Allow me to preface this by stating that I have not started a family and at this point in time have no intention of doing so. But I know for a fact that it was possible for my mother to make a $1200 mortgage payment, drive a 2 year old car, pay the vast majority of her bills on time, and send 2 kids through private schools on less than $40,000/yr (inflation adjusted).
Look at the posts of Citationkid and see the future of aviation.
And what, pray tell, is so wrong with that?
We've all studied some basic personal finance, I assume, so lets figure this one out. As a single man living in the city I do, I can live very comfortably (read, drive a new car, afford a decent mortgage payment) on $30,000 a year.
And lets just say I'm a 30 year old Lear 35 captain making $45,000 a year (with COLAs) with a small part 91 operator. That means if I'm willing to plan ahead and spend responsibly I can sock away 15k a year.
And lets go ahead and retire at 65. If I have simply invested (I get a market average ROI), I walk away with about $5 million. If I have invested competently (say I beat market average by 1%), I retire with something in the neighborhood $7 million. If I have invested shrewdly (say I beat the market average by 2%) I walk away with around $11 million. At the low end, I don't ever have to touch the principal and I'm living like a king. At the high end I could afford to buy a brand new fully equipped T206 every year of my remaining life, never touch the principal, and live like a king.
So my question becomes, what is so inherently wrong with working for a wage that I myself deem much more than I need to live comfortably on?
The brotherhood of professional pilots? When we get down to the brass tacks, well, what's the percentage of professional pilots that have voted down concessionary contracts when their own livelihood was on the line?
Keeping the profession? Here's the way I see it (and the way many, many others I have met with dreams of a future in aviation see it), and this is where the whole future of aviation thing comes into play. I'd be getting paid....comfortably...to fly. And it's not about "flying a jet". It doesn't matter whether I'm flying a 152 or a 747. The scenario remains the same (assuming I'm getting paid the same).
And let me state, finally, that I am asking this as an honest question. I have no intention of starting a flame war. I do have the intention of starting an honest and civil debate.
