Leaving the industry

[Deadalus]

Last post. Good luck boys and girls. Just up visiting a friend on my way to Seattle. The house in Dallas is on the market. I'll miss the 737, but not the 12 hour/7.5 hour days. Can't wait to get back to being around intelligent women. No more dumb as a rock flight attendants. Back to Software eng./mgr. Thank goodness they took my dumba$$ back. Just bought a 37 foot sailboat to live on till I find a house. Just to give you all something to do I won't' even spell check this thing. "In case I don't see ya... good afternoon, good evening, and good night."

 

[Catbird]

Good luck Dead. I got out a few years ago and have never looked back. Find it hard to believe that any individual would put up with the corruption and deciet which permeats corporate and union organizations these days. Some men like to follow and some desire to lead. Unfortunatly inept individuals have flocked to ALPA and the boardroom of Corporate America for many years. Keep a eye on the H1B corruption its days are coming to the airlines when they exhaust the supply of idiots.

 

[StopNTSing]

As one who managed to escape from the cubicle ten years ago, I still have flashbacks. Reading Dilbert every Sunday serves as a regular reminder of why I left the 8-5 grind.

Hope it works out for you.

 

[CapnVegetto]

Best of luck man. I'm sure more people than you know are thinking about doing the same thing.

 

[TriStar_drvr]

As one who managed to escape from the cubicle ten years ago, I still have flashbacks. Reading Dilbert every Sunday serves as a regular reminder of why I left the 8-5 grind.

Hope it works out for you.

My cubicle escape occurred 14 years ago. There's no way I could go back there either. But I am wondering if I'm going to make it another 14 years in this industry...

Best of luck Deadalus. Too bad you weren't at my airline and senior to me. I could use a few more numbers, as I'm getting dangerously close to the bottom.

 

[drag]

Good for you. I've been out for 3 years and have spent more time w/ family and now make more $ than I ever did, or would in the airlines. I still follow the industry, but as an outsider. It's kind of like following my old college football team. It's too bad the industry ended up so lousy.

 

[PurpleTail]

My cubicle escape occurred 14 years ago. There's no way I could go back there either. But I am wondering if I'm going to make it another 14 years in this industry...

Funny this thread popped up, my wife and I were just having this discussion last night.

Not every job outside of aviation is in a cubicle 8-5. My wife simply asked "...if guys/gals are so unhappy and their wages are getting cut in half, loss of benefits, etc..., why not go find another job? They DO have a college degree in something right?"

I tried to explain to her what it takes to get to this level...the hours, the ratings, the training, the networking...you can't just walk into the SWA corporate office and hand in a resume and say "I would like to apply for a pilot position". I guess that is why it is so hard to walk away.

The fact is though there are A LOT of other good jobs out there that pay better, have better benefits and we would be home a lot more...the problem is, though, we are pilots and this is what we love to do...and its hard to walk away from that. People ask me all the time if I like flying for a living and I always have to say "...it beats working for a living."

You just never know...I am at a fairly stable and secure airline and feel confident about my future their...but I'm also in my mid thirties and just about to take the real estate exam and get licensed. The wife has been an agent for a couple of years now and it is something we can do and work at together. I count my blessings everyday that FedEx called me first and that I was able to get hired...but that doesn't mean I'm putting all my eggs in one basket.

Good luck to those that walk and good luck to those who chose to fight the good fight.

 

[dollacrackho]

Last post. Good luck boys and girls. Just up visiting a friend on my way to Seattle. The house in Dallas is on the market. I'll miss the 737, but not the 12 hour/7.5 hour days. Can't wait to get back to being around intelligent women. No more dumb as a rock flight attendants. Back to Software eng./mgr. Thank goodness they took my dumba$$ back. Just bought a 37 foot sailboat to live on till I find a house. Just to give you all something to do I won't' even spell check this thing. "In case I don't see ya... good afternoon, good evening, and good night."

isnt that one of them oxymoron things

 

[LandGreen]

Good for you. I've been out for 3 years and have spent more time w/ family and now make more $ than I ever did, or would in the airlines. I still follow the industry, but as an outsider. It's kind of like following my old college football team. It's too bad the industry ended up so lousy.

I was on my way to the Cingular store to get ripped off, and started up a conversation with the guy pressure washing the sidewalk before the store opened. I about had a coronary when he said his 4 crew business does about $3-4K a day. He said, "Sure I am sweaty at the end of the day, but I make 5 times what I did at my previous job." I took the bait..."what did you used to do?" I ask..."AIRLINE PILOT!" he says.

 

[Big Slick]

Daedalus,

I thought working 12 hours a day in the 737 was everyone's dream job on this forum. It is the greatest job in the world!! Don't believe me? Just ask SWA/FO.

