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If you flunked your medical...

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smellthejeta

The plane I solo'd in
Joined
Mar 31, 2003
Posts
588
What would you do for an alternate career?

1. Get your DX certificate (out of pocket)
2. Get your A&P (company will pay)
3. Go get a Masters online from Riddle (company will pay)
4. Get a Masters somewhere else (company will pay depending on major)

The trick with getting into a non-Riddle Masters program is that my GPA isn't high enough to satisfy their entry requirements. My BS is in Comp Sci but I've been out of it long enough where I figure getting ANY masters degree will help.
 
What is a DX certificate?

Why would you want to spend two years obtaining a mechanic certificate in order to be able to be paid far less than you have been to work on something you can no longer fly? Not to mention that when you go on the floor and other mechanics find out you're also a pilot, you're reduced to less than you are, in their eyes. (most mechanics correctly figure out that most pilots are idiots, just as most pilots view mechanics with some level of distain...it's a class thing).

While you're getting that masters online, what are you going to be doing to put bread on the table?

Seems to me that if you're waiting until you lose your means to work to begin thinking about an alternate soloution, it's a little late. That's a lot like being in freefall before starting to consider the benifits of wearing a parachute. Just a wee bit tardy, if you ask me.
 
Me question

I don't know the reason you "Flunk" your medical, but have you applied for a waiver or SODA (Statement of Demonstraighted Ability)? If AOPA, ALPA member, they have people who can help you with that. Good Luck and don't give up the "Dream".
 
Smelly,

1. Find something you love to do, and try to get someone to pay you to do it. (That's how you got into flying professionally in the first place!)
2. Dispatcher is cool...and you have the aptitude. I don't know how much work there is out there, but it would never hurt to get the certificate.
3. Only pursue the Mx option if it's what you really want to do. Aviation Mx in the US is suffering the same assault that flying is.
4. What you intend to use your Masters degeree for is the key to deciding where you should try to go. If you just want to teach somewhere, get into the quickest program you can (Riddle sounds like an easy option for you), and get the ticket.

The key will be your timeline. If you have a disability program that will cover you for your loss of medical for 18-months...you have some options.

Another tangent: The railroads. My airline has a lot of pilots on furlough - with more being furloughed. Union Pacific is looking for displaced airline pilots because we have what they're looking for: procedures-oriented people who understand safety, and are comfortable with handling transportation's rolling deadlines.

Good luck to you!
 
avbug said:
What is a DX certificate?
dispatch

Why would you want to spend two years obtaining a mechanic certificate in order to be able to be paid far less than you have been to work on something you can no longer fly? Not to mention that when you go on the floor and other mechanics find out you're also a pilot, you're reduced to less than you are, in their eyes. (most mechanics correctly figure out that most pilots are idiots, just as most pilots view mechanics with some level of distain...it's a class thing).
Unless you're trying to come off as a dick on purpose, a more polite way of saying what you just said is that pursuing the mx thing is a waste of time because there's no market and the "transition" would be hard. Also, how much do you think I make? I don't recall ever saying that in this forum.

While you're getting that masters online, what are you going to be doing to put bread on the table?
Same thing I'm doing now.

Seems to me that if you're waiting until you lose your means to work to begin thinking about an alternate soloution, it's a little late. That's a lot like being in freefall before starting to consider the benifits of wearing a parachute. Just a wee bit tardy, if you ask me.
I never asked about the timing, I asked about the options. Avbug, you usually are very knowledgeable about most things in aviation, too bad I got such a waste of an answer from you. Is your answer that I should just file for unemployment, presuming I'm currently a pilot? Are you pissed that you have to work on a national holiday?
 
You mean the fall back value of your college degree is not going to get you a good paying job. My gosh what is the world coming to. You did not mention this, but have you looked at the sim training centers, FSI, CAE, etc. as a ground and sim IP?
 
atlcrashpad said:
I don't know the reason you "Flunk" your medical, but have you applied for a waiver or SODA (Statement of Demonstraighted Ability)? If AOPA, ALPA member, they have people who can help you with that. Good Luck and don't give up the "Dream".

If my vision only corrects to 20/25 in each eye, is that waiverable?
 
