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

[Vector4fun]

Anyone know where to get a job as a oil derrick/field worker for an oil company? I've heard the pay is good.

I spent a year cementing oil and gas wells for Halliburton way back when. Yeah, you can make a lot of money in the oil patch, if you don't get killed or maimed first. One of my co-workers nearly had his leg severed at the thigh. Did I mention the minimum work week for Halliburton was 60 hrs, and there were weeks I clocked over a hundred? Yup, 100-110 hours a week. Time and a half for everything over 40. Basically lived in the cab of my pump truck, slept there, ate there. Went home about 30 hrs a week to shower, sleep and change clothes and sign the checks for the bills. Then back to work. Didn't have time to spend any money, so did pretty well. But it aint much fun. And I had it good compaired to some rig hands.

Hazardous duty is running casing when the Driller is on his seventh reefer and hasn't slept in two days, and all you're wearing is a plastic hard hat and some steel-toe boots....

 

[TDTURBO]

I spent a year cementing oil and gas wells for Halliburton way back when. Yeah, you can make a lot of money in the oil patch, if you don't get killed or maimed first. One of my co-workers nearly had his leg severed at the thigh. Did I mention the minimum work week for Halliburton was 60 hrs, and there were weeks I clocked over a hundred? Yup, 100-110 hours a week. Time and a half for everything over 40. Basically lived in the cab of my pump truck, slept there, ate there. Went home about 30 hrs a week to shower, sleep and change clothes and sign the checks for the bills. Then back to work. Didn't have time to spend any money, so did pretty well. But it aint much fun. And I had it good compaired to some rig hands.

Hazardous duty is running casing when the Driller is on his seventh reefer and hasn't slept in two days, and all you're wearing is a plastic hard hat and some steel-toe boots....

That's why you lived to become an ATC'er, because you're good at multitasking!

 

[DA50pilot]

I'd be a crab fisherman up in Alaska, and I would also start my own aviation message board, and charge each person 99 cents per post.

I's skip the Alaskan fisherman part if Kingairrick hired me to work on his farm.

 

[WNRHD17]

I'd be...

Fred Garvin; Male Prostitute.

That's freakin' hilarious....

 

[Vector4fun]

That's why you lived to become an ATC'er, because you're good at multitasking!

I was good at multi-ducking!!

 

[TDTURBO]

I was good at multi-ducking!!

I knew you'd get my point.

 

[sandslob]

Well.. let's see. I'm TRYING to become a professional pilot.. but I guess if I'm asked this question in years to come, after I'm jaded and bitter like a lot of pilots I could always fall back on some of my previous endeavors. I’ve done bar-tending, internet security, satellite repair (not the home ones.. the BIG ones), DJ-ing around the world in various nightclubs surrounded by young women in nothing more than Saran Wrap, computer consultancy, and... well.. I’m always the ever aspiring porn star! ;-)

I’m VERY new to the aviation world and am finding that pilots fly because they really love ... well.. flying. Sure, not everybody works for a great company or airline.. but at the end of the day it’s SO MUCH BETTER than kissing ass for the much coveted window cubicle in a gray office. There are people that would trade their left testicle to be in the position that most of you (the people in this forum) have and enjoy.

Enjoy the view everyone... because you’re in the minority. The rest of the world has to put up with the s*it at ground level.

Peace.

Sandslob.
www.lifeisabeach.us

 

[hoop]

.. but at the end of the day it’s SO MUCH BETTER than kissing ass for the much coveted window cubicle in a gray office. There are people that would trade their left testicle to be in the position that most of you (the people in this forum) have and enjoy.

Enjoy the view everyone... because you’re in the minority. The rest of the world has to put up with the s*it at ground level.

Amen brother.......... That pretty much sums up life on the cube farm!

 

[CSY Mon]

Ok, how the heck do you get into the merchant marines?

Well, in the US ya go to the Academy if ya want to be an officer.
To be a deck hand or OS/AB ya accumelate sea-time and work yer way up.

I did my gig some years ago in a foreign merchant marine.
Started peeling potatoes in the galley (Kitchen for ya land-lubbers ) of a 3000 ton passenger ship when I was 14.
Only did that part time, then back to school, got restelss again and signed up for a 30,000 ton chemical tanker when I was 17. (Instead of going to college)
Worked in the engine room as an "oiler".
Hot and hard work down there in the hole, no A/C.
Sailed that thing nearly around the world..Lots of countries and ports and plenty of whorehouses and bar hopping..All good stuff for a teenager..

Next ship I was a VLCC, a 228,000 supertanker, got hired as an OS.(Ordinary Sailor)

Did that and a couple of other ships until I was twenty.
Then fell in love with some gal and took a job on land driving cabs.
Got bored with it.
Got drafted into the Military and ended up as a fire fighter / crash-rescue crew on a fighter base..Jsut sitting around drinking coffe untill somebody does a gear-up landing or worse, then it is all elbows and arseholes racing out there to get crew out.

Then went to flight school and the rest is history.

Sailing the oceans was okay for a while.
Would do it again, but not for life...It can get boring: 3 weeks at sea from Africa to Australia, no changes in the daily routine, same faces around the table every day.
The ships are completely automatic, not much to do except routine maintenace and visual "look-out".

 

[polysciguy9]

I've been thinking about building up the time and ratings to become a CFI and then put in my time before making it to the regionals one day, but I just got a sweet gig teaching at a junior college making 50k a year (24 year old, first year instructor with M.A.). Would I be crazy to leave this (especially with three months out of the year off) for the pilot biz? Flying professionally has always been the dream, it really just doesn't seem practical reading you guys' stories on this site.