Am I Crazy

[hopalong]

So my wife and I had a discussion about this last night. It started out well enough. I told her my dreams and goals and that I am really unhappy right now. I think she missed the point. Turned into a huge argument which lasted a few hours and got us no where. So I am still at square one. Tempted to apply but scared that I will actually get a call and be hired. Then what. She does not want me being gone for a few days at a time and so forth. Thanks everyone for the encouraging words and opinions.

AZFLYER

Don't apply unless you get your wife's total support. It's easier to be miserable at work than miserable at home. Explain to your wife that you will
be a better husband if you are doing what you love, but that your marriage comes first. If you tell her that the final decision is up to her, she may surprise you. Her guard will come down and she won't be so scared because
she knows she has the final say. Then, she'll be able to think more rationally.
Present her with facts. Show her the pay for pilots on airlinepilotcentral.com.
Explain that you may have to struggle for a few years to get ahead in the future but you have the potential to make a lot of money. Tell her you will find other pilots to talk to and ask questions.
I worked corporate for years and was home quite a bit, averaging around 8
nights away from home/mo. I'm at NJA now and my wife loves it because I have a schedule and when I am home, I am home for 7 days at a time. I will
have almost the entire summer off. You sound like a good guy who wants to do the right thing. Now is best time to make the decision because once the kids come, your whole world changes. Feel free to pm me.

 

[Murdoughnut]

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.

Depends on where you live - I know plenty of places where $50k is a good salary.

 

[COOPERVANE]

"EFIS COMP MON"? What the **** does that mean?

Now THATS funny

 

[freighthumper]

Don't apply unless you get your wife's total support. It's easier to be miserable at work than miserable at home. .

Im sure that if you sit down with her and tell her the facts about becoming a pilot she will be even less happy with the idea. Immediate pay cut, but if all goes well youll be making about what you are making now(or maybe less than now) in 5 years. You will be home ALOT less, and while you are gone you will be finding a new family(crew)to spend your time and share your life experiences with. This new job could end at any given time no matter how stable it seemed 5 seconds ago. The part about flying for a living sounds great, but it ends there as far as she will be concerned.

Keep the day job and buy a plane to fly for fun. You wil probably make more $. You will be home more often, and married much longer.

 

[AZFLYER]

AZ-

You began as a pilot and decided you did not like it. Then you changed to accounting and hate it. Is it possible that you will be unhappy in whatever you do? (sounds like pilot material to me) Anyhow, I advise you to go and get in a couple of counseling sessions to get your head right before you go making career decisions - again - that will affect you and your wife.

Good luck

With all do respect I don't think that I need counseling sessions. You are right though, I started as one and became something else. After 9/11 I needed to do something and I did. Went back to school and got a Masters degree and got into the finance world. My undergrad is from Riddle and not worth much. Unfortunatly I hate it but at the time I was doing what I thought was right. Now in between school I also served in the Marine reserves and did a couple of tours in the middle east. So this is my first corporate job where I actually have a title with responsibilities.

AZFLYER

 

[lifeguard]

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.

Tha'ts right! Fly, FLy away!!!

 

[VABB]

When push comes to shove, chances are you will be working for 30+ years. You have to decide....do I want to work at a job that sucks and I hate for 30+ years or do I want to remotely enjoy going to work for 30+ years? I agree that a job decision is a business decision but not to the extent that I would pick a better paying job that I hate over a lower paying job that I like. If you do that you are just setting yourself up to be miserable your entire life.

Mega,

Agreed that it is important to have a job you enjoy, but overall I would rather have the paycheck over the job satisfaction. With today's present environment in the airline industry, the risks far outweigh the rewards. It's great to have a career you love, but a love for the career doesen't pay the bills.

 

[VABB]

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.

I honestly wish that he could. While flying the big jets is a good job (depending on the carrier), it is still just a job. It's all relative to what you are comparing it to. I think AZ would realize that although there is grass over on this side of the fence, it's still green and dogs still crap over here too. But it's all relative. It's great to have a passion for your job, but passion doesen't pay the mortgage.

 

[Northern Lights]

AZFlyer-

I think that a lot of us feel your pain. I'm currently furloughed and working a desk job, so I've had a lot of time to contemplate these same things. One thing that I notice is that even though the career of flying can be a major pain, there is still that "brotherhood" of folks that have a passion for what they do. It is satisfying to use your passion and skill to do a job. When I look around my office, I see people that are good at their jobs, but I keep thinking to myself, "did anyone here actually aspire to work at a receivables management company?"

That balance between family, career, finances and personal satisfaction is tough, so I do wish you the best.

What I can say about flying is that living in base made life a lot easier compared to those that had to commute. I did a lot of time on reserve, or doing CDOs and day trips, so despite working 20 days a month, I often found myself home.

 

[scangadah]

So my wife and I had a discussion about this last night. It started out well enough. I told her my dreams and goals and that I am really unhappy right now. I think she missed the point. Turned into a huge argument which lasted a few hours and got us no where. So I am still at square one. Tempted to apply but scared that I will actually get a call and be hired. Then what. She does not want me being gone for a few days at a time and so forth. Thanks everyone for the encouraging words and opinions.

AZFLYER

Eh....why go to bed mad when you can stay up and fight!