Welcome to Flightinfo.com

  • Register now and join the discussion
  • Friendliest aviation Ccmmunity on the web
  • Modern site for PC's, Phones, Tablets - no 3rd party apps required
  • Ask questions, help others, promote aviation
  • Share the passion for aviation
  • Invite everyone to Flightinfo.com and let's have fun

Chances of getting on with a Major....

Welcome to Flightinfo.com

  • Register now and join the discussion
  • Modern secure site, no 3rd party apps required
  • Invite your friends
  • Share the passion of aviation
  • Friendliest aviation community on the web
typhoonpilot said:
You couldn't be further from the truth. Real flying is an open cockpit biplane with only needle, ball, and airspeed. What you described is fun, but it isn't real flying.


TP

Oh, K2774 stick with Physics and rent airplanes for fun flying on the weekend.


Typhoon is right, real airplanes have 2 wings, round engine and a tailwheel.
 
"RadarLove"

I worked for a major defense company for 7 years, quit my job to go back to school. I have a full NSF fellowship with a stipen of 28K. Since I already have an MS, it's only 3-4 more years to a PhD. I've interned at a national lab every summer since starting grad school with full benefits, vacation/sick leave.

I don't think I'll have problems getting LOR's from any source.

I don't sit at a desk all day. I'm accually in a LASER lab growing carbon nanotubes. I also will be eligible to apply to the astronaut program when the application window opens.

My delima is that I love flying also.
 
capt. megadeth said:
The majority of my life has been spent doing "what I love" and that is flying. I, on the other hand, am a big believer in this. In my opinion, it makes the difference between being miserable and being happy. There are definitely many many sacrifices that one makes for this career but IMHO it is worth it if you are doing what you love vs. something that just makes money.


Not meant as an attack personally ... but I'm curious why so many subscribe to this thought pattern? It seems AMAZINGLY SELFISH to me ... I mean your entire earning career spent doing something you "love" versus earning money for your family. Fine, if you are single ... but extremely self-centered if raising a family. (I know those are big "IF's") Once you marry and start a family, your JOB is to PROVIDE for those little ones. I could give a rat's fanny about your "love" ... you need to put food on the table, save for retirement, and pay for your kid's college education ... as an ABSOLUTE MINIMUM!

Fact is ... there are way too many pilots willing to work for slave wages and scrub toilets on aircraft just to have the opportunity to stroke jet throttles (errr .... excuse me .... "thrust levers") ... and that fact alone will force pilot wages down. Combine this with the incredibly competitive nature of passenger airline ops, increased liberalization of intl air rights (even more competition) and the future for a major airline pilot is not very bright. Oh, forgot to mention the destruction of pensions .... what's left is just an hourly job cleaning airplanes and flying till the FAR limit of 16 hrs is hit. SWA and Jet Blue are fighting to pilot aircraft till you die at the yoke and coming up with ever more assinine twists on the few "protections" (8 hr flight limit/day) we have enjoyed (all in the "name" of productivity) ... safe to say these guys have done more to depress this occupation to that of a Wal Mart greeter than 25 years of poor bargaining in labor negotiations.

I keep coming back to what it is people so "love" about 121 flying? 30 degrees pitch +/- and (hold on now!) 45 degrees bank? For Christ's sake ... my grandmother exceeds those parameters walking to the crapper! In my very narrow window of what impresses me or gives me the least thrill ... there's NO 121 flying WHATSOEVER that even tickles that parameter. All I can come back with .... if you've even experienced the most basic of military flight training, you are FOREVER spoiled. You cannot compare 500 knot low levels or 3ft fingertip at 500 knots (the MOST basic of flight maneuvers) to 160mph cruise speed in an RV-"whatever". What the "hell" is it that so many civilian pilots "love" about 121 flying? In reality ... it is about as exciting as parallel parking a Greyhound or freeway commuting in a Yugo. You want exciting ... join the military.

YMMV,

BBB
 
BBB,
Well, see....I don't yet have a family. As a little girl, I grew up wanting to become an airline pilot, not my wedding day and definitely not to be the barefoot and pregnant little wifey. My dilemma is IF I want a family because I don't want to give up flying. I don't know how to explain it....I mean, I am finally at a place where I plan to stay, I have been flying for 14 years now. Sure, it is definitely anticlimactic (sp?). You dream about all this glory and crap, then by the time you finally get there, you are so spent that it is really not quite everything you dreamed it would be. BUT, the thought of doing something else just really blows. Besides, do we know if this dude even has a family that he has to think about? I mean, if not, then we are wasting key strokes here...know what I mean?

By the way, all I have to do is go to my second job and I realize what I "love" about 121 flying. I drive home and think...."8 hours a day, 5 days a week working my a$$ off.........F&^* THAT! Everyone is different...that is just me.
 
Last edited:
Why not just go corporate if you really want to fly? I'd agree with other posters that the airline route, other than working for SWA, JB, FEDEX or UPS may very well be like getting teeth pulled(no novacaine). There are other avenues in aviation.

safe to say these guys have done more to depress this occupation to that of a Wal Mart greeter than 25 years of poor bargaining in labor negotiations.
WalMart greeters don't have 401k's that look anything like that of a 20-30 year SWA pilot. Neither do legacy carrier pilots have pension plans that look that good. At least going forward they don't.

