Fork in the road.

[Badger]

OK, Let me think out loud for a couple minutes...I think I need a pilot psychologist/career advisor combination.

I've got an opportunity outside aviation 60K/yr. where I live in a reasonable cost of living area. 3 weeks vac. every holiday you can think of off. Not a real stressful job.

I spend my days now waiting for 1 of 3 employers to call for contract flying (Citation/414/etc.). Waiting & wondering about $ for the week and resulting schedule.

a) Is the regional thing worth it or just another source of aviation headaches? The fact of the matter is I don't want to be gone 20+ days/mon. And practically speaking. Take the starry eyed stuff out of the picture, I've spent plenty of time in jets.

b) Would I be happier with buying 1/2 a Mooney, going when I want, where I want with whom I choose?

Love the flying jobs when flying. Hate the waiting around. The money is attrocious. This industry just seems to know no low with respect to treating it's workforce poorly. Other industries just don't get away with the sh#$ they do. Just an observation. It's facinating.

I'm 32, do you wait until you're in your 40's to 'see what happened' to you and your career. I'm going to venture to guess that 90% of those in regionals now will retire there which isn't that bad at the right place.

Thanks for listening to my rambling. How many of you would bail for a 200% raise doing something else?

 

[PilotRon]

Badger,

I can feel your pain. I am a 42 year old pilot that has, "Been there and seen that". I have been down the corporate road, (fly and sit all day to fly back" Now I fly for a regional airline.

My advise is this:

A. Do what makes you happy. If it is a money thing, the get the job that pays best. If it is a flying thing, get the job that flies the most.

B. Regional pay is not that great starting out. I am sure you are aware of this, however; you do get to fly a great deal. I left my corporate job for a couple reasons. 1. To fly more hours per month. 2. To have a more solid schedule. I got tired of sitting around airports all day for 2 hrs worth of stick time.

I hope this helps. To me it always comes down to Quality of Life.

I have simply tried to find what works for me, the most flying along with the most set days off.

Good luck to you!

 

[FSB99]

Pilot Ron said it best. Good advice.

another thing to keep in mind, for god's sake, don't get into aviation for the money! it'll just frustrate you into wanting to quit.
(but that statement by no means is intended to advocate or condone the race to the concessionary and caving bottom!)

 

[Desiday]

I can feel for you. I quit my flying job because I was away from home too much. The quality of life is much more important to me that flying. I'm taking a "regular" job working Mon-Fri. Off weekends with my wife and kids. BTW, I too am in my early 40's wondering if I waited too long to do something else. Good Luck.

 

[Dash8]

OK, Let me think out loud for a couple minutes...I think I need a pilot psychologist/career advisor combination.

I've got an opportunity outside aviation 60K/yr. where I live in a reasonable cost of living area. 3 weeks vac. every holiday you can think of off. Not a real stressful job.

this other job, is it something you could live with doing? or would it turn into another 'job' you had to schlep into every day?

I spend my days now waiting for 1 of 3 employers to call for contract flying (Citation/414/etc.). Waiting & wondering about $ for the week and resulting schedule.

a) Is the regional thing worth it or just another source of aviation headaches? The fact of the matter is I don't want to be gone 20+ days/mon. And practically speaking. Take the starry eyed stuff out of the picture, I've spent plenty of time in jets.

b) Would I be happier with buying 1/2 a Mooney, going when I want, where I want with whom I choose?

Love the flying jobs when flying. Hate the waiting around. The money is attrocious. This industry just seems to know no low with respect to treating it's workforce poorly. Other industries just don't get away with the sh#$ they do. Just an observation. It's facinating.

I'm 32, do you wait until you're in your 40's to 'see what happened' to you and your career. I'm going to venture to guess that 90% of those in regionals now will retire there which isn't that bad at the right place.

Thanks for listening to my rambling. How many of you would bail for a 200% raise doing something else?
[/B]

I'm 32 as well, and in a regional, I want to keep flying, but the grief and stress of being a part of airways is taking it's toll, the money is adequate at the moment. but I don't have what seems to be a cushy deal like you have available (congrats). I won't leave unless something really good comes along (a job at flt ops would be ideal) there's the possibility that this job could get better (although i'm slightly dubious of that) and likewise the possibility for things to get much worse. So what I guess i'm trying to say is you'd have to check with the people at whichever specific regional you would try to get into to see how their life is. but as a general rule i'm gonna make the assumption (based on info from friends at various other regionals) that life is not that good right now.....especially if you have family (the whole new hire reserve thing) hope my ramblings help

 

[General Lee]

These ups and downs are a part of a cycle. It may look bleak now, but inevitably things will get better. If you love aviation and want to fly a lot of passengers around, then I would say go to the regionals if you can. You can always go back to a regular 9-5 job after you do it, but you will atleast say you tried it. If you don't, you will wish you had, that nagging voice in your mind will always be there.

Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[Cargoboy]

I agree with the General Lee. I am approaching my mid 30's and I fly for a cargo company. Waiting for the regional job to make the next step. But, it is harder now with a family and house and responsibilities. I can't just take any regional I have to be more choosey. I know I will be working two jobs for a long time to make ends meet. I don't know how but I am sure I will have to work a second job at first when I get to the regionals. I could throw in the towel and go for a 9-5 job, but there would always be that thing in my head wondering what it would of been like. It seems a lot of people compalin in the industry, but so do people at the 9-5 jobs. They complain about just as much but over different issues. The only thing to do is weigh out your possibilities and if what you want comes down the pipe and at the right time hang on with both hands and get ready for the ride.
Good luck

 

[LR25]

Badger, I left a regional to go back to full-time aircraft maintenance for an airline when things started to get real bad with the business.

There I was with a little more stability, alot more money (for a while) and I was content. But what started happening was I kept seeing the airplanes rolling out past me while i was under an airplane working, and some of these airplanes that were going past me where ones I used to fly!

I couldnt take it any more, I HAD TO GET BACK FLYING! No matter where it was at.

Just make sure this is what you want to do. All these feeling will come back when your on your way to the office and you see those airplanes on approach to the airport near you.

Quality of life will improve, enevtually. Just remember, if it were easy, everybody would be doing it.

Good luck

 

[Skull-One]

A friend of mine makes more money flying Barons, Apaches, and Cessna 310s than I do in an RJ. HE *LOVES* what he does. He makes his own schedule. He is in great demand and he's home every night.

If you love to fly there are plenty of avenues out there. Don't sell yourself short. DO WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY. Bottom line.

 

[Badger]

fork.

Thanks for the thoughtful insight. I guess I'm just reaching that stage of being completely disgusted looking at my checking account (forget savings account, doesn't exist anymore). I'm tired of my 135 boss lying to me and everyone else about raises to type ratings, the perpetual carrot dangler. I'm sick of seing all this crap about regional pilots giving concessions and new startup airlines to dodge agreements & promises, people getting reposn'd to stay employed, harrassed by TSA & jumpseat agreements. AND pft of course, I can't afford to progress in this career at the moment.

enough rambling for now. I think I decided to bait the job offer as long as possible and ask for everything I think of. There's an equation out there in each of our heads...

Desk Job 60K + 3 weeks vac. & full bennies = 30K/yr flying 135
Desk Job 75K= 45K/yr flying at 121 regional.

I guess it's worth 30K extra a year or so for me to not fly "Professionally". It's not a bad thought having that M20J pulled-up ready to go on Fri afternoon for the weekend.

I'll send more resumes out for flying and heckle the desk job HR folks for more time off & $ to see which side the balance falls.

luck to all, thanks again.

 

[Mr. Irrelevant]

Bagder,


I'm on the other side of the coin so to speak. Leaving a desk job for flying with some financial/management work on the side to pay the bills. I think General Lee and Cargoboy have very good points. There is a negative atmosphere in regards to career expectations that is prevalent throughout most every industry right now. When the economy stabilizes and hopefully grows at a controllable rate, then everyone's mood should pick up and the opportunities increase. 9-5 is ok if you have promotional opportunity however it can stagnate tremendously. Many managers spend seven years or more in the same position before their next promotion. Many people have risen as far as they will go by 40 years old. Not to paint a bleak picture of the private sector but it's not very easy. The political posturing higher level execs go through is a heart-clogger by itself, not to mention the job responsibilities.

My biggest concern about aviation is the particularly weak unions at the regional level and the lack of respect for pilots shown by upper level management in many facets of aviation. I wouldn't worry too much about opportunities over the long haul, they will increase eventually and passenger loads in the future will rise just as our economy turns around and our population increases.

If you love doing something, flying or otherwise, just go for it.


Mr. I.

 

[Skull-One]

Your bad experience with your boss is good training for what you'll likely experience in the airline business. I hear the same complaints about every single airline regarding management and its constant efforts to screw its employees. The grass is always greener, I guess, but there is definitely something to be said about being home all the time and not having debt hanging over your head.