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Fork in the Road

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check six

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 10, 2002
Posts
133
What do you all think of a guy who is considering switching from his $100k a year engineer job back to flying. For his current job, the commute is quick, minimal overnight travel. His company is more secure than most airlines except maybe SWA, Fedex, UPS.

The guy has over 2000 hrs with 500 turbine SIC.

The guy is bored with the corporate life and he misses the actual work of flying a jet. He has a wife and three kids who he likes to spend time with.

Does the guy go get his 1000+ turbine pic and go for the airlines or just hammer away at the engineer job and do the weekend warrior thing? The guy is 45.

Check Six
 
Is he just bored with corporate life, or does he hate it with a passion? If just bored, I'd stick to the weekend warrior life. If he absolutely hates it, I'd think about finding a new job, but not as an airline pilot, and stick to being a weekend warrior.

Based on his hours alone, he could get hired into a regional now. However, a factor toward getting hired is his recency of experience and quality of that experience. In other words, is he a weekend flyer doing the $100 hamburger run? Or does he spend his weekends as a CFI?

With the QOL these days at the regionals, the fact that he wants to spend his free time with the family is a disqualifier. That and the fact that after 15 years at a regional (very likely to happen), he'll top out at half the pay he's making now, with no defined-benefit pension.

Maybe he can get a job at a local 135 operation, working part-time.

Good luck.
 
If I was said person I would take some of my engineering money and buy a nice little pitts s-2c and fly that a few times a week. Maybe even do a competition or two. If you need somebody to occupy the second seat....im available.
 
check six said:
What do you all think of a guy who is considering switching from his $100k a year engineer job back to flying. For his current job, the commute is quick, minimal overnight travel. His company is more secure than most airlines except maybe SWA, Fedex, UPS.

The guy has over 2000 hrs with 500 turbine SIC.

The guy is bored with the corporate life and he misses the actual work of flying a jet. He has a wife and three kids who he likes to spend time with.

Does the guy go get his 1000+ turbine pic and go for the airlines or just hammer away at the engineer job and do the weekend warrior thing? The guy is 45.

Check Six

Can he afford an ~80K/year pay cut for a few years?? Not to mention it would probably take you until age 50 to acquire enough experience to be mildly competitive for a decent job (i.e. SWA, Fedex, UPS). Why would you do that to yourself or your family?
 
Photoflight said:
If I was said person I would take some of my engineering money and buy a nice little pitts s-2c and fly that a few times a week. Maybe even do a competition or two. If you need somebody to occupy the second seat....im available.


this is the best advice for said gentleman
 
check six said:
The guy is bored with the corporate life and he misses the actual work of flying a jet. He has a wife and three kids who he likes to spend time with.

Does the guy go get his 1000+ turbine pic and go for the airlines or just hammer away at the engineer job and do the weekend warrior thing? The guy is 45.

the guy should think about his family more than himself.....the short answer is NO. :)
 
snowman said:
if there is a fork in the road, take it. Yogi Berra

What if there is a Baboon in the road ? :p

"Baboons on the road, what kind of sign is this ?, Baboons on the road, is this the end of bliss ?"

TP

P.S. 100K per year, keep the job and get a part time gig flying.
 
Stay

Stay at your current job. Wait till the kids are grown and get into it purely as a hobby in 10 years after you are financially independent.

Skyline
 

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