I don't get it...

[FN FAL]

Umm, wow... Honestly since he isnt married I would strongly advise that he try single life for a while. What would posess someone to throw away a 'fun' and enjoyable career just because some chick he has been dating for a couple months cries foul? I dont get it!

When me and the wife were on our death march (five mile fitness hike) today, I told her about this guy that quit because of the chick, she said that guy was wuss. But she really said the slang name for a cat, which I cant say here because it has the p word and the ussy word compilation. Come to think of it, I can't remember if my wife said the chick was a wuss or the dude was a wuss, but then again, we saw lesbian chicks on Harleys today so I'm a little confused.

 

[gkrangers]

When me and the wife were on our death march (five mile fitness hike) today, I told her about this guy that quit because of the chick, she said that guy was wuss. But she really said the slang name for a cat, which I cant say here because it has the p word and the ussy word compilation. Come to think of it, I can't remember if my wife said the chick was a wuss or the dude was a wuss, but then again, we saw lesbian chicks on Harleys today so I'm a little confused.

The fact that your wife said the p + ussy word threw you for a loop. You shouldn't fly in your condition....

 

[Occam's Razor]

Last week three of my friends that are at three different regionals all told me they are ready to get out of the flying business. One is at SkyWest, one Air Wisconsin, and one at Horizon. Just like most of us, they all three spent ridiculous amounts of money, time, and effort to get to where they are.

Predicted happiness. Happens all the time. We see a hot car, or a cool airplane, or a gorgeous babe...and we predict what it would be like to have it. We picture ourselves with it, and build an emotional expectation based on the sensation of happiness.

If the sensation doesn't meet the prediction, we experience an emotional let down. The "anti-climax" of achieving the goal. (And to be successful as aspiring pilots, we have to be goal-oriented. It's one of the things that all of us as pilots have in common)

If the let down is persistent, we either lose focus, sublimate the sensation (hobbies, other diversions) or get depressed.

We have several pilots at our airline who experienced an externally-induced onset of this condition. It was caused by 9/11 and/or the bankruptcy. Both of those "external" events (meaning they weren't caused by the pilots themselves through an unrealistic expectation) dramatically changed the way the pilots percieved themselves and their profession.

For most of us, part of the cache of the profession is that it is not common. There are more lawyers in Manhattan than there are professional pilots in the US. These three guys spent the time and money to achieve something unique. Maybe they ascribed too much happiness to the achievement of that expensive and time-consuming goal.

I asked the first one why he no longer likes the job and he told me, "Well, it's not that I hate the job, it's actually pretty fun and i never feel like i'm going to work, but my girlfriend said she can't have a relationship with a guy that's away from home 3-4 days a week." Uhm, what?

Tilt!

Time for a new squeeze. That Klingon princess has predicted happiness with a non-pilot. Good for her! I know a lot of "house boys" who'd dig doing Quarterly Reports for Acme Widgets in a comfy cubicle so that they'd be home every night at 5pm for Her Serene Highness.

Right now there are thousands of heroic women waiting for their warriors who are overseas on our behalf. This gal needs to get some perspective.

The second one said he can make more going into business working a desk. And you didn't know this before the $35k and 3 years instructing?

I bet he can! Good for him. I hope he digs "casual Fridays" and office politics. My desk jockey neighbors gather at my house a few times a month to hear stories about a job that is more interesting (even long Flint layovers!) than managing the "Franklin Account". "Really? You mean the radar couldn't see through the storms? Then how did you know you could land in St. Louis?"

The third one said he's just plain bored. *shrug*

And he wouldn't be bored cold-calling potential clients? Riiiiight!

I suppose there are porn stars that are bored with their jobs. Cops that envisoned something more exciting. FAIPs who predicted themselves intercepting MiGs over Baghdad instead of intercepting radials over Enid. If you can't keep yourself focused and entertained driving an airplane, then you owe it to yourself to find another job.

Someone enlighten me. I know the airlines aren't glamorous. I know the pay isn't a Fortune 500 CEO salary. I know i'm broke now and I will be for several years into my flying career. But what gives? With any job you have to make sacrifices. I am just constantly being suprised by people up and leaving the industry altogether.

thoughts?

