Engineer to Pilot

[check six]

Looking for perspective from all the engineers who are now pilots.

I have a decent engineering job, pays well, home every night, decent security and pension.

For all you guys who have made the jump to flying for a living from the engineering profession:

1. Would you do it again?
2. Has the automation taken all the flying/fun out of it?
3. Does the pay eventually outstrip engineer pay?

Thanks,

Check six

 

[Junkflyer]

I'm not an engineer, but did go from an A&P to pilot about 10 years ago. My pay may pass comparable wages this year or next. You will give up security, a pension, and being home everynight. Also, it may take 3 or more employers to get to the career position and each time you start at first year wages and seniority etc.

 

[Catnhat]

I am an engineer but I'm not really sure why that matters. You have a professional career that offers good pay and benefits, and is in demand if you want to change jobs. You described the QOL you have. How important are these things to you? I understand that you want to fly because you enjoy that more than your life in a cubicle or lab, but are you willing to give up your QOL when your NOT at work in order to fly?

Only you can answer that. Do you have a wife? Kids? Do you want to fly more than you want to be home with your wife at night? Will you mind missing some (or most ) of your kids games, concerts, parties?

Simply put, how badly do you want to fly, and how much of a sacrifice are you willing to make? If you spend enough time reading posts here, you'll quickly realize that not all pilots love what they do!

 

[cynic]

Here is a good rule of thumb....

If you take the difference between your current salary and your salary as a pilot for the first few years and you can afford to pay cash for an airplane thats your's; you would be an idiot to consider quitting your job.

So lets guess you make 70K a year. Less the roughly 28K you'll make for your first three years (if you are lucky) and that should leave you with about $125,000.00 for an airplane.

1. Would you do it again? - Not really. Its fun if you are 21 and have no kids, no wife, no mortgage, no sense of your own mortality... So in that sense; if I was 21 again yes. If I was closer to 30 or more definitely not.

2. Has the automation taken all the flying/fun out of it? - No. But the industry has a magic way of fixing it so its not fun anyway.

3. Does the pay eventually outstrip engineer pay? No.

Now lets turn this thread to airplane shopping.

http://www.aso.com/i.aso3/aircraft_...p=falsexxxxxsearchid=11816456xxxxxregionid=-1

You should have enough left over to to get a waas garmin 430 and an air gizmo with a 496 in the panel.