Occam's Razor said:
Smelly,

1. Find something you love to do, and try to get someone to pay you to do it. (That's how you got into flying professionally in the first place!)
2. Dispatcher is cool...and you have the aptitude. I don't know how much work there is out there, but it would never hurt to get the certificate.
3. Only pursue the Mx option if it's what you really want to do. Aviation Mx in the US is suffering the same assault that flying is.
4. What you intend to use your Masters degeree for is the key to deciding where you should try to go. If you just want to teach somewhere, get into the quickest program you can (Riddle sounds like an easy option for you), and get the ticket.

The key will be your timeline. If you have a disability program that will cover you for your loss of medical for 18-months...you have some options.

Another tangent: The railroads. My airline has a lot of pilots on furlough - with more being furloughed. Union Pacific is looking for displaced airline pilots because we have what they're looking for: procedures-oriented people who understand safety, and are comfortable with handling transportation's rolling deadlines.

Good luck to you!

I'm not worried about cash, that base is covered. Yeah, I've heard about the railroads -- I know more than a few guys who are pursuing that option. I forogot about it at the moment :)

I guess what I was asking was if things like DX and MX are a waste of time or if the Masters (even if online through Riddle) would be more benefical.
 
Unless you're trying to come off as a dick on purpose, a more polite way of saying what you just said is that pursuing the mx thing is a waste of time because there's no market and the "transition" would be hard. Also, how much do you think I make? I don't recall ever saying that in this forum.

No, I'm speaking as a certificated mechanic with enough years on the job to know what I'm talking about, on the floor and in management, on the line and as an inspector. I don't care how much you make now, but I know how much you'd be making as a mechanic and you'll make more at most entry level jobs in other fields, without having the 13 monts to two years of schooling, and the liability that comes with turning a wrench, not to mention the significant investment in tools you'll require.

But then you don't really care to hear an answer, you're a little to thin skinned for that. I get it.

Same thing I'm doing now.

Sitting idle without a medical certificate, contemplating your options? Seems my comments were more relevant than you let on, doesn't it? Or are you just trying to be a "dick?"

I never asked about the timing, I asked about the options. Avbug, you usually are very knowledgeable about most things in aviation, too bad I got such a waste of an answer from you. Is your answer that I should just file for unemployment, presuming I'm currently a pilot? Are you pissed that you have to work on a national holiday?

No, you didn't ask about timing, did you? You posted what you liked, and I answered what I liked, and there you have it. If you find the answer is so wasteful, why did you bother replying? Or asking?

Is my answer that you should file for unemployment? Did I say any such thing? I did not. Am I assuming you are currently a pilot? I am not. Did I say any such thing? I did not.

Am I working on a national holiday? No, I'm not. Not even "pissed."

By all means, come back and play again, any time.
 
pilotyip said:
You mean the fall back value of your college degree is not going to get you a good paying job. My gosh what is the world coming to. You did not mention this, but have you looked at the sim training centers, FSI, CAE, etc. as a ground and sim IP?

That's exactly what I mean! I started flying while I was in college (non aviation university), ran the numbers, and figured out that despite the price tag, finishing that degree was better than 1) transferring, 2) switching majors, or 3) dropping out. I had sunk enough money into it that finishing the dang thing was the best option.

What are the quals for being a sim instructor?
 
avbug said:
Sitting idle without a medical certificate, contemplating your options? Seems my comments were more relevant than you let on, doesn't it? Or are you just trying to be a "dick?"
Wouldn't call it idle. I could always enroll in those damn classes if I felt it was a good use of my time. Comments weren't so relavent, because you really don't know my current situation. The question was 100% legit and not trolling, BTW. So what is the answer, anyway? Perhaps my reading comprehension skills are lacking...

No, you didn't ask about timing, did you? You posted what you liked, and I answered what I liked, and there you have it. If you find the answer is so wasteful, why did you bother replying? Or asking?
Probably because I thought I could get a more constructive answer out of you. Somebody like Mickey Slapnutz? Wouldn't have wasted my time.

Is my answer that you should file for unemployment? Did I say any such thing? I did not.
What did you mean by sitting idle then? And you're right, you didn't "say" anything, because we're all typing here.

