Flying for a living

[rbrady]

How do you guys/gals that fly professionally like it? I have my private certificate with about 150tt and have been considering going pro. I work as a loan officer right now and it's the same old routine day after day. I think about aviation constantly and sit out at Lambert all the time listening to my scanner wishing I was in front of one of those jets. Does flying ever get old to you folks after you've been doing it for a while? In other words if you had it to do over again would you have done the same thing?

Thanks!

 

[ballsdeep123]

How do you guys/gals that fly professionally like it? I have my private certificate with about 150tt and have been considering going pro. I work as a loan officer right now and it's the same old routine day after day. I think about aviation constantly and sit out at Lambert all the time listening to my scanner wishing I was in front of one of those jets. Does flying ever get old to you folks after you've been doing it for a while? In other words if you had it to do over again would you have done the same thing?

Thanks!

Can you get me a job as a loan officer?

 

[labbats]

As a loan officer, you can appreciate the problems of trying to pay $40-80k in student loans on $20-25k a year.

 

[yaya]

Here is a pilot pay comparison calculator

http://airlinepilotcentral.com/resources/pay_comparisons/pilot_pay_comparison_20061025145.html

 

[acaTerry]

OMG...here it comes...
but seriously, if you PM me I'l be happy to share my opinions and observations.

 

[hmmurdock]

How do you guys/gals that fly professionally like it? I have my private certificate with about 150tt and have been considering going pro. I work as a loan officer right now and it's the same old routine day after day. I think about aviation constantly and sit out at Lambert all the time listening to my scanner wishing I was in front of one of those jets. Does flying ever get old to you folks after you've been doing it for a while? In other words if you had it to do over again would you have done the same thing?

Thanks!

Greetings..Yes, flying does get old and repeticious after a while just like anything else. Also being away from home, 5 am duty ins, airport food, hotel food, and traveling in general, all gets extremely old. The pay is not great, and you will be in debt FOREVER unless you have a slush fund somewhere to spend on flying. If it was me, I would stay where you are at and fly for leisure. It makes no sense to go into debt for a job that pays 19,000 a year to start and after 5 or 6 years you still will only be making 40K or so as the upgrades are long these days. Anyway just my opinion.

 

[Soverytired]

Make sure you're cool with never being home for the next 3, 5, 10, or 20 years.

This is the part of the job that I find the hardest to deal with. Very tough on family life, the pets, the lawn, etc.


Didn't really appreciate it until year 5, when I realized that this would pretty much be the norm for the rest of this career.

 

[PeanuckleCRJ]

This is probably the worst website possible to ask that question. Everyone on here is pissed off at everyone and anything for some reason or another.

I love it... I'm 25, a CRJ CA, and making well over 60. The past few months I've had a minimum of 16 days off with only 3 years seniority. Last month I had 19 and this month I have 17- only gone 4 nights this month, though.

Our contract needs work definitely, but the company rarely calls me on my days off and if they do I ignore it and open up another beer.

I can't see myself doing any other job, personally.

 

[KeroseneSnorter]

Two furloughs, Two company shut downs (Corporate and pt 135), 15 years in the business and back looking for work yet again. Never seen 6 figures contrary to what my neighbors think by watching movies and the new, and I probably never will. And that includes a legacy airline, the first one i am furloughed from.

Airplanes flown, from a Cub to a 747, pretty much the smallest to the largest.

In short flying is great, a career in flying sucks.

 

[deadstick]

Aside from the debt to income issues mentioned above, if you have fun going out to the airport, flying, bs-ing with other airport bums, then don't do it for a living. Have a real job that affords you the opportunity to fly on your own.

I know many other full-timers who, when they are home, don't go anywhere near an airport until they have to.

Baah Humbug! etc...