If you weren't a pilot, what would you do?

[Steveair]

Firefighter

 

[I.P. Freley]

I'd be...

Fred Garvin; Male Prostitute.

 

[Occam's Razor]

Showshoe Repairman in Key West.

Or surfing instructor in Minnesota.

I think I'd like the workload...

 

[FN FAL]

I'd be...

Fred Garvin; Male Prostitute.

What's ten bucks gonna get me, Mr. Garvin? Hahahaha...

 

[wrxpilot]

Engineering is a nice profession as there is typically no BS politics in the office, most of the people you deal with are honest, you will always be able to get a job (w/ benefits), usually don't work much beyond 40 hrs/week (unless you want to), and pay is ok out of school. But that pay doesn't change much. The payscales for engineers typically go in this order (from least pay to most pay):
Civil
Mechanical
Electrical
Chemical
Petroleum

As a mech engineer with a couple years experience, I make around $55k. It is very difficult to top out much beyond $75k (as a ME or civil eng) unless you own your own business or get into a good contract position. Flat out owning your 182 seems kinda far fetched to me, especially if you had a family.

You also have to ask yourself if you'd be happy being in front of a computer for 8 hrs/day. It is very difficult for me sometimes...

Those of you that are pilots, what would be your career of choice if you weren't able to be a pilot?

If I could do it all over again (and I'm still not a 'real' pilot) I'd get a degree in civil engineering and make enough money to own a nice 182 and fly it on the weekends.

 

[wrxpilot]

A train engineer could be pretty cool if you had a route in the northwest, Montana, or the Moffat route in Colorado. I hear they make a pretty decent wage too.

Train Engineer?
Shooting Range Officer, maybe.
Ramper, had alot of fun doing that.

I'd probably be poorer than I am now, and not be very good at anything more complex than the list above.

 

[Groundpounder]

You also have to ask yourself if you'd be happy being in front of a computer for 8 hrs/day. It is very difficult for me sometimes...

Yeah well I am asking myself if I want to make crap money and never have a normal family life being a pilot. I love flying now, and I don't want to make it feel like work.

I have a business degree, trying to figure out how to use it in the aviation industry.

 

[cforst513]

i have a B.S. in biology. i'd consider several things:
Get my masters and be a high school biology teacher
Get my Ph.D. and teach in college
Go to either dentistry school or become an RN (spare the Gaylord Fokker jokes. male nurses have their choice of pay and where to go. they're a much sought-after commodity).

hopefully this flying thing works out!

 

[macfly]

The GF is a HS bio teacher, its a harsh way to make a buck. Burn-out rate is around 4 years.


Im riding the real estate bubble right now as an investor, maybe ill make enough to afford a flying job on the side. However, owning a Vans rv6a would probably satisfy my flying needs.

 

[cforst513]

The GF is a HS bio teacher, its a harsh way to make a buck. Burn-out rate is around 4 years.


Im riding the real estate bubble right now as an investor, maybe ill make enough to afford a flying job on the side. However, owning a Vans rv6a would probably satisfy my flying needs.

where does she teach? is it a good school district? not sure if i'd go to a public school or teach at a private one. sure, pay isn't good at private schools but it's usually, though not always, a different breed of kid.