Good luck on your decision.

Mr. I
 
B_B_B - “I keep coming back to what it is people so "love" about 121 flying? “30 degrees pitch +/- and (hold on now!) 45 degrees bank? For Christ's sake ... my grandmother exceeds those parameters walking to the crapper!”

Love the comparison! My mom keeps saying I chose a really “dangerous” profession. I’ll try to put her at ease next time we talk about my flying by using your comparison; hopefully it’ll put her at ease! :)


k2774 – I’d think your chances of a “good return on 'your' investment" would be much better outside the aviation business. By all means keep trying if you really want to fly professionally, but you don’t sound like someone who’s truly into it. Maybe I am wrong, don’t know, good luck to you regardless of what you decide.
 
k2774 said:
"RadarLove"

I worked for a major defense company for 7 years, quit my job to go back to school. I have a full NSF fellowship with a stipen of 28K.

Ok, you're really cool. Love the part about $28k! I was wrong, you won't be making $2,000 per month, you'll be making $2,300 per month...jumping at your advisor's every whim.

Since I already have an MS, it's only 3-4 more years to a PhD. I've interned at a national lab every summer since starting grad school with full benefits, vacation/sick leave.

I'm drooling with envy. Vacation AND benefits?

I don't think I'll have problems getting LOR's from any source.

Yeah, you know exactly how many airline pilots? That you've flown with?

The more you write, the more I fear that you would have zero chance of making it to the top of this career. You come across as very arrogant, especially considering the very weak achievements you've earned. Your 20s are for taking chances and reaching for the brass ring, not your 40s with a family. The train done left the station. Well, for you, that is, there is still the occasional success late-start success story, but those guys and gals were driven and made sacrifices.

I don't sit at a desk all day. I'm accually in a LASER lab growing carbon nanotubes. I also will be eligible to apply to the astronaut program when the application window opens.

Sounds deadly boring. Ok, the buzzing flourescent lamp is above your head in a lab instead of a cube. But that's now, not when you get your job as a PhD, where you will very likely be sitting in a cube with the same buzzing light above you.

I wouldn't get my hopes up about that whole astronaut fantasy, but if it keeps you going, then more power to you.

My delima is that I love flying also.

Your dilemma is that you are not a particularly decisive person and you have hit your midlife crisis a bit early. In your world your accomplishments may sound neato, but in my world, you're still stuck in neutral. There are PhDs, MDs and many MBAs in the airline pilot ranks. In fact, to make rank, most military guys grab a Master of Science in their spare time. The Air Force and Naval Academy guys will make your eyes water with their academic achievements, generally in engineering.

Oh yeah, the airlines employ ex-astronauts too.

You don't "love flying" enough. If you did, you'd be in my shoes.

In my opinion, you came here to find evidence that you should stick to what counts as "a plan" in your world instead of wading into the difficult waters of an aviation career, because perhaps the career isn't what it used to be.

Well good luck, flying airplanes is (to me) like being an explorer in Columbus's time. The coolest career in the planet. Making buckyballs in a national laboratory is flat out boring in relation. Wow, maybe you'll present a poster as second or third author!

To cut you some slack, I too used to think I was a pretty accomplished guy when I was your age.

Then I sat in my initial training class and listened to everyone one at a time around the room introduce himself and give some background details. A humbling experience, let me tell you! See, many of these guys not only had the academic credentials you have, they also flew and earned the experience required to hit the majors while you were sitting with your thumb up your rear end at a defense contractor's.
 
Big Beer Belly said:
I keep coming back to what it is people so "love" about 121 flying? 30 degrees pitch +/- and (hold on now!) 45 degrees bank? In my very narrow window of what impresses me or gives me the least thrill ... there's NO 121 flying WHATSOEVER that even tickles that parameter. All I can come back with .... if you've even experienced the most basic of military flight training, you are FOREVER spoiled. You cannot compare 500 knot low levels or 3ft fingertip at 500 knots (the MOST basic of flight maneuvers) to 160mph cruise speed in an RV-"whatever". What the "hell" is it that so many civilian pilots "love" about 121 flying? In reality ... it is about as exciting as parallel parking a Greyhound or freeway commuting in a Yugo. You want exciting ... join the military.

Did you get that ego from the Air Force as well? "...join the military." Man, why didn't I think of that??? Oh, right. My vision is less than perfect. So you see, not everyone can just "join the military" and fly fast jets at 500 kts in the dirt. It's not that simple. Also, I think maybe it's just you; I've met/heard of quite a few current and former military pilots who build and fly RV's. Maybe an RV isn't so boring after all...

So here's my take. I love to fly, been wanting to do this since I was 10 yrs old. Yep, you're right, pushing a 737 around can be very, very boring, yet at times it can also be very rewarding. I have a pretty good schedule, lotsa days off and the pay ain't bad. Beats a real job, 8 to 5 five days a week. And shame on me, I'm building an RV-8 in my garage... is that a bad thing? For the record, it's just me and the wife, no kids to feed.

I think Typhoonpilot said it best regarding "real" flying. Rag wings and tailwheels rule, IMHO.
 
Life's too short so do what your heart wants.
I still love going to work after 20 years in the Biz.
Use your brain in a side job to make some extra loot along the way.
Best of luck!
 

Latest resources

Back
Top