Honestly, no flame bait...

[sinkrate]

Why do you do it? Running the numbers of hiring, only about half of you will end up at a major airline, and that is with this overhyped hiring wave that is coming up. And that is after all the years of pain you have ALL been through.

Timing and seniority are everthing in this industry. My sim partner from my first upgrade in 1997 went to NW in 1998. In the 14 years since I have made more, had twice as much time at home and pick my schedule and domicile. I haven't been furloughed either. Most 'mainline' pilots have no clue what life is like for pilots on the senior end of a large regionals list.

Going forward my old sim partner will pass me in earnings for the year but still have less time at home. I don't have enough years left in the business to recover what I would have lost if I had left. Its a job. I make of it what I want and that ain't bad.

You have a point about the young guys though. They hang out for the opportunity to fly a wide body someday. With the rate the foriegn carriers are taking that from US carriers thats a pipe dream.

 

[CesnaCaptn]

I've had a blast the past six years, even with two furloughs (one of them permanent) and a company shutdown. As for who will or won't hire me, I don't sweat things I can't control.

Good attitude for the this business, enjoy ti when you can don't sweat it when you can't.

How are you not supposed to sweat it if you have a family and a mortgage? What am I supposed to do? Never buy a home based on my salary, because it could all come crashing down at my company?

 

[pilotyip]

How are you not supposed to sweat it if you have a family and a mortgage? What am I supposed to do? Never buy a home based on my salary, because it could all come crashing down at my company?

Depends? are you still in the paying dues phase? planning on another move? very junior with few numbers under you? In those cases probably should not take on a mortgage.

Once you get to your career postion, learn to live below your means, if you can afford a 2,000' sq ft house, buy a 1,500 sq ft house, drive your car for 5-10 years, take 1/2 of every pay increase and invest it or save it. Have a plan B on the shelf, and a plan C somewhere in theback of your mind.

It will take you approximately 10 years to get to a job that will allow you to start making QOL a goal in your job search. Pilots get hired at good places because they have Turbine PIC, you must build turbine PIC to have control over your career. You have to go wherever that job is that gets you turbine PIC. You stay in that job until you can get another job that gives you better turbine PIC, i.e. Bigger airplanes, Turbojet, 121, etc. It is called paying your dues everyone must do it. Some do it in the military, some do it at the regionals, and some do in the on-demand business. Everyone pays his or her dues.

 

[JettBoii]

We all got into it because at the time it was the logical 1st step in our careers. Who knew it would have turned out like this. Do you honestly think pilots would have knowingly stepped into this giant pile of shart? Sharty pay, sharty schedule, sharty future..etc. What a bunch of shart. It's 8.5 years of my life I will never get back.

 

[pilotyip]

We all got into it because at the time it was the logical 1st step in our careers. Who knew it would have turned out like this. Do you honestly think pilots would have knowingly stepped into this giant pile of shart? Sharty pay, sharty schedule, sharty future..etc. What a bunch of shart. It's 8.5 years of my life I will never get back.

How is your life any different than my buddy who gets out of the Navy in 1973, hired at EAL, laid in Nov of 73, no jobs, goes to work as a contract flight instructor in the Iranian Air Force, gets recalled by EAL in 1979, spends 3 more years on the FE panel, company goes out of business in 1991. Everyone is now furloughing. He never makes Captain, goes back to Saudi flying pipeline patrol in a DHC-6. Hiring starts again in 1996 he is 55 years old.

So you are not alone in this 8.5 years of their lives in shirt, and if you are young enough with the coming hiring boom you will do better than my buddy I flew with in Vietnam.

 

[Twisted Mind]

I know a lot of people that have been furloughed several times. The guys that fell off the list in the 70' and 80' always came back to a job that paid very well. The guys bouncing from regional to regional in today's environment are making very poor wages. YIP, that is a huge difference.

 

[JustaNumber]

You could make more money in other areas, AND be home and see your family more. (But, you can't tell people you're a pilot.)

We know 121 flying is dull, so don't try saying you love to fly. It is easy, but fun and life fulfilling? Not for our generation, let's be honest.

What does that leave? Because it's all you know how to do, and that you can tell people who have no idea how much it sucks to fly at a regional that you are a pilot?

Why do some many good people sell themselves so short?

It sounds to me like YOU are in the wrong profession, not us. I STRONGLY disagree with your characterization of flying. I'm not sure what you think the ultimate career is, but you clearly don't belong here.

Furthermore, while it is wise to try to maximize your earnings within a profession, money is not the end-all be-all reason for a career. If money is the only thing that will make you happy, then you are in for a miserable life, no matter how much you eventually earn.

 

[pilotyip]

I know a lot of people that have been furloughed several times. The guys that fell off the list in the 70' and 80' always came back to a job that paid very well. The guys bouncing from regional to regional in today's environment are making very poor wages. YIP, that is a huge difference.

What difference? Jettboii was making a comment about how bad the past 8.5 years have been as though this had never happened before. You reenforced my post with more examples of broken flying careers. Your buddies who came back were in the right place at the right time.

If money is the goal, like my buddy, there are lots of good paying jobs OCONUS

 

[BigPappa]

You guys crack me up. It just sucks. This biz sucks.

Sounds like somebody is going through a midlife crisis..:laugh:

 

[flyboyike]

Never buy a home based on my salary, because it could all come crashing down at my company?

I don't know about never, but having a plan in place in the event your company does come crashing down may be advisable.