Career-No

[adam_jorgensen]

Hi guys. Been a while since I posted here. Some might remember my posts of asking all those questions regarding things like degree and life style of a pilot. Over the last year or so, I have gone over lots and have come to a final decision that I hope I do not regret.

The flying industry is not for me. I have decided that I would not enjoy the life style for a couple of reasons and feel free to disagree with me.

One I don't like being away from home a lot and having to work odd hours. Now I know this can happen in just about any job you have (even for what I want to get into) but it just seems because this industry is 24/7/365, I just don't have that commitment.

Two, weather delays bother me enough right now even when I'm at home let alone being stuck at some FBO or airport wondering if your going up or not. Its just something I can't put up with. Everytime I get a weather delay here, I don't go flying for like a month after that. It seems that the weather would always crap out on the day I would go up. If you want to know what the weather will be like in 2 weeks, just look at my flight schedual and I'm sure it will be bad.

Three, the industry just seems to unstable/negative. Things don't look or seem like they will pick up. You have guys (I have talked to a few) that are flying say an A320 that are being downgraded to an RJ at a pay cut as well. Obviously because I'm more concerned with the money then the flying, that is the first sign I should not be getting into this.

Four, I just don't have the commitment and never really did. Its too much work/money to build up all those hours and I am going at an incredibly slow time building rate (30 hrs a year)

Five, regarding the whole degree thing, it seems silly to go for a degree for just a backup or helping you get a job that has nothing to do with that degree. I figure, I might as well use that degree I'm getting. Might as well do something while I'm doing nothing.

So there you have it. I have found another interest anyways that I'm more committed to. I have always had a keen passion for the weather and decided to pursue that (eventually getting a masters in meteorology) that's enough work as it is and is expensive enough. Its one career or the other you have to focus on. You can only succeed in one. This decision has been a battle for years and I think I finally feel at peace with my future career. I will still fly and still intend to finish my commercials but it will be personal enjoyment only. Maybe that will make me enjoy it more knowing I don't have to treat it so seriously. I don't want to care only about making money for a career, but I do not come from a rich family and had to live with the frustrations of not having money so it is something I do not want when I'm older. I want to be well off at least. It just seems like if your not flying the heavy metal, your pay is crap. Anyways, advice or comments is welcome to this decision.

 

[bigD]

Good luck adam. It's a tough decision to make, but at least you're being honest with yourself now instead of finding out you've made a mistake after investing a lot of time and energy into being a career pilot.

Go make a lot of money, buy a plane, and have fun!

 

[Goose Egg]

So there you have it. I have found another interest anyways that I'm more committed to. I have always had a keen passion for the weather and decided to pursue that (eventually getting a masters in meteorology)

Well, there you go. Good luck to you. The world needs weather guys too.

Go make a lot of money, buy a plane, and have fun!

That'd be seriously cool!

-Goose

 

[cathaywannabe]

Hi guys. Been a while since I posted here. Some might remember my posts of asking all those questions regarding things like degree and life style of a pilot. Over the last year or so, I have gone over lots and have come to a final decision that I hope I do not regret.

The flying industry is not for me. I have decided that I would not enjoy the life style for a couple of reasons and feel free to disagree with me.

One I don't like being away from home a lot and having to work odd hours. Now I know this can happen in just about any job you have (even for what I want to get into) but it just seems because this industry is 24/7/365, I just don't have that commitment.

Two, weather delays bother me enough right now even when I'm at home let alone being stuck at some FBO or airport wondering if your going up or not. Its just something I can't put up with. Everytime I get a weather delay here, I don't go flying for like a month after that. It seems that the weather would always crap out on the day I would go up. If you want to know what the weather will be like in 2 weeks, just look at my flight schedual and I'm sure it will be bad.

Three, the industry just seems to unstable/negative. Things don't look or seem like they will pick up. You have guys (I have talked to a few) that are flying say an A320 that are being downgraded to an RJ at a pay cut as well. Obviously because I'm more concerned with the money then the flying, that is the first sign I should not be getting into this.

Four, I just don't have the commitment and never really did. Its too much work/money to build up all those hours and I am going at an incredibly slow time building rate (30 hrs a year)

Five, regarding the whole degree thing, it seems silly to go for a degree for just a backup or helping you get a job that has nothing to do with that degree. I figure, I might as well use that degree I'm getting. Might as well do something while I'm doing nothing.

