Doing the job

[no1pilot2000]

I have been visting this web site for a while and have read alot of threads about being a pilot for the major airline, be it Southwest, Air Tran, and others. Ever since 9/11, how has your careers as pilots changed, or stayed the same? What means did you use to use to get the training to become a pilot? If there were a young person who wanted to pursue a career as an airline pilot, would you support or discourage their decision and why?

 

[Quimby]

This should be good.

 

[Quack]

i think its fair to say that there are very few people who have benefited in this career or at least made it into something since 9/11. The career expectations for almost everyone in the industry have gone nowhere but down. look at what's happened with the majors with furloughs, ;oss of scope and pay, pensions taken away, etc, and how far off it is now from where it was just 10 years ago. Then you look at the regionals and its even worse. No progression whatsoever, deplorable pay and schedules, and the lacking quality of life. i would never ever on my grave let anyone get into this without a degree in something completely non aviation related, and make sure that they know exactly what they are getting themselves into.

 

[hyper]

I have been visting this web site for a while and have read alot of threads about being a pilot for the major airline, be it Southwest, Air Tran, and others. Ever since 9/11, how has your careers as pilots changed, or stayed the same? What means did you use to use to get the training to become a pilot? If there were a young person who wanted to pursue a career as an airline pilot, would you support or discourage their decision and why?

Oh, the irony of asking this question on the most bitter forum of this message board.....

If you're ready to sit for hours on end in close confines with someone of a completely different personality or belief set and then trash them at first opportunity,

If you're ready to spend more money to get there than you'll ever make back,

If you're prepared to work in an industry where no one works WITH each other (management, FAs, pilots, MX, etc.) to create a synergy to achieve a common goal,

Then I'd say your half way there.

If you absolutely, positively have to fly for a living, look outside the airlines.

 

[RadioClash]

After 10 years in the industry I quit to be a police officer. Never been happier. To each his own.

 

[hyper]

After 10 years in the industry I quit to be a police officer. Never been happier. To each his own.

I'd do the same if the pay was worth the risk......wait.....nevermind.

 

[no1pilot2000]

I while back, I spoke to someone who was the head of the aviation degree program at a local college. He was an air force pilot who left the service and went into the A.F. Reserve flying C-130's. He spends most of his time these days deployed overseas flying various missions. He was also a first officer for U.S. Airways many years before 9/11. Evern though he liked flying, working as an airline pilot made the job less enjoyable and he quit his job as a pilot for U.S. Airways to teach (which he really enjoys). He told me that good aviation jobs are:
1. Aircraft Mechanic
2. Certain Management jobs in aviation
3. Becoming a part time flight instructor. Alot of p/t CFI's use these jobs as a paid hobby than a career.
4. If you can't find a job in any of the above careers, no job in aviation is preferable.

He told me that SWA or Airtran might be good companies to work for, but that's about it. He says some of his former aviation degree students got careers flying planes in the Air force and they seem to enjoy their jobs.

 

[Monster Buck]

After 10 years in the industry I quit to be a police officer. Never been happier. To each his own.

really?........why are you on the major airline pilot boards then if you are so happy to be gone?

 

[Secret Squirrel]

Airtran A good job? I defer to the "Someone please buy AAI" thread.

 

[Tweaker]

"really?........why are you on the major airline pilot boards then if you are so happy to be gone? "

He is on here prolly to remind him of his terrific decision making abilities (becoming a JBT) as well as to get our "learn-ed" (sarcasm) takes on current aviation events.

Maybe he just likes sharing bandwidth with people who hate their life choices and bash each other with the wild abandon of a Bonobo monkey with a rampaging case syphillus.

Who knows? Some people pay women to crush their genitalia with high heeled shoes. No one really understands anyone else's motivation. That makes life more inerestin', don't ya think?