Hypothetical question

[Eric]

You are a 28 year old CFII with 500 hours today, and you are offered a 'fast track' to an upper level management position in a non-aviation, 50 employee family business. This job is 9-5, 5 days a week. You will make 6 figures, have 4 weeks vacation your second year, and be at home every night with your beautiful wife. The hours would also allow you to spend normal amounts of time with potential children.

There is a potential for ownership and a chance to make closer to 7 figures down the road, allowing you to own and fly just about any general aviation aircraft. The job is in your wife's hometown which happens to be beautiful and near many recreation opportunities.

Do you take the job and fly for yourself on your own time, or do you continue paying your dues and doing whatever it takes to get on with a regional, then major airline?

Any help is appreciated,
Eric

 

[jaybird]

I'd take the job, it sounds like you want to also. You can instruct on your free time and if there's another hiring boom take your chances then.

 

[Eric]

I'm looking to hear from everyone, but I'm curious if anyone who has flown their whole life has regrets (wished they hadn't had to move as much, more time with kids, more security, more money, no fear of lost medical, stuck at regional pay,etc.) and would take this opportunity knowing what they and I know now.

 

[RUhiring?]

After 3 furloughs, contracts that are not honored, lies from managment, being stabbed in the back by my own union, and a myriad of other reasons, I would take the non-aviation job. But only if it would allow me to fly on my own time. I love flying and I guess that's why I keep going back.

 

[SDF2BUF2MCO]

As long as the family business is stable and you enjoy the non-aviation occupation, go for it. Sounds almost too good to be true. If the green and schedule are there you should be able to have plenty of flying time in decent equipment. If the job is not that interesting then you may find yourself looking to the sky alot and treasuring your time away from work. I know I do!

 

[Skyward]

Why is this even a question? Take the job!

 

[2000flyer]

Thats a tough question. If you goal is working for a major airline, it will be years before they return to hiring, especially lower time pilots. Would you be happy instructing in your free time and flying smaller aircraft?

If it were me, I'd continue my aviation pursuits. However, given the job outlook of todays market, I would more than likely take the family job. You're many years away from earning a six figure salary in aviation. Besides, being single or newly married with no children, take a bit of that six figure salary and buy yourself an airplane. You can do some instruction in your free time, fly your own plane and continue to build your flight time. Down the road if your dream is to still be a pilot, you'll have been able to do several things. 1. Build a great savings from your salary to support you if you decide to return to aviation and endure a few lean financial years like we all have done. 2. Continue to build time instructing. 3. If you did purchase an aircraft you can sell it to also assist in finances.

Good luck in your decision!

2000Flyer

 

[tarp]

Short answer - take the desk job and laugh all the way to the bank. Buy the plane of your dreams in 5-6 years. The glory days of aviation are over - believe me.

PS - if you don't believe, can you PM me the name of your family? I will gladly go back to a six-figure going on seven job. I am completely burned out on the regional gig and there's no hope in sight.

 

[wil]

Take the job!! The hand writing is on the wall. The days of the 250k 10 day work month a gone. Your best chance is a regional gig that may pay 6 figures in 15-18 years after you make it. So if you get on at 32 that's 48-50 that you start to make some coin. Do you want to take that chance with your family? Good luck-

 

[Vladimir Lenin]

sounds too good to be true, and there are backstabers at every level of corporate America, be it aviation or none-aviation related
I'd stick it out, or go back to school

 

[Lrjtcaptain]

gotta do what makes you happy. Ive been flying proffesionaly for a little under 2 years and im about to goto the ATC world just so I can have a semi normal life and not be out of town 3 nights a week. Single now but eventually plan on getting married in a few years or so. Money isn't everything but then again it is. Id say take the job man. Sounds like youll be financially stable and in the aviation world now, well its a big gamble. Buy an airplane in a few years and fly your family around. The amount i fly now i really am burned out. Not saying you'd be but it isn't what it used to be.

 

[Timebuilder]

TAKE THE JOB!!!!!!!!

Sorry. Didn't mean to shout.

 

[350DRIVER]

Why is this even a question? Take the job!

I thought the same.... Very very easy answer= take the job, hands down


3 5 0

 

[Long Time Gone]

I sometimes regret getting into this business. Granted, I am living my dream, but I can't watch my kids grow up like I could when I was working 8 - 5 and home every night.