So there you have it. I have found another interest anyways that I'm more committed to. I have always had a keen passion for the weather and decided to pursue that (eventually getting a masters in meteorology) that's enough work as it is and is expensive enough. Its one career or the other you have to focus on. You can only succeed in one. This decision has been a battle for years and I think I finally feel at peace with my future career. I will still fly and still intend to finish my commercials but it will be personal enjoyment only. Maybe that will make me enjoy it more knowing I don't have to treat it so seriously. I don't want to care only about making money for a career, but I do not come from a rich family and had to live with the frustrations of not having money so it is something I do not want when I'm older. I want to be well off at least. It just seems like if your not flying the heavy metal, your pay is crap. Anyways, advice or comments is welcome to this decision.

Meteorology, huh? Good luck. I'm a meteorologist. After my 4 year degree decided to pursue an aviation career. 3 airlines and a few years later I'm finally doing O.K., but it has been a tough ride. I still do meteorology, but only part-time.

Meteorology is extremely rewarding, but as with everything else it can have drawbacks.

What school are you going to? Feel free to PM me.

 

[GravityHater]

You are one intelligent guy who thinks things through and makes the right decisions. (you have most people beat in the planning category it sounds like)
Good luck with your career, I have heard of lots of pilots very happy with their decision to go another route and save aviation as an avocation.

 

[User546]

Good luck as well! Sounds like you're being real honest with yourself, and you've most likely made the right decision!

Being a professional pilot is a whole different breed of animal, and it's better you realized that now, rather then after spending a small mortgage and regretting it later!

Good luck on the meteorgoly field... you know actually, you should get your training and become one of those Flight Watch guys we talk to enroute! That'd combine your thing for aviation AND meteorolgy!

 

[Gulfstream 200]

"Dont like to be gone from home and dont like to work odd hours"....


good decision Adam.

 

[Swass]

What about NOAA?

 

[NookyBooky]

The flying industry is not for me. I have decided that I would not enjoy the life style for a couple of reasons and feel free to disagree with me.

If you want to be rich, publish a book on how you "quit aviation." There is a lot of books on how to quit cigarettes, over-eating, pot smoking, crack, heroin, etc., but there are none on how to quit aviation.

I would buy it.

Good luck with meteorology, and congratulations on having the wherewithall to decide now before you invested your life into this industry.

 

[lawndart45]

I applaud your research before leaping into aviation. I wish somebody made me do that kind of REALISTIC thinking before I got into it. You have made the right decision. Especially if you are concerned about money and being at home.

 

[Yank McCobb]

I applaud your research before leaping into aviation. I wish somebody made me do that kind of REALISTIC thinking before I got into it. You have made the right decision. Especially if you are concerned about money and being at home.

Of course, there are many stories to the contrary, but I recently retired 3 years early after a wonderfully rewarding career and a very nice retirement nest egg.

This industry is not ALL about doom, gloom and failure. In fact, it is all about what you make it.

 

[adam_jorgensen]

Thanks everybody for the encouragement. I just couldn't kid myself anymore. Its not just the money or the time away from home, its myself. I find I was nervous all the time before a flight and would panic over the smallest things sometime. If your like this, flying is not for you. Eventually, it would take all the fun out of flying. The weather always being bad on the days I would go up was either a coincidence or a sign but it would always drive me nuts to the point of why even bothering. But I also don't like having to drive an hour to my airfield 3 times a week if I want to complete my commercials in a short amount of time. With gas prices as high as they are, not only is that drive I have to worry about, but I'm sure the plane rates will go up to.

I just really hope I do not regret this decision. I have not felt at peace with continuing until now when I was finally ready to admit that I was not enjoying what I was doing nor was I really looking forward to what was to come out of it. I feel so much better now that I have found out this while its not too late. I just hope the same thing doesn't happen again. The problem was when I started flying, I had an ***hole instructor that kinda gave me a bad first impression to the whole thing. But even before that, I wasn't too sure. My dad really wanted me to go into it and doesn't really like the fact that I'm stopping but its what I want to do. I just hope that in a year from now, I'm not on some weather forum saying these things about meteorology. I feel different about it then flying. I feel that it is what I have more of a passion for and so forth. I just want to have a happy career and be well off with my finances.

 

[gkrangers]

If money is your main concern...Meteorology is not the way to go.

Meteorologists also tend to work a lot, odd hours, weekends, holidays, etc...

Blizzard or Hurricane possibly affecting your forecast area or clients and don't expect much time off.

Sounds like you made the right decision tho...a career in flying doesn't sound like its for you.

Myself, I love meteorology as well and am planning on atleast minoring in it, maybe even getting a bachelors in a watered down program (less math/physics) just to have for my own knowledge...it wouldn't be my career degree. Of course..my career degree...Safety Science..won't be my career degree either if the flying career works out...