Am I assuming you are currently a pilot? I am not. Did I say any such thing? I did not.
Um, you sure did, when you wrote "fix things you can no longer fly." To "no longer fly them" assumes I flew them once before. Anything I've ever flown I'm still capable of flying, and expect to be able to do so for a very long time.
 
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Perhaps my reading comprehension skills are lacking...

Um, you sure did, when you wrote "fix things you can no longer fly." To "no longer fly them" assumes I flew them once before. Anything I've ever flown I'm still capable of flying, and expect to be able to do so for a very long time.

As opposed to...

Is your answer that I should just file for unemployment, presuming I'm currently a pilot?

You're upset that an assumption might be made that you're a pilot, but then you're sure to tell us that you are, have been, and always will be.

Of course, the thread subject, which YOU introduced, is what one does when one loses one's medical certificate...meaning one can no longer fly.

You are correct. Your reading and comprehension skills are lacking. Particularly when considering what it is that you've just written. You asked about things to do when you lose your medical certificate, and presented several choices, several of which merited comment. Then you became upset at the answers, and finally ended up arguing with yourself, as your replies contradict.

Fly safe.
 
sim IP quals, varies on who is applying. But ATP, type rating, CFI ratings all help. Go to climb to 350 there a some sim IP jobs posted there right now.
 
avbug said:
an assumption might be made that you're a pilot, but then you're sure to tell us that you are, have been, and always will be.
Which would be technically correct, wouldn't it? My pilot certificate will always be valid, but my ability to exercise the associated priveleges of various certificates may not.

Of course, the thread subject, which YOU introduced, is what one does when one loses one's medical certificate...meaning one can no longer fly.
...fly for a LIVING, among other things in aviation that require a medical certificate.

You are correct. Your reading and comprehension skills are lacking. Particularly when considering what it is that you've just written. You asked about things to do when you lose your medical certificate, and presented several choices, several of which merited comment. Then you became upset at the answers, and finally ended up arguing with yourself, as your replies contradict.
I'll venture out on a limb here... but one can lose the medical certificate required to be a commercial pilot, but still be able to fly under the auspices of a third class medical. The question was germane to commercial flying, not private flying. I'm still quite capable of the later. You never did answer the question... of the four choices presented, which would be the most practical? That's all I asked.

P.S., my replies don't contradict each other, because everything I have ever flown I expect to continue to fly. I never said I was employed commercially as a pilot.
 
If I lost my medical, I'd just be forced to retire on our companies loss of license insurance at 66% of my current pay. OBTW, that's tax free!
 
How clintonesque of you. In that case, your questions have been answered, and your thin skinned replies out of place, as well as out of joint.

If one is no longer medically capable of flying for a living, does one encourage one's employer to pay to find another venue? I don't know any aviation employers that after hiring a pilot will retrain them in another field and support them for two years while they obtain that new training...I'm sure there's a good samaritan out there somewhere.

If one has lost one's medical certification for commercial flying, does one then seek two years worth of training to become a mechanic, and work on the equipment one can no longer fly? Answered, but again, you didn't like the answer. Perhaps it wasn't what you wanted to hear.

Does one seek a master's degree from Embry Riddle? To what end? To seek a teaching job somewhere? Again your question is what one does when one "flunks" a medical exam for certification for flying with commercial privileges. While a masters degree might make you a little more marketable in your chosen field (experience counts spades over academic achievement in most endevors), why go to Embry riddle? And what employer of a pilot who has just lost his or her medical certification to fly commercially, is then going to pay to send that pilot (whom the employer can no longer use as a pilot) to school for higher education? Embry riddle or otherwise?

I don't care if you fly commercially or not. I don't care if you fly for fun, or if you just fly things around your bathtub and pretend to be a pilot. That's not what you asked when you posted your question to start the thread, and the topic is what one does when one has "flunked" one's medical examination. Specifically, you ask about an alternate career, on a pilot forum, when one has "flunked" one's medical exam (clarified by you to at least a second class privilege...though if you "flunk" the exam, you flunk the exam...one doesn't test for a first class certificate and fail it, and then get issued a third class as a consolation prize).