When/if I am recalled I may or may not go back depending on how my third career is going. This industry is brutal. I sure would hate to lose my job again when I'm about 57.

BTW, no airline is immune from the ups and downs of the industry. Some folks at Airline X think they can thrive forever. I wouldn't put all of my eggs in one basket no mattter who I worked for. My 2 cents.

 

[TexaSWA]

...but not the 12 hour/7.5 hour days.

If that was a typical day at SWA id probably leave too. Where did you work?

Good luck

 

[JungleJetCA]

Might bail too

I haven't decided to get out of the business but making plans to. Taking the LSAT in June and I'll see what happens as far what school I get in to. If the wife and I think we can make it happen, I'm bailing. It's a love/hate relationship this airline career. I figure if it's this bad now, what is it going to be like in 10-20 years from now? Plus, I doubt I'd be able to fully retire at 60 anyways since the pensions will all be gone so I might as well find a career that will allow me to work until 70 or so. Doesn't really scare me to go back to school since I made so little as an airline pilot, if I can make ends meet doing that, I can do it in grad school. Why make nothing flying for a major for the first few years when I can make nothing for 2-3 years and get a degree out of it and then actually get a job that makes good money, has benefits and a retirement? Maybe I'll get cold feet and stick with this career but I'll decide something in the next year and a half.

 

[Nindiri]

I encourage more people to leave this industry. It will move me up the senority list much quicker.

Goodluck to those who leave for other jobs; I hope it works out for you. I can't see myself ever leaving it, though, as this job is way too easy. True, I'm not getting rich, but I have lots of time off and the job is not exactly stressful or hard.

 

[stonewall]

I'm one of those dudes at a stable airline...right until Fred sets up a little village in East Memphis and gets 6000 foreign pilots visas to fly his freight. I'm in my early 30s and have already taken the LSAT. I'm going to get started on an MBA here in the near future and hold off on the law school option until I'm done with the Guard. Our next contract will be good, but 60 (65?) is a looooong way off and I'm not counting on a pension.

Good luck to anyone bailing out now. Not a bad choice at all.

 

[ATRedneck]

Taking the LSAT in June

If there's one thing America needs more of, it's lawyers.

 

[satpak77]

If there's one thing America needs more of, it's lawyers.

well it sure ain't more pilots

 

[psysicx]

Being Lawyer is just like being a pilot. There is no instant money or QOL. Just walk down any airport terminal and ask around. You will get quite a few pilots who quit six figure income to make 20K. You might be home every night but your kids will have been in bed hours ago. For me I'm a loan officer while in college. I make 60K+ a year and work thirty hours a week. With this money I don't have to go to school. I just turned 21 and looking at buying my first house. Being a pilot looks fun but I really want to fly in the guard/reserves. Good luck to those who make the move.

 

[Phaedrus]

ATRedneck: you got that right. I heard the other day on the radio that there is one lawyer for every five people in our country. Is that like 60 million lawyers? Could that be right? Good luck with that.

 

[Bringupthebird]

Pilots have bragged about getting out of flying for about as long as there have been pilots. Ernie Gann wrote about it in Fate is The Hunter.

But realistically, how many pilots really are qualified to do anything else besides fly? You can buy a job as a contractor if you were very successful in that before flying. Your college degree that's 25 years old isn't worth much, especially if it's a BS and in Aviation Science to boot. Many go into real estate but in Arizona alone there over 50,000 realtors. If I could become a cardiologist on-line, I suppose I could work on it during overnights.

To cultivate a career outside of aviation takes an incredible amount of dedication to that career, while allowing aviation to take up all your time. Time that your family values even more than you.

 

[crxpilot]

Ok, time to re-read the classic retirement story

http://forums.flightinfo.com/showthread.php?t=56605

Time to re-visit Front Office and his plan to escape the industry!

 

[WNFO]

Being Lawyer is just like being a pilot. There is no instant money or QOL. Just walk down any airport terminal and ask around. You will get quite a few pilots who quit six figure income to make 20K. You might be home every night but your kids will have been in bed hours ago. For me I'm a loan officer while in college. I make 60K+ a year and work thirty hours a week. With this money I don't have to go to school. I just turned 21 and looking at buying my first house. Being a pilot looks fun but I really want to fly in the guard/reserves. Good luck to those who make the move.

Ya Right!!!!

 

[CaptainMark]

good luck with that 9-5 garbage...give it a year and you'll be back!!!!!

 

[JungleJetCA]

If there's one thing America needs more of, it's lawyers.

Well, I look at it more as gaining a chip in the old game. I don't necessarily see myself actually practicing law or becoming an ambulance chaser. But it can open doors that are permanently closed at this point and then I can at least go through some of those doors, look around and decide from there. After grad school, there are a million paths to be taken. As an airline pilot, I only see one path, and it includes standing in a line of thousands waiting for my turn for a better schedule, a bigger plane, etc. I don't do very well standing in lines.

 

[JBPA]

good luck with that 9-5 garbage...give it a year and you'll be back!!!!!

9-5? Everyone I know who is a professional in the real world (outside aviation) works at least 60 hours/week. Like someone else said, you're home more (nights) but probably miss more of your family's activities (during the week). I know my lawyer neighbor sure does (plus he has to live with the fact that he's a lawyer). On top of that, there's conference calls, deadlines (um, yeah, um, I'm gonna need you to come in Saaaaaaturday, yeah), office politics, Power Point, Blackberrys, Treos, A$$-kissing, etc., etc., etc.

Edit: I almost forgot TPS Reports!

I personally like to keep several irons in the fire. They give me a couple of backups in case I lose my job/medical/etc. They also give me an appreciation, despite some of the current industry woes, of just how good being an airline pilot can be (all things considered - or maybe some things not considered).

Good luck, and be careful what you wish for.

 

[Ty Webb]

Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a winner!

9-5? Everyone I know who is a professional in the real world (outside aviation) works at least 60 hours/week. Like someone else said, you're home more (nights) but probably miss more of your family's activities (during the week). . . . . . . .On top of that, there's conference calls, deadlines (um, yeah, um, I'm gonna need you to come in Saaaaaaturday, yeah), office politics, Power Point, Blackberrys, Treos, A$$-kissing, etc., etc., etc.

I personally like to keep several irons in the fire. . . . They also give me an appreciation, despite some of the current industry woes, of just how good being an airline pilot can be (all things considered - or maybe some things not considered).

I want my Swingline stapler back . . . . or I'm gonna burn this place to the ground.


.

 

[RideandDrive]

I'm an electrical engineer who is leaving Jetblue to get into consulting work on turbine technologies. I enjoy the mental challenge the engineering work brings plus the being home every night helps.

 

[EMB Skillz]

Good luck Dead. I got out a few years ago and have never looked back. Find it hard to believe that any individual would put up with the corruption and deciet which permeats corporate and union organizations these days. Some men like to follow and some desire to lead. Unfortunatly inept individuals have flocked to ALPA and the boardroom of Corporate America for many years. Keep a eye on the H1B corruption its days are coming to the airlines when they exhaust the supply of idiots.

Why are you still here? Loser

 

[Swaayze]

Yeah, but you've got to admit it can be pretty ridiculous. My last 2 weeks as a reserve I've been gone from home for 200 hours. If I worked half that time delivering pizzas I'd make just as much $$ or more. I am having a very hard time lately appreciating my "career", and if I wasn't so lazy I'd figure out what else I wanna do and be gone!

 

[psysicx]

Haha you think being a lawyer is really that good. Now thats funny.

 

[JBPA]

Yeah, but you've got to admit it can be pretty ridiculous. My last 2 weeks as a reserve I've been gone from home for 200 hours. If I worked half that time delivering pizzas I'd make just as much $$ or more. I am having a very hard time lately appreciating my "career", and if I wasn't so lazy I'd figure out what else I wanna do and be gone!

Very true. Towards the end of my CA reserve sentence, I was on the brink of going on a shooting spree. Luckily (for me), it was a relatively short time and now I enjoy a fairly decent schedule. To amplify what I said a couple of posts up, spare gigs can also spare you from having to work like a whore at your airline job to make ends meet (and retard the onset of burnout).

If you can find something that you truly enjoy doing (all the time - like a regular job) then I say go for it (especially if you're senior to me). In my case, I'm able to juggle a few jobs part-time which allows me to keep my interest level elevated in all of them (even the airline thing). To me, that is the best of both worlds (or something like having a cake and getting to eat it). Make no mistake though, if the right gig came along (job satisfaction/opportunities/pay/
benes/ - all rolled into one) I would gladly give up all of my BlueParaphenelia (BlueBlood Crew - please resist the urge to tell me I should go ahead and leave) to pursue it.

If you have the cojones to give up a pretty good gig (or marginally good in some cases) for something you perceive as new, exciting, challenging, and rewarding then I salute you. After all, isn't that how most of us got into aviation in the first place?

On a completely unrelated topic: I don't spend very much time on this forum, but it seems like General Lee has gone AWOL. Did I miss something? Did his wife threaten to leave him for spending so much time here? Inquiring minds want to know.