Dispatcher to Pilot?

[otisA300f]

Hello all,
I originally posted this in training but have not received any bites. Currently I am a DXR who is thinking about finally obtaining my long term goal of being a professional airline pilot. I got my DXR ticket to have as a fall back incase I lost my medical. I was offered a DXR position with a 121 supplemental freight company following completion of my training and have been in the industry since 2005. I have always wanted to fly for a living. I know I will have to take a pay cut initially, but in the long run I will make more as a pilot than a dispatcher. Top out in dispatch is around $50k-$80k/yr depending on the company. My only major concern is QOL and high cost of training.(I only have about 37hrs under my belt). I currently commute now (4/4), so that’s not an issue. I really appreciate the feedback and please NO POST/JOB BASHING! :smash:
Thanks
Otis

 

[Oakum_Boy]

Do it for the glory. And the uniform. Chicks dig an RJ pilot in a wrinkled uniform.

 

[Tarzan]

Ah! The happy guy is first to post.

If you're going to to jump, now is a good time if you are willing to bite into that huge bill for training. But there may be companies in the future that will pay you to become a pilot for them. It's all a big gamble though. If some whacked out Islamo Fascist decides to fly a plane into a building, the thing rolling right now will come to screeching halt.

In the end, you have to follow your heart. You see the boards here. There some seriously pissed off folks here. Most, I suspect, are probably Riddle kids that had Mom and Pop help them out and they've never experienced a real, crappy job before. Does it leave a lot to be desired? Sure it does but in the end it beats driving to work in a cubicle. It just sucks being gone when you've got little ones growing up.

BTW, the common greeting when you get asked, "Whats going on?".... the answer will be, "Living the dream" and it is generally sarcastic. Most of us had the dream as kids but now wonder why we took this path in life. I've been doing this for a few years and it sure beats where I would have been so I don't regret it much.

Best of luck on your decision.

 

[Fred Rogers]

Hello all,
My only major concern is QOL and high cost of training.(I only have about 37hrs under my belt). I currently commute now (4/4), so that’s not an issue.

Well, at least someone at SOC appreciates the QOL or lack there of.

Just remember when you say that eventually you will make more as a pilot. That is a LONG tunnel you are looking down for that light. Best of luck!

 

[otisA300f]

Well, at least someone at SOC appreciates the QOL or lack there of.

Just remember when you say that eventually you will make more as a pilot. That is a LONG tunnel you are looking down for that light. Best of luck!

That's my only major concern. I love being involved in aviation and could never picture myself otherwise. I started out as a ramp rat pumping gas in high school and have slowly worked my way up. I'm in the middle of the road as far as pay goes and don't know whether to continue in the SOC and always wonder what life as a pilot would be like or dive in head first. Dispatching is okay, I only wish we got more respect from pilots. It only takes one a** to make all the rest of us look like an a**. My first fam ride at a freight company taught me really quickly to appreciate the pilots and what they go through each day. I always got to go home everynight! Thanks for everyone's advice!

 

[Prop2Jet]

Go to school and get out. This industry is not what you think it is. No glory, no cool airplanes, no nice hotels, poor pay, really bad insurance, no pension, no good 401K matching -if any-, very hard to non-rev on days off, crash pads, angry families, slutty dirty people all around, poor work ethic, lazy people, rampers who can't speak english let alone read an airplanes tail number, delays delays delays... No pay for sitting, shorter over nights, min rest scheduled in bid packages (is that even legal?)


Have fun!

 

[nonstop]

You are contemplating a very serious financial decision. I think it would be very wise for you to sit down with a financial adviser and figure out just how much money you are really throwing at this job you *think* you may enjoy.

Let's say you're 30, and you think a $20,000 investment (I use that word losely) will land you in the glorious position of RJ FO. Right off the bat, you're -$350,000...not even counting the thousand+ hours of personal commitment to flying/studying it will take. Had you stayed a dispatcher that $20,000 invested in a diversified portfolio gaining ~10% would turn into about $350,000 by a retirement age of 60.

Now consider the paycut for at least a few years as a Regional FO (conservative) then a few years as a legacy FO (if you're even lucky enough to make it out of the regionals). Figure out that difference and let it compound, then toss it in with your $350,000 deficit.

Odds are you'll face even more hardships as a pilot, and many more years of the fabulous "probationary" pay when your airline goes bankrupt, or you need to lateral move because they stopped growing and you won't make CA for 10 more years. Odds also are you'll medical out before 60 and those will probably increase with a change to a 65 retirement, the medical standards may very well get stricter and/or more thorough.

Bottom line, if you're stuck in this career already, you can probably make it work as long as you're willing to live well below your means and save every dime so you can retire someday. I personally would never invest my own personal hard earned money to enter this career today, you most likely will never recover financially before you're forced to start career #3.

 

[Oakum_Boy]

I think that about just covers it. I especially agree with the lazy, slutty, fat, and dirty, poor and dumb people all around you. That covers passengers and employees. Enjoy!

 

[Amish RakeFight]

Go get the ratings and live the dream.

 

[vandypilot]

I was a dispatcher first before I landed my first regional airline job. In fact I think it helped being a dispatcher which got me hired on with my previous regional at around 500 hours. I am now an FO for Spirit Airlines. It took me about 8 years to get to where I am now but I actually continued to dispatch and build up my flight time and ratings. So it would probably take you less if you went at it full time. I would pick a regional you would not mind working for and dispatch for them and work on your ratings at the same time. That would give you a backdoor into an FO slot with low time. Or go to a place like All ATP's and get everthing you need quick since all the regionals are hurting. I sometimes miss being a dispatcher and running the show when the crap hits the fan. And it is nice to be home everynight.