Flying for a living

[crashpad]

'Ponchas Pilot' is one of the best names I've seen yet, alongside HughJorgan.

I've always said flying is the perfect blend of man and machine, and part art-part science.

I'm curious what SVCTA does now for a living which is so fullfilling and yet still finds himself shadowing Flightinfo.com.

 

[svcta]

corporate...you know , that "other" kind of flying. Best move I ever made.

 

[Sawmill]

If I had it to do over again, I would definately do it the same way.
I was 36 when I took my introductry flight.
I bought a Cherokee just after I got my PPL.
I had fun building time and earning all my ratings without going into debt at all.
After 4 years, I applied to 3 regionals and was hired by 2.
Went through the training.
Flew for a while and had a blast doing so.
Put up with all the nonsense of the job just to fly.
Quit.
I knew early on there is no way to make a serious career in aviation these days and expect a retirement when the time comes.
So now, at 41, I am back making real money, flying for fun and taking off any time I want. Oh and by the way, I dont sit behind a desk.

 

[pgcfii2002]

Two words.......

Office Space

 

[Sawmill]

Two more words (sort of):
TPS Reports

 

[pgcfii2002]

Can I please....have....my .....stapler......

 

[JediNein]

My worst day flying beat the best day at the 'office' job, a call center helpdesk.

The call center reps were required to call the helpdesk so they could reboot their computers. One figured out how to lock up her computer any time she had to do some extra typing, this allowed her to keep her stats down AND waste our time. The best day at that office was the day she quit.

My worst day flying I had two ramp checks in a row after a flight in which I found many new and unusual religions. I just can't remember which one worked!

Follow what you love and the money will (eventually) follow.

 

[mac36]

Two words.......

Office Space

Ah, office space.

I made the wife sit through office space a couple of years ago. She was one of the few cubicle dwellers I've met who hadn'd heard of the movie. When it was over she proclaimed, as she usually does, "well, that sucked".

A few days later as I was attempting to doze off, she suddenly blurted out, "do you remember that movie we watched the other night?"

I did.

"That was my life" she said.

I knew. That's why I made her watch it.

The early scene with multiple managers draping their arms over the cubicle walls prattling on about memos and TPS reports torments her to this day. The surprise requirement to work the weekend was an every week occurance at our house.

Armies of Les Nessmans with walls (sort of). Still no door.

She rarely worked less than 60 hours a week, usually 70 to 80 and almost always 7 days a week. She was on call at all times. Didn't matter the employer, it was everywhere she ever worked.

She has since left IT.

 

[mac36]

You're absolutely right about the marketplace in the past.

Many of the guys running corporate flight departments these days are the guys who couldn't get picked up by the airlines in those days. That kind of spawns SOME of the anti-airline sentiment over here.

Most of the guys I looked up to as I learned to fly found their way into corporate aviation for exactly that reason. Most have worked for multiple employers and have had numerous flight departments fold up beneath their feet for a number of reasons. Of late, fractionals have replaced many in house flight departments.

The point I'm trying to make is that the turmoil in the business isn't new. So many people on this board seem to think this is a new developement. When I was a teenager in the seventies I heard more times than I can count things that went something like.........

"You ain't a real airline pilot until you've been furloughed"

"This business has always been cyclical"

"You'll never get hired with the airlines"

When I see guys whining about "slow" upgrade times of 2 to 3 years, I think of my uncle who was hired by United in 1966 and sat at the FE panel for over a decade before moving to the right seat of the 727.

When I see guys whining about first year regional pay, I think of my own "probationary" salary at Piedmont Airlines (the original one that merged with US Air) of $1,100 a month. They raised it to $1,200 a month after six months.

If a guy is getting into this business hoping to be pulling down 6 figures in 2 or 3 years, he will likely not last very long. If he gets in because he loves it, and stays in for the long haul, odds are he will find a flying job that pays more than the majority of jobs away from the airport.

 

[svcta]

You're right about some of the turmoil. It's been said for a long time that all airline jobs are temporary, some just last longer than others.

The corporate flight departments are really getting more stable by the day it seems over here. The worse the airlines get(for pax) the better off we are. And you're wrong about the fracs getting marketshare of corporate flight depts. I see their growth as being with customers who are just entering in to aviation. We don't really regard the fractionals as competition for our jobs.

Like anything else a corporate job has its treacheries, but it's not as volatile as most people think. I kind of have to chuckle at the people who think the stability at their airline job is something that keeps them there and away from pursuing something else even though they're not happy.

 

[Motive Flow]

"Armies of Les Nessmans with walls (sort of). Still no door."

Gotta love a good "WKRP" reference.

I'm surprised the thread has made it this long without the usual: "my buddy got a $90,000/yr right out of college, and he only works 30 hours a week."

 

[CopilotDoug]

I'm surprised the thread has made it this long without the usual: "my buddy got a $90,000/yr right out of college, and he only works 30 hours a week."

No kidding, dude. I do love the people who use Flight Info to justify their existence by stating "I pull down six figures and my hot wife is a doctor". It brings a bit of comic relief. Back to the original question: I'll offer my observations of the pros and cons of flying and try to be objective as possible.
PROS: Great view, competent co-workers in the form of CAs or FOs, flying when you want to, no work to take home.
CONS: Commuting, moving, base closures, furloughs, flying when you don't want to, being a number.
GREY AREAS: 16hr duty days that many times mean being awake for +18hrs, being tired all the time, long flights can be boring, hotels, living out of a suitcase, and in general being just a number.

Now for my opinion, don't expect aviation to answer any of life's problems.