Your question then asks what a pilot flying commercially does when he or she loses the ability to do so based on the inability to retain medical certification to fly commercially, and the question was answered. When you're done backpeddling through your various definitions and self-indignance, do take time to read the replies you've been given, instead of argue. Though it would likely be an accident, you might learn something.
 
avbug said:
How clintonesque of you. In that case, your questions have been answered, and your thin skinned replies out of place, as well as out of joint.
You answered 2 out of 4. I guess that's as good as I'll get out of you.
If one is no longer medically capable of flying for a living, does one encourage one's employer to pay to find another venue? I don't know any aviation employers that after hiring a pilot will retrain them in another field and support them for two years while they obtain that new training...I'm sure there's a good samaritan out there somewhere.
I never said I had a flying job, but in any case, my employer does have a clearly defined reimbursement plan. Not sure if the benefit extends to our charter pilots (different division of the company) but I'm not too concerned about them at this point. I also didn't ask you if you knew of any companies that would pay for higher education, either. The implied question was, if your employer paid, would it be worth doing.
If one has lost one's medical certification for commercial flying, does one then seek two years worth of training to become a mechanic, and work on the equipment one can no longer fly? Answered, but again, you didn't like the answer. Perhaps it wasn't what you wanted to hear.
Never the original question, seeing as I can't or don't fly them in the first place.
Does one seek a master's degree from Embry Riddle? To what end? To seek a teaching job somewhere? Again your question is what one does when one "flunks" a medical exam for certification for flying with commercial privileges.
To get a job, silly. I don't know many people that start their 4 year degree knowing for sure who they are going to work for when they graduate. The same applies to my situation -- there's nothing outside of my current career endeavor that I'm actually just dying to do. Had that been the case, I would not have bothered to ask the populace for their collective opinion.
While a masters degree might make you a little more marketable in your chosen field (experience counts spades over academic achievement in most endevors), why go to Embry riddle?
Company pays, it's convenient, and I can get into the program. Three reasons. If you looked at question 4 before you went off on your tirade, you'll notice that question was a bit more open ended.
And what employer of a pilot who has just lost his or her medical certification to fly commercially, is then going to pay to send that pilot (whom the employer can no longer use as a pilot) to school for higher education? Embry riddle or otherwise?
Donno, don't care either. The question I posed was specific to my situation (even though it was worded in the "you" form). Again, I never said I was employed as a pilot. You might have inferred it, but I never implied it. If you were to ask that question outside the context of this discussion, I would have either remained silent, or offered that my employer may offer it, I would have to look. Again, this point is moot in reference to my personal situation.
I don't care if you fly commercially or not. I don't care if you fly for fun, or if you just fly things around your bathtub and pretend to be a pilot. That's not what you asked when you posted your question to start the thread, and the topic is what one does when one has "flunked" one's medical examination. Specifically, you ask about an alternate career, on a pilot forum, when one has "flunked" one's medical exam (clarified by you to at least a second class privilege...though if you "flunk" the exam, you flunk the exam...
I'm glad we can agree on something. At least when I fly the little airplane in the bathtub, I don't have to worry about the cost of fuel or the financial health of the company operating the airplane and potentially paying my wages.

Your question then asks what a pilot flying commercially does when he or she loses the ability to do so based on the inability to retain medical certification
Actually, no, that's not what the question asked. The question made no presumption of current employment on behalf of the audience upon which it was posed. One may have the intention of flying for a career, discover that he/she cannot qualify for a second class medical, in which case, he/she would then seek an alternate career. Apparently, I'm not the only one who lacks reading comprehension skills.
...the question was answered.
If you say so. I asked four questions, got half-arse responses to two, yet you still left the general question unanswered.
When you're done backpeddling through your various definitions and self-indignance, do take time to read the replies you've been given, instead of argue. Though it would likely be an accident, you might learn something.
If that's what you want to call it, fine, but you can't really formulate a strong argument if your only defense is that your comprehension of the English language is not as strong as the person with whom you are conversing.
 
smellthejeta said:
At least when I fly the little airplane in the bathtub

That's a submarine, bud.

Good luck! If you've got a third class medcal still that's good for those privileges...if you think there is ANY chance of denial just don't renew it. Find yourself a nice sport pilot airplane and fly that off into the sunset for as long as you can drive.
 
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