My 9 year old just wants me to be home to play catch with him. I can't make it to hardly any of the baseball games (let alone be an assistant coach), I can't coach the soccer team anymore.

I'll probably won't be there for my baby's first steps (he's so close now, it's any day now), and all he ever says when I'm gone is "da-da" as he crawls around the house looking for me.

I could go on and on, but anyone on this forum with a family can verify everything I've put here.

If the offer is real, screw the industry and take the job. You can still fly, but you'll never make 7 figs here and it'll take you years to make 6 figs....of course, first you need a job.

 

[Cardinal]

One could consider that there are individuals that have an 8-10 year age advantage over you. Since being older knocks off years at the lucrative final years of your career, that's an easy 2,000,000 in present dollars that you will not earn. Meanwhile everyone gets to spend the average amount of time in the dues-paying zone of low paying instruction, charter, and regional wages. What I'm saying in an overly complex fashion is that an aviation career is a poorer and poorer investment the older you start. You can always try the family business. If after a year of office-dwelling you're feeling suicidal, you'll still have plenty of time to reenter the aviation industry, since relatively little will have moved in a years time. You can keep your options open by not adjusting your standard of living upward the instant the extra cash from the business begins to flow in.

 

[501261]

TAKE THE F#@*% JOB!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Trust me on this, I'm pretty sure I've got one of the best flying jobs in America, and I'd gladly give it up to take a 6 figure desk job (with possibility of 7 figures).

Look I love aviation, but when you fly for a living there's a lot of pressure on you. All it takes is 1 altitude bust, 1 Class B intrusion, 1 "I thought you said Into Position and Hold, not Hold Short" and you will very likely see a suspension in your flying privileges. A suspension would have very, very detrimental affect in my ability to pay the mortgages, boat payments, etc. When you realize that your quality of life is dependent on you not screwing up, a lot of the fun is taken out of flying.

Taking the desk job simply opens up a whole lot more possibilities in your life than any flying job.

 

[Gulfstream 200]

Fly airplanes "for the love of flying" (?) or make a possible 7 figure salary??

Jesus Freakin Christ, thats a dumba$$ question!!!

 

[Eric]

Alright, I think the mention of 7 figures may have skewed the equation. That is a possibility, similar to making 250,000 and flying a 777; it would happen towards the end of my career.

Lets say the salary is topped at 200-300,000, but the time off and 8-5 hours remain the same. Do you all feel as strongly? Just like aviation, anything could affect the economy and make a business not as lucrative.

Thanks for the advice. I'm leaning towards the desk job. I can only tell you what aviation feels like now since I haven't even made it to the regionals. I just got the feeling on a recent vacation of mine that the 50+yr old captains looked tired and lonely walking through the airport. Don't get me wrong, I love flying. I guess I'm asking myself at what cost.

Thanks again.

Eric

 

[Hugh Jorgan]

Dump the wife and go fly. Odds are, she'll get fat and you'll get tired of her right about the time you start making 7 figures. You'll look to trade her in for a newer model and figure the alimony and child support will be worth getting that nagging bag out of your house. Wait, that house will become hers...

 

[WrightAvia]

Buy a motorcycle...
Learn to skydive and buy a rig...
Take a scuba/snorkle class...
Sell all your stuff or give it to your ex ole lady...
Head down to Florida or Arizona and fly twin otters for a drop zone...

ZIG while everybody else is ZAGGING.

 

[Airpiraterob]

realities

well, just to put things into perspective with normal life happenings. Picture this as the best/worse case scenario depending on the job you have.

1)your wive becomes eventuially uninteresting, if you have the $$ job you can pay to have her medically improved and all sorts of mental therapy to keep her fun and interesting and of course hot. flying airplanes for a living....she will remain uninteresting cause you wont be able to afford the "tune-ups"

2)your kids eventually become 18 and graduate high school. if you have the $$ job, you dont have to worry at all about their college. if you fly planes for a living, youre worried about their college costs in addition to STILL worrying about your mortage.

3)youre flying for a living and with that the flying you enjoy you dont get to do cause youre flying for a living in the same plane all the time. so you go rent a 172 on occasion. the 172 is not a very cool plane. if you have the $$ job, you can own your own tiger moth and really have a blast. perhaps a pitts or a WW2 plane or something with a big round engine.

4)the $$ job just might absolutely suck behind the desk. flying for a living rocks a good ammount of the time.

