If you had the chance would you do it again (aviation?)

[BenderGonzales]

You've had a pretty cushy life Caveman. Tell that to the guys who have been furloughed 3 or 4 times and have to start over -- again.

Finding yourself with 8 or 9 thousand hours in the right seat of an RJ taking orders from a 1500 hour, 23 year-old captain tends to make one a little bitter.

 

[skiddriver]

You've had a pretty cushy life Caveman. Tell that to the guys who have been furloughed 3 or 4 times and have to start over -- again.

Finding yourself with 8 or 9 thousand hours in the right seat of an RJ taking orders from a 1500 hour, 23 year-old captain tends to make one a little bitter.

I'll jump to my former colleague's defense and say that he hasn't had a "cushy" life. While he is a retired Marine, he wasn't a pilot in the Corps and worked his way into the left seat the hard way. He is also near the bottom of the Captains list, and I think I can say without being wrong, is at significant risk of being downgraded to FO during the upcoming furloughs. And while he won't have any 1500 hour Captains at the helm, that's not a career move I'd wish on anyone.

Being a line pilot isn't everyone's final destination (it wasn't mine), but for some folks it is their dream. The relative age or experience of the person sitting to your left shouldn't make any difference. In a seniority based business, that's the way things work.

Caveman, drop me a PM and let me know how things are shaking out for you.

 

[pilotyip]

For those of you who think a 20 yr militarty flying career is a sure thing check out these facts. The US Military is one of the most fickel employers of pilots in the business. Talk to any of the post WWII, Korea, Vietnam, or Gulf I era trained pilots about RIF's, downsizing of the number of airplanes and loss of pilots slots, the extremely low promotion rate for pilots, assignment to non-flying designators. Been there seen that.

 

[Tyro]

...downsizing of the number of airplanes and loss of pilots slots, the extremely low promotion rate for pilots, assignment to non-flying designators...

Yip is way correcto...

 

[freightdogfred]

I'd get a job playin the piano in a whorehouse....

 

[LAZYB]

I'd get a job playin the piano in a whorehouse....

What's the QOL and howz the pay...:beer: