Hater in the House!

[atrdriver]

I'm sure a lot of people stick with aviation because of the thousands upon thousands of dollars they spent to get their ratings in the first place.

I walked away from a good paying job where I had 17 years seniority. If I wasn't happy in aviation I would leave like I left the last job. The money I spent on ratings and such are irrevelevent. The only thing that factors in to is keeping my instructor ratings alive, although I am not currently using them...I figure I spent the time and money on them, I might as well keep the certificate active...

atrdriver

 

[Skyrtr]

I think it's interesting that most career changers say they'd never look back to their former lives in the 9-5 workforce, whereas those who have only flown for a career and never done anything else are the ones saying to get out and do something else for "more money."

Absolutely the exact same thing I've noticed. I think that the career-changers feel more control over their situations, and those locked into aviation feel more helpless/trapped. I made the move to professional flying in August of 2001! Great timing, huh? I was flying for a decade prior, and I never could face the paycut until I took the plunge a few years ago. Before I changed, I had plenty of money and no satisfaction (GOD, can career management types in big corporations make you hate your job. Meeting after pointless meeting and a veal-calf cubicle to go to every day). I made more than 100k some years, and I miss it. Wish I'd saved some more of it. I still have to work part-time in my old profession in addition to the full-time instructing job to pay the bills. However, I DO NOT MISS MY OLD LIFE. I had more free time, more money and a predictable schedule, but I could never face 30 more years behind a computer.

Everyone's reality is different. We examine our lives through warped lenses (some a bit too rosy, and others a bit too dusty).

 

[CASHMAN797]

Industry

People often forget how much of a roller coaster the industry has ALWAYS been. Pilots at airlines such as Brantiff, Eastern, and Pan Am to name a few were left jobless and on the street after their airlines vanished into bankruptcy. The oil crisis in the seventies and economic downturn in the 1980s also left pilots at airlines like American out on furlough for half a decade. People that think that the industy was stable before 9/11 have not taken a step back to analyze the history of this industry. The industry is seeing a slight recovery at the moment, but since history repeats itself, there will only be a limited time window before the industry heads for a nose dive and more pilots are back in the food stamp line because they had only one source of income.

 

[FlyChicaga]

I believe it was avbug that once said, "There are lucrative careers and rewarding ones, and they are not necessarily the same." So true.

My sim instructor here is 57 1/2 with 23,000 hrs. Flown at 6 airlines. Been Chief Pilot at some, been VP of Operations at some, done training at some. Has had 23 professional flying jobs. Flown the bush in Alaska, corporate/charter, and airlines. Nothing really over the regional level. But I can tell he loves this stuff. I envy him. Maybe he's avbug but won't say...

 

[Northern Lights]

So those of you that switched to flying from another career, how old were you when you made the switch?

Also, for 350, was wondering what your age is. From previous posts I thought that you might only be about 25, which seems young enough to go to med school and have a nice long career as a doctor. I might be wrong, just curious.

On another note, what is the divorce rate for pilots, and how many have left flying to save the family?

 

[350DRIVER]

I believe it was avbug that once said, "There are lucrative careers and rewarding ones, and they are not necessarily the same." So true.

My sim instructor here is 57 1/2 with 23,000 hrs. Flown at 6 airlines. Been Chief Pilot at some, been VP of Operations at some, done training at some. Has had 23 professional flying jobs. Flown the bush in Alaska, corporate/charter, and airlines. Nothing really over the regional level. But I can tell he loves this stuff. I envy him. Maybe he's avbug but won't say...

Not to be a smart @ss, but I can assure you avbug surely ain't no sim instructor at ExpressJet. He will probably jump through the screen if he even comes across this thread.

Northern,

You are pretty close although this 27th of Oct. is quickly approaching so that number will increase. The thought has surely crossed my mind on more than one occasion and that possibility hasn't been ruled out just yet. Once you invest a lot of time, money, experience, jobs, etc, within one industry walking away is not always as easy as it sounds though my friend.


3 5 0

 

[AviatorTx]

It doesn't matter why you're still flying. If you're too old to get out and you have resigned yourselves to "suffering" in this business for the rest of your working lives, don't you think your life would be more enjoyable if you didn't complain about it so much. If you're stuck with it then you may as well enjoy it as much as you can or at least find other things to do in your free time which will enable you to suffer silently while you're at work. Nobody owes you anything and it's too bad you feel stuck in a job you hate. But get over it. Nobody likes a whiner!

OK, I'll bite.

Look... YOU asked. I answered, as honestly as I can. You can call it whining, whatever. The one point that nobody can seem to successfully argue against though is the fact that this industry will NEVER be what it once was. What it WAS, is the reason that many of us came here. You calling me a whiner, or me calling you a golden sperm prodigy, will not get us anywhere.

Now, if you like it for what it is now, and you think you can be happy in this career for the rest of your life... knock yourself out. There is really one way to find out. Try it for yourself. Ten years from now, you will know whether or not you made the right decision.

Some learn by reading...

Some learn by watching....

Some actually have to pee on the electric fence themselves...

 

[350DRIVER]

OK, I'll bite.

Look... YOU asked. I answered, as honestly as I can. You can call it whining, whatever. The one point that nobody can seem to successfully argue against though is the fact that this industry will NEVER be what it once was. What it WAS, is the reason that many of us came here. You calling me a whiner, or me calling you a golden sperm prodigy, will not get us anywhere.

Now, if you like it for what it is now, and you think you can be happy in this career for the rest of your life... knock yourself out. There is really one way to find out. Try it for yourself. Ten years from now, you will know whether or not you made the right decision.

Some learn by reading...

Some learn by watching....

Some actually have to pee on the electric fence themselves...

Some will also believe in false logic and only see the distorted picture that they choose to paint. It is a useless cause Tx, some will always ignore the reality of the matter that does not seem to fit their agenda.

3 5 0

 

[FN FAL]

So those of you that switched to flying from another career, how old were you when you made the switch?

Also, for 350, was wondering what your age is. From previous posts I thought that you might only be about 25, which seems young enough to go to med school and have a nice long career as a doctor. I might be wrong, just curious.

On another note, what is the divorce rate for pilots, and how many have left flying to save the family?

Switched to aviation as a career at 32...

I have been through at least 4 distinct career changes in my life. It's nice knowing that If I want to step out of aviation, I can always make some decent money because of my work experience. It means my employer doesn't hold me hostage.

 

[taxicabdriver]

I think I'm gonna change my name to Buck Naked and be a porno actor.