Where am I coming from? You're kidding right?
So you're not familiar with any of the perils of the airline "profession" huh?...notoriously bad management, furloughs/starting over, crappy schedules, commuting, being gone all the time, divorce, your job being a puppet on a string to mid-east oil... ya know that stuff? Oh yeah, there's that whole terroist thing too.
What'd you just fall off a turnip truck or something?
A Dentist sleeps at home with his wife and kids every night and isn't worried about a rebel uprising in Libya putting him in the unemployment line.
It's too late for me...I learned the hard way...but my advice to a youngster with an education would be to steer clear of this gig. This is essentially hourly LABOR with the chances of true long-term success a gamble that is in large part out of your control. You may get lucky...or you may end up another 55yo aviation horror story. PanAm, Eastern, TWA, USAIR ring any bells?...or worse yet a regional lifer working your tail off for money that your next door neighbor the plumber laughs at.
Use your mind. Start your own business while you're young and have the energy necessary to make it work. Any of the Technology fields pay high dollar to sharp folks and they don't have the antagonistic atmosphere of the airlines. Keep aviation as a hobby that you're passionate about.
I'm in my 50's and am FINALLY at a point in this biz where I feel that I can breath a sigh of relief. In this gig we are all only a couple of bad management decisions and $140/barrel oil away from the unemployment line fella.
As to why I read FI? Why do people stop and stare at car crashes? Why do intelligent people read The National Enquirer when waiting in the grocery line?
Disclaimer: If you're one of those grown men that still makes pretend airplanes with your hands at the bar with your buddies, my post probably won't make any sense to you.
But, there's a whole other side of the coin.
Just trying to give you my point of view here.
Yes I am familiar with all the stuff you just listed in your first paragraph. I was more interested in who specifically screwed you over in the past. But, it doesn't really matter. Pilots aren't the only ones with those problems. If you haven't noticed, Americans from all walks of life have gotten screwed over in the past few years. Bad management, furloughs/starting over, crappy schedules..not just in aviation. Divorce, same thing. And terrorists could get anybody at any time. In a mall, or whatever.
A dentist may go home to his family every night, but I'm sure they have their problems too. Like if half of his customers have lost jobs, they may have to cut corners, or if the rebel uprising in Libya sends fuel to 7 bucks a gallon people may choose to fill up the car's gas tank instead of going to the dentist.
I do agree that a large part of making it in this business is just luck, but I would also say that's with any job. Yes I agree with you that making your own money by starting your own business and having aviation as a hobby is one good way to go. But again, a whole lot of those self-employed business owners have lost everything in the last few years. And even if you are successful enough to have aviation as a side hobby, chances are slim you'll be rich enough to be able to afford to fly anything with a turbine. Does everybody want/need to fly a large jet? No, but some may want to (like me)..
You say: Any of the Technology fields pay high dollar to sharp folks and they don't have the antagonistic atmosphere of the airlines.
I say: Ever seen the movie "Office Space"? Plenty of places have that antagonistic atmosphere and bad management, not just the airlines.
I also agree that flying for regional airlines sucks, and should be avoided unless that's just what you really want to do.
But that's what is comes down to, doing WHAT YOU WANT to do. I wouldn't want to do anything other than fly. A cockpit is better than a cubicle any day.
Another thing is, the original poster said he's already done the regional thing and is interested in CARGO now. As far as I'm concerned, that's a whole different ballgame. Why? Because even if everyone in the world quit flying on the airlines tomorrow, people are still going to need to get STUFF from A to B. Not all of that stuff can be sent via truck, rail, or ship. Some has to go on airplanes. So the way I see it, there's a lot more job security in the cargo world. That's why I do it.
Final thought: Over the next 50 years, tons of companies are still going to use airplanes and need pilots to fly them. Many of these jobs will pay well. Any pilot is going to have speedbumps in their career. But if it's what you want to do, then you should do it.
