Letting go of the aviation career

[hangar7guy]

How do you give up on a flying career after having put 20+ years into it?

It sounds corny, but this was my dream. It was all I wanted to do for years and I never seriously pursued other things. I knocked myself out on interviews but never got the sought-after airline or corporate job; I’ve remained stuck in low-buck charter and instructing jobs, always in the hope that something better would come along. I also had to spend 10 years staying close to my ailing parents in their last years.

Now I’m free to pursue the "dream", but with the economy and post-9/11 turmoil – I’ve accepted the idea that getting any decent airline, corporate or fractional job is nearly impossible and all that remains are the regional jobs that don’t pay squat, have lousy benefits and the threat of layoff. Even if I sucked it up and took one of those jobs, the prospect of commuting and living out of a suitcase isn't as tolerable as it once was. And I’m now in my late 40s, with concerns about retirement and job security (or the lack of it) heavily on my mind. Plus who wants to hire a 40-ish guy with mostly piston time?

I should find some other occupation while there is still time, but there is still this small voice nagging me to not give up on what I started so many years ago. It keeps telling me that I’ve invested so much in this aviation dream that I shouldn’t let it die. The other side of me – the sensible side – says, "Let it go – you need more money, both now and for retirement, than any flying job will provide. And you need to get into a business that’s less likely to put you out in the street in a few years". Which voice do I listen to?

Has anyone else faced this dilemma? My head says "Do something else" while my heart says "Keep flying". Sorry for the long, rambling post. Thanks for any advice or ideas.

 

[pitotstatic]

What do you consider a "decent job"? A regional? A national? A major? A fortune 500 company? And "job security" is an oxymoron in the aviation industry, five years ago, who thought United would be bankrupt?

There are plenty of good regional carriers out there with both decent pay and retirement. Comair, Skywest, ASA, and Mesaba comes to mind, as far as I know, they are all hiring and all have the potential of being career airlines. If that is not good enough, get your 1000 PIC turbine and try to get somewhere else. 121 experience is good.

I do get the feeling that you want more, and that what you want is a major airline, starting out at a 100 grand a year in your hometown working 10 days a month. I hope I am wrong. If you want to stick with aviation and you want to be at an airline, be prepared for a few dogyears. That is reality. If that isn't what you want maybe it is time for that second career.

 

[avbug]

Though you didn't say it, I'm sorry to hear of your parents.

Listen to your heart. It's far wiser than your head.

Yes, the business relies upon travel, and often time away. I have learned one thing about that over the years and this is that home is where you are...not some distant place away from you. We travel at lightspeed through phone lines and the internet such that distance is meaningless now. You get on the road, you're still a phone call away from any point on earth, and in short order, you can be there physically, too. The travel isn't as bad as you may think.

There's little worse than feeling in this life that you're not in your place, not where you should be. If you have this nagging feeling that leaving your place, getting out of avaition, is throwing away your talents and wasteful, listen to those feelings.

Remember that you bring something to the table, anywhere you go, that no one else can offer. Pilots are a dime a dozen, but individuals are not. You bring maturity and your own experiences, which no other soul on earth can offer like you can.

Various fractionals are hiring. Jobs abound. Certainly one must consider what is available based on one's experience, but visits to trade a plane, climbto350, and the miriad job sites out there will let you know that plenty of work is available...the deciding factor is how much you want to go do the job.

If you've made your decision, then good luck to you. However, I suspect you posted here because you want someone to talk you out of making that decision. I won't do that; nobody should...but we've all got built in guidance if we'll only listen.

What is yours telling you?

 

[semperfido]

quit crying in your beer and get out there and keep fighting. do whatever it takes to make yourself desireable for the next level. it isn't all about the money, it is about the flying. take a step back and be prepared to do whatever it takes. if you change your attitude someone will hire you. it is too late to join the marines, but not too late for anything else. just decide and do it. one small step at a time.

 

[C425Driver]

Hangar7,

I feel your pain. I've put 19 years into flying. I have a degree in aviation and have worked for the airlines for 10 years now, 5 of those years as a pilot. I also spent a few years as a flight instructor and charter pilot. Next month I'm resigning from the airline to pursue a field outside of aviation. I'm resigning for many reasons. Avbug says that home is where you are - I have a different perspective. My home is in Florida with palm trees and a swimming pool in the backyard. I'm 4 miles from the beach and there's a tiki bar there, too. I'd like to be around to enjoy it more. I'm not disagreeing with Avbug or minimizing what he said, I'm just respectfully offering my perspective. Quite honestly, living half of my life out of a carry-on is no longer enjoyable for me. I put a lot of effort into being an airline pilot and I don't feel that the rewards reflect the effort. I'm rewarded with concessions, and poor management/labor relations that breed low morale, not to mention bad schedules and a myriad of other things. It's been like that everywhere that I've worked (I didn't take a paycut as a flight instructor but I did as a charter pilot - same company, though). I go to work and do my job to the best of my abilities, but I no longer feel the pride for my profession like I once did. I should have got my first hint after my freshman year in college. I was studying aviation at Hawthorne College in New Hampshire and the school filed for bankruptcy and closed it's doors after my first year there! But, I digress.

I've had some great times in my career as a pilot and I will miss a lot of things about it, but when I weighed the pros and cons of staying or leaving I felt that my quality of life will significantly improve if I leave. It wasn't and easy decision but now that I've made my decision, I feel good about it. I'm not getting out of aviation. I will always fly - I still love it. I will be working part-time for a 135 operator in the area. The salary at the new job is higher than the highest paid pilot where I work now, so my goal is to buy a vintage plane to explore more of Florida and the Bahamas with and maybe bring it to a few airshows for static desplays. Flying will always be a passion for me, just no longer a career.

I'm not trying to tell you what you should do - only you can decide that. I'm just offering you another perspective. Good luck to you in whatever you decide.

C425Driver

 

[LR25]

The good ole days are truly gone.

Its like trying to win the lottery to get on with Fed Ex.

Not qualified for Air Tran.

SouthWest wants me to spend 8K for a type rating.

Anybody want to help me start a lawn service?

Good luck to those making the command decision by getting out.

 

[KigAir]

The good ole days are truly gone.

Were there ever good ole days? After reading Fate Is The Hunter, I doubt it. Seems like aviation careers have always been tough.