ATC or Fly Cargo?

[dickburns]

I know a guy that is a pilot but left the biz to become a controller a few years back. He'd been instructing for a while, but got a good offer from the FAA and is now a controller at a Center. He likes the job a lot, enjoys the stability and type of work, makes good $, but still has a passion for flying too. He has asked me whether he should stay in the controlling, or get back into flying, seems like a tough choice these days. He'd take a HUGE paycut (at least initially) if he went back to flying, I think he only has ~900-1k hrs, and who knows if the stability would be there again. Flying is tough to get into a job with decent $ and QOL these days, it seems. But everything has it's ups and downs?

For reference, he's mid-early 20s now and could retire from ATC by age 45 with a healthy pension, so I have told him to just make a second career out of the flying.

EDIT: forgot to mention, the dream flying for him is long-haul international stuff, going all over, to random places (both sketchy and fun) and something a little less mainstream...not drilling holes in the sky with an RJ going ATL-BTR everyday.

 

[RedGuy]

If I where him I would keep my job as a Controller, and fly for a hobby.

 

[hvydriver]

If you are a true friend, you will punch him in the mouth and tell him to stop thinking like an idiot. At least with the Feds the check doesn't bounce, the job doesn't up and disappear one day, and you've got a pension. Of course, you're just punching him to show you are serious with the sage advice you are about to offer. An attention getter, if you will.

 

[Box-Hauler]

not sure of your friends age but with the new 65 he can get 20 years, retire from the controller job and still get 10 or more years as a "airline" pilot. Think of the respect, the money, the chicks...........

Ya, on second thought just tell him to retire and rent a new Cessna, it will have a better glass panel than most airliners and he wont have deal with the PAX, management or ATC......... (ha ha).

 

[MD11Drvr]

Tell him he can fly at 45 with a monthly pension coming it will soften the blow of first year pay. And I agree smack him in the mouth every time he mentions quitting the FAA........

 

[CrimsonEclipse]

If I where him I would keep my job as a Controller, and fly for a hobby.

word

CE

 

[dickburns]

He's 24.

And yes, I think staying with the FAA is the best bet for him, he's on track to gross ~100k this year between his base pay plus premium pay (night and sunday diffs) and holiday, so he's doing ok. Not making as much as he COULD, when flying, but he can retire mid 40s and pursue another 10-20 years of flying with a pension check coming in.

 

[Hawker800]

In the mean time see if you can get him set up doing some part time right seat work. Just an idea.

 

[Flywrite]

I agree that he needs a beating if he leaves the controller job to fly. Buy an RV6, fly for fun, get a PT job in a Citation or something to build time, retire from the Guvmint at 45 then go fly as a second career if the desire is still there.

 

[dickburns]

I think my freight buddies and I filled his head with too many wild stories about our life on the road and all he sees is the upside of it. You have to do whats best for you, no one can make that decision for you. I try to tell him its nice to be home every night and make that kind of money at that age.