Find a job you love to do. If you don't love flying, don't do it.

Instead of "Take Your Kid To Work Day", maybe we need to start a "Take A Dreamer To Real Work Day". Spend a day over someone else's septic tank and you'll learn why their grass is greener.

 

[mcjohn]

My wife says that all the time. No further comment. Now I'm all excited again.

 

[TrafficInSight]

Well said, OR. The people who get bored with aviation are the people that made the mad dash for the right seat, got hired at 1000/100 or even earlier, and proceeded to never fly outside of work. That would bore the hell out of me too.

I don't think people like Robin Reid or John Deakin are bored in the slightest.
Get out, DO SOMETHING.

 

[njcapt]

What do I have to learn, junior? I feel the same way. I'm not exactly happy looking for my sixth airline job in the past fourteen years, but I take it in stride and am a reasonably content employee wherever I'm working. I don't need to sit next to some whining, grass-is-greener pain in the a$$ for a whole trip. If they aren't happy doing what they're doing, I say get out of the industry and do something fulfilling.

 

[Goose Egg]

Their dad kept telling me that UND had a secret society of people making sure UND kids got all the good jobs and how they place their graduates directly in the regionals.

From what I can tell, you don't need a secret society to get a job at a regional. You need is 1000-100 and a pulse.

-Goose

 

[FN FAL]

From what I can tell, you don't need a secret society to get a job at a regional. You need is 1000-100 and a pulse.

-Goose

1000-100 sounds like an easy day or two turning circuits around the aerodrome. These two guys got home from UND and saw the post 9/11 writing on the wall and chose another endeavor. Either they were smart or lazy? It's not for me to say.

 

[LoneStar123]

Tell them to go work on air conditioners on the top of buildings in Texas for a summer.....then ask if being a pilot is all that bad

 

[AngelKing]

Maybe it is not the current situation that has them quitting, but the grim prospects of it ever getting any better. People are willing to spend great sums if there is a payback seen in the end, but in aviation, unless you are hired by UPS, Fedex, there just isn't that huge payoff any longer.

And I know, its not just about the money.


AK

 

[BenderGonzales]

It didn't used to be all about the money but let's be honest folks. As much fun as flying can be (we could debate all day about exactly how enjoyable it is to watch the autopilot follow the LNAV across the country for 2.5 hours at a time)... at some point we have to ask ourselves some serious questions.

Can I afford to buy a house?

Can I afford to buy a car?

Can I afford to pay off school loans and to live debt-free (with the exception of a mortgage)?

Am I putting away enough money to allow me to retire comfortably at 60?

Can I afford to have a child?

Can I afford to put some money away to help said-child through college?

Will I have anything to leave the child when I die?

Can we afford to take a family vacation once a year?

Sure, flying is fun. But nobody -- not ONE of us -- got into this profession with the goal of flying an RJ for 30 years while management whipsaws us into lower pay and worsening work-rules year after year.

At some point you have to wake-up and say, "Ok. Flying is fun, but maybe it's time to look at another segment of aviation, or perhaps look outside of aviation entirely, and simply fly as a hobby."

I dont blame those guys (except for the guy who is already whipped by his little girlfriend) one bit. Educated people make educated decisions based on reality -- not some romantic notion of what it's like to be a pilot.

 

[AngelKing]

very well put.


AK

 

[CrimsonEclipse]

It didn't used to be all about the money but let's be honest folks. As much fun as flying can be (we could debate all day about exactly how enjoyable it is to watch the autopilot follow the LNAV across the country for 2.5 hours at a time)... at some point we have to ask ourselves some serious questions.

Can I afford to buy a house?

Can I afford to buy a car?

Can I afford to pay off school loans and to live debt-free (with the exception of a mortgage)?

Am I putting away enough money to allow me to retire comfortably at 60?

Can I afford to have a child?

Can I afford to put some money away to help said-child through college?

Will I have anything to leave the child when I die?

Can we afford to take a family vacation once a year?

Sure, flying is fun. But nobody -- not ONE of us -- got into this profession with the goal of flying an RJ for 30 years while management whipsaws us into lower pay and worsening work-rules year after year.

At some point you have to wake-up and say, "Ok. Flying is fun, but maybe it's time to look at another segment of aviation, or perhaps look outside of aviation entirely, and simply fly as a hobby."

I dont blame those guys (except for the guy who is already whipped by his little girlfriend) one bit. Educated people make educated decisions based on reality -- not some romantic notion of what it's like to be a pilot.

Welcome to my most respected list.
If you're in FLL, I'll buy you a drink.

CE

 

[Metro752]

Last week three of my friends that are at three different regionals all told me they are ready to get out of the flying business. One is at SkyWest, one Air Wisconsin, and one at Horizon. Just like most of us, they all three spent ridiculous amounts of money, time, and effort to get to where they are. Two of them instructed for 3 years before they got on with the regionals. One of them is less than a year away from captain upgrade on the CRJ.

I asked the first one why he no longer likes the job and he told me, "Well, it's not that I hate the job, it's actually pretty fun and i never feel like i'm going to work, but my girlfriend said she can't have a relationship with a guy that's away from home 3-4 days a week." Uhm, what?

The second one said he can make more going into business working a desk. And you didn't know this before the $35k and 3 years instructing?

The third one said he's just plain bored. *shrug*

Someone enlighten me. I know the airlines aren't glamorous. I know the pay isn't a Fortune 500 CEO salary. I know i'm broke now and I will be for several years into my flying career. But what gives? With any job you have to make sacrifices. I am just constantly being suprised by people up and leaving the industry altogether.

thoughts?

g

tell them to hurry up and gtfo, more jobs for me

 

[Guitar rocker]

I know people that quit right after they got out of UND.

Their dad kept telling me that UND had a secret society of people making sure UND kids got all the good jobs and how they place their graduates directly in the regionals. He also always told me that his kids were going to be driving past my place with their Maserati sports cars, blowing the horn and waving the finger at me. Nope...never happened. Neither one of them has flown a plane since UND. Which is kind of sad, since their grandpa, the United pilot paid for it all.

And then there were those at UND that went straight to UAL.....we all know what types those were.....while we GUYS flew freight/checks, did regionals, found out what a torque guage was and earned that 900$/mo. UND did have it's little favorites and I wouldnt doubt that secret society thing either. I think our pal Kent Lovelace would know all about that.

 

[g4800xp]

NJCAPT said, What do I have to learn, junior? I feel the same way. I'm not exactly happy looking for my sixth airline job in the past fourteen years, but I take it in stride and am a reasonably content employee wherever I'm working. I don't need to sit next to some whining, grass-is-greener pain in the a$$ for a whole trip.
__________________
__________________

NJCAPT, Not being a smart ass here, you still love flying, why not look for a nice part 91 job, they are out there, try something different? I could not agree more with you.

Lots of good posts on this thread and only a few negative ones, I just refuse to be someone who says " i wish I had....." . I am sure some troll will fire off some 91vs 135vs121 bit,

 

[PDH]

Who here has had a job that they did not like? That's why they call it working. You chose which job you would prefer over any other, and now you sit in the right seat of an RJ. That sure beats raking leaves for a living. I have had several jobs that I have enjoyed, but after a while I get bored and always wish I were flying. Even now, I own a small business, make decent money, and make my own schedule--but at the end of the day I still wish I was in that 172 that just flew over. Unless you are an F-22 test pilot with a part-time gig as a Playboy photographer, you will most likely get bored with your job at some time or another. Enjoy it....a lot of people changing tires down at Discount envy the heck out of you.

 

[Joshrk22]

I'm kinda glad that people are leaving this business. I suppose it's the first step in pulling this industry outta' the ********************ter.

If people keep leaving or deciding that the airline industry is unstable, eventually the airlines will have to go looking for the pilots.

Supply and Demand...

As people become more educated and are aware that this is not a stable career and choose a different career, then throw in the retirements, and the furloughs that never return to their job; one day you will have a shortage of pilots.

By the time I get to a regional, I'm hoping this is the case and there is a quick upgrade time, the pay has increased, and there is a better QOL.

Just my thoughts on it.

 

[Metro752]

you don't need a super quick upgrade time if the right seat pay is reasonable.

 

[Joshrk22]

you don't need a super quick upgrade time if the right seat pay is reasonable.

I suppose you have a point.