5) even if you dont take the job to make the $$, will you still be abel to own the company down the road cause of the family thing?

 

[mckpickle]

Put down the crack pipe and take the job.

If you stay flying you will be broke, get divorced, learn that flying is a job.

If you take the job you might keep your wife, have lots of money, and appreciate flying. Oh ya don't forget interns!


Hey when your 50-60 you can always BUY an airline.

Hey if I could do anything else I would. But I'm a one trick pony. If I can't fly it or Fuk it, I'm useless.

 

[Wats]

I am pathetic, I gotta fly. I can't be earth bound, I tried it once. I have to say, though that I still love my wife, can't trade her, so I guess I'm pathetic again, but very happy.

 

[jdog78]

I would take the job as well. I've been thinking lately that maybe an airline job is not all it's cracked up to be. Busting your arse for years to get a job with little security and lots of time away from the family doesn't seem as fun anymore. Don't get me wrong, if I could get an airline job right now, I would take it. In reality, though, I would take the desk job and buy a share in an airplane or save up for a few years and buy my own. See, you can have your cake and eat it, too!

-j

 

[501261]

Here's the thing, you have to do what makes you happy, but remember your values in life can change.

A while back I thought my dream job would have been flying floats in Alaska. Well, I'm a little older now and I realize now that my number 1 priority in life is providing for my family. For me, in your hypothetical question the best way for me to achieve priority number 1 is the desk job.

Also remember money isn't everything. I was just reading an article on Adam Archuleta (sp), this guy was a safety on the NFL's Arizona Cardinals earning $1.2M a year, and he gave it all up to join the Army Rangers after 9/11. Bet he's got some proud parents!

 

[Huck]

Dear Eric-

call me cynical, but I just don't believe there are six-figure desk jobs out there that are 9-5, m-f, no responsibilities on weekends. People who make that kind of coin are usually under incredible pressure. Have you really checked into this?

Do what I would do - go work there free for one week. Sit beside a person who is doing your future job. Show up when they show up, leave the desk when they leave it, eat when they eat, go home when they go home. Look out that window all you want - that will be your new view. See how you feel when you do make it home to your kids.

I left a desk job at age 29 and never looked back. Just got off a 6 day trip, and now have six days at home with my kids - thats ALL day, eating breakfast, running around, soccer games, putting them to bed. Wouldn't trade it for the world. If I can't fly I'll drive trucks.

Most pilots who will tell you to take a desk job have never spent a full hard-core 40 hours staring at the same side of a cubicle. I dare them to give it a try.

 

[vschip]

501261, right story, wrong guy, it was Pat Tillman who quit football and joined the army rangers, heard on the radio last week he's somewhere in northern iraq

 

[Bill Mostellar]

You are a 28 year old CFII with 500 hours today, and you are offered a 'fast track' to an upper level management ...

I was on that track in 86 when I jumped off - no regrets.

Do what you love (flying or not). If you make money great. If not, it really doesn't matter.

I wish you success!

 

[enigma]

Eric, ya gotta do what ya gotta do. If it was me not you, I'd take the desk job in the twinkle of an eye. I'd take the desk job even if the ultimate pay was not up to 777 Captain par. You see, those lost nights at home can never be made up. It's that simple. For ever professional pilot like HUCK who has a great job, there are four or more who struggle to pay the bills. Aviation is an exceptionally cruel business. Your success is mostly dependent upon timing and luck. If your timing is good and you stay lucky, you might accomplish a long career in aviation. I know enough pilots who haven't yet recovered from that EAL strike in the early ninetys to make me understand that this career can be devastatingly fickle.

If I could start over again, knowing what I know now, there's no way in hedoublehockeysticks that I'd go the professional pilot route again. I'd make money, and fly my own airplane on my own schedule. That's enjoyable flying.

regards

 

[avbug]

Well, I guess I'll be the dissenting voice. You do what you feel is best for you. For me, I've been in and out of flying enough times to know that I hope I'm dead before the day comes that my medical runs out or I can't fly. I mean that sincerely.

I've quit for maintenance reasons, been without work when companies folded, worked more than a few seasonal assignments, and have quit for family or personal reasons. I've done all kinds of work on the side, admittedly none of which accounted for remotely close to six figures.

However, sitting behind a desk to me was a living hell. I'd rather have an eternal root canal or be left gutshot and bleeding in an alley than work behind a desk, or give up flying.