 

[wrxpilot]

I find I was nervous all the time before a flight and would panic over the smallest things sometime. If your like this, flying is not for you.

From what little I've seen those feelings you had are perfectly normal. In fact, flying probably wouldn't be for you if you didn't feel that way before a flight. If used correctly, it can help you focus and be prepared. From what I understand the experienced guys have channeled these feelings into preparedness and an advantagous edge during critical times such as T/O. Rod Machado wrote several articles dealing with just this topic:
http://www.rodmachado.com/Articles/Anxiety-Page.htm

BTW, do you really only have 20 hrs yet have time in all those a/c you in your profile? I'd think that would make for a very confusing time...

 

[adam_jorgensen]

No I should update that. I have around 140 hrs. It took me 3 years to build that much time. Somebody who is serious about it should not be taking that long.

One thing I'm worried about. I almost have to complete my commercials or what you guys would call the IRS would get back at me because I have been claiming my flights on my income taxes for deductibles because at the time, I thought I was going to work in the field but if you just get your commercials, that is proof enough right? I mean they may just ignore it but I could get audited again like last year of them saying that I was claiming the money on personal flying which was not acceptable but if I get a commercials, they should ignore it? What if somebody like me changed their minds? They can't possibly expect you to pay back all those thousands of dollars?

 

[wrxpilot]

No I should update that. I have around 140 hrs. It took me 3 years to build that much time. Somebody who is serious about it should not be taking that long.

One thing I'm worried about. I almost have to complete my commercials or what you guys would call the IRS would get back at me because I have been claiming my flights on my income taxes for deductibles because at the time, I thought I was going to work in the field but if you just get your commercials, that is proof enough right? I mean they may just ignore it but I could get audited again like last year of them saying that I was claiming the money on personal flying which was not acceptable but if I get a commercials, they should ignore it? What if somebody like me changed their minds? They can't possibly expect you to pay back all those thousands of dollars?

Ok, 140 hrs then. I have around 110 and still get edgy and have felt apprehensive before flights. It's natural and something you need to turn to your advantage (if you want to keep with it). The point is if you're trying to rationalize whether or not to continue flight training, don't use that as a reason. It happens to pretty much everybody that should be flying.

There were a lot of threads on here a few months ago about deducting flight training. Basically you cannot deduct the costs... I think if you were already a CFI and had to buy some related books or something you could, but deducting flying expenses is not allowed. Hopefully you don't get audited, that could be painful.

 

[adam_jorgensen]

Yea people kept telling me it was normal and I do agree. It depends what kind of flight I'm doing I don't get nervous for all of them. Its just a local flight, no problem. A cross country I have done before, piece of cake but to a new area I'm unfamiliar with like going to the USA (I live in Canada) I get nervous. These feelings are usually just a waste of time because in the end, I always do just fine but there always the what-ifs that really get to me. Maybe now that I'm going to do it for pleasure use, I won't get as nervous for some reason.

If I do get audited again, I could just keep saying that I will intend to work in the field even though it is taking a while. Sorta like yanking their chain to keep them happy. They have tons of other work to deal with their not going to waste time on one person but maybe it would be a good idea from now on not to deduct anymore taxes from my flying. I'll be going to university anyways and that will be enough deductibles.

 

[Snakum]

I have around 110 and still get edgy and have felt apprehensive before flights.

I do too, especially when the Captain - a 50 year old former Navy officer - keeps rubbing my leg and saying things like "So ... you want a backrub when we get to the hotel? You're soooo tense."

I hate when that happens almost as bad as when you have to toss the salad for a little bit of multi-engine time.



Minh

 

[NookyBooky]

Rofl!!

 

[NookyBooky]

Yea people kept telling me it was normal and I do agree. It depends what kind of flight I'm doing I don't get nervous for all of them. Its just a local flight, no problem. A cross country I have done before, piece of cake but to a new area I'm unfamiliar with like going to the USA (I live in Canada) I get nervous. These feelings are usually just a waste of time because in the end, I always do just fine but there always the what-ifs that really get to me. Maybe now that I'm going to do it for pleasure use, I won't get as nervous for some reason.

If I do get audited again, I could just keep saying that I will intend to work in the field even though it is taking a while. Sorta like yanking their chain to keep them happy. They have tons of other work to deal with their not going to waste time on one person but maybe it would be a good idea from now on not to deduct anymore taxes from my flying. I'll be going to university anyways and that will be enough deductibles.

Go get a few hours in a Pitts. If that doesn't give ya the hots for flyin' again, then nothing will. You owe yourself at least that much since you have already sunk over $10 grand and countless hours into flying.