Am I Crazy

[av8er2]

You may end up not being very happy at a regional after a year or so. The grass is not greener. There are many pilots at the regionals that are as unhappy as you are. I am at a regional looking to leave. I will not leave for a job I won't like, I will be picky.

 

[pilotyip]

Go to the regionals, you have to build time to get the next job, it is part of paying your dues. It is always easier to find a flying job when you have flying job.

 

[FORESTGUMP]

You may end up not being very happy at a regional after a year or so. The grass is not greener. There are many pilots at the regionals that are as unhappy as you are. I am at a regional looking to leave. I will not leave for a job I won't like, I will be picky.

or...you may end up being very happy. I left corp. America after 11 years with a "great" company and couldn't be happier at my regional.

 

[capt. megadeth]

What's crazy is that you think 50K with a $5000 bonus is good money.

With all the b!tching about how pilots don't make enough money on this site, what's crazier is that noone has said what I just said. Yes, regional pay is low, but if you can suck it up until upgrade, you will make close to that if not more once you are a captain. Depending on where you go, you could upgrade within 2-3 years. Tell the wife to buck up and carry the load while you are doing that. If she expects the man to be the money maker and provider, that's bad news IMO. A marriage should be a partnership, not a vehicle for one person to solely take care of the other (unless an unforeseen circumsance or something). Good luck.

 

[AZFLYER]

What's crazy is that you think 50K with a $5000 bonus is good money.

With all the b!tching about how pilots don't make enough money on this site, what's crazier is that noone has said what I just said. Yes, regional pay is low, but if you can suck it up until upgrade, you will make close to that if not more once you are a captain. Depending on where you go, you could upgrade within 2-3 years. Tell the wife to buck up and carry the load while you are doing that. If she expects the man to be the money maker and provider, that's bad news IMO. A marriage should be a partnership, not a vehicle for one person to solely take care of the other (unless an unforeseen circumsance or something). Good luck.

Your right that $50K is not great but it is also a starting point right now. Next year I will make about a $12K bump and be in the 62-75K range for a few years. The upside to my line of work is good but the hours do suck. Very long days and sometimes weekends as well. As for making descent money at a regional in a few years is attainable the problem is still how do we survive for those few years with the house payments and the car payments, and who knows what else. Feels to me more like wishful thinking to get back into aviaition. I don't think I will be able to do it even though things currently suck for me right now.

 

[FlySacto]

Your right that $50K is not great but it is also a starting point right now. Next year I will make about a $12K bump and be in the 62-75K range for a few years. The upside to my line of work is good but the hours do suck. Very long days and sometimes weekends as well. As for making descent money at a regional in a few years is attainable the problem is still how do we survive for those few years with the house payments and the car payments, and who knows what else. Feels to me more like wishful thinking to get back into aviaition. I don't think I will be able to do it even though things currently suck for me right now.

Make the change!!! I left the "Dilbert" life behind making about three tiimes what I make now as an FO. Here's the kicker. Can't you still work on a consulting basis/part time accounting. There are a ton of guys with side jobs and bid down their line. Get your flying fix, travel bennies, and still make enough money on the side to eat when you go to europe for free

 

[VABB]

Hey Everyone,
So here is the story and I may have brought this up before in the past. I used to fly professionaly a few years ago and I left for what I thought was greener grass. I now hold an office job in the accounting world and make an ok salary but with good upside. I now make around $50K but will make a nice bonus of around $5000 in December. I am married and my wife works and she earns around $35K. We live in Phoenix and with a combined income of around $85K we have a nice life. So here is the kicker...I am miserable at my job. I hate it. I am miserable when I wake up and while at work I count down so I could go home and be miserable again tomorrow. So I want to go back and fly. Am I crazy? I don't know if my wife will take the news well. She comes from a wealthier background and I feel that I have to provide financially. First year pay at a regional is not even $30K and I am afraid we may not even be able to pay the mortgage. So what to do? Any advice/suggestions. I'm thinking of applying to all the regionals and taking a flying position but I don't want everything to fall apart around me. I am currently at around 1400TT with a few hundred multi. Thanks.

AZFLYER

I would either stay put or find a better/similar job at a different company in the same field. If you want to fly, I would do it strictly as a hobby. Try working part-time on the weekends/evenings as a CFI and let someone else finance the hobby.

If it were me and I were in your shoes, I would look at this strictly from a finance perspective. I understand that some jobs realy suck, but when push comes to shove a job decision HAS to be a business decision. A good paycheck pays the bills and builds wealth, and that should be your goal.

 

[FlySacto]

I would either stay put or find a better/similar job at a different company in the same field. If you want to fly, I would do it strictly as a hobby. Try working part-time on the weekends/evenings as a CFI and let someone else finance the hobby.

If it were me and I were in your shoes, I would look at this strictly from a finance perspective. I understand that some jobs realy suck, but when push comes to shove a job decision HAS to be a business decision. A good paycheck pays the bills and builds wealth, and that should be your goal.

Here's an idea. The two of you swap jobs for six months and decide what to do. I spent enough time doing everything my head told me to do when my soul said to do something else. I'm a much happier person and my family lives better today than it did in the past with me making way more money. I've wanted to fly since I was four years old. The grades in school might have been better if I didn't kill all that time reading the aviation rags in the library. Eventually you realize one day that your either dead or too old to change your path. Now instead of blowing $180 on a big dinner and wine every two weeks we might do Thai once once a month for $30. Two people with a plan can make it work. Just make sure to take turns to make your dreams come true.

 

[myq2u]

I am miserable at my job. I hate it.

Unfortunately, your only choices might be:
1) You’ll be miserable at your job and you’ll hate it (that’s where you're now)
2) Your wife will be miserable with your decision and she’ll hate you

If you decide to go back, make sure you have your wife's support, otherwise you’ll be saying hello to flying and goodbye to your marriage before you know it. Personally, I hope you’ll have a very understanding wife and that you’ll be able to do what you like the most.

 

[climbhappy]

good money is 80 to 100k , 50k just pays the bills. can't take vacations on 50k if you have kids.

AZ,

you can always be an accountant. everybody needs one . just like a doctor giving you an enema. can she move around with you. as an entry level admin person, I would think she could.

yep, you should go for it, see what works out for you. there are no gaurantees, so do your best and see where it leads.