be a sports agent or something. But don't rule out the airlines just because of a bunch of us sit around complaining about how "it ain't what it used to be". Good luck.TC

 

[RichardRambone]

Agreed. Money is defenitely not one of my priorities right now. I want to have a fun job in preferably a nice location. Other than that my pay isn't a big issue. Its just that I never hear any positives from you airlines guys. I could apply for an FO job and perhaps land it but Im gonna wait until I reach my 135 mins so that a lot more options will open up. If I heard more positives I'd consider the job but for now Im just gonna keep building time.

 

[pilotmiketx]

Its just that I never hear any positives from you airlines guys.

Go read the NetJets board. Makes Delta seem like Valhalla.

 

[Goose Egg]

I want to have a fun job in preferably a nice location. Other than that my pay isn't a big issue.

Agree 100%. Why is this so hard for some people to understand?

-Goose

 

[NTXPilot]

AA717,
I would very much "settle" for the pay at SWA. Seems great to me. Keep in mind I'm not at the airlines yet, but the maximum potential earning in the career (or even close to it) is still very good. Lookin around at some jobs now and there aren't a lot that even get close to those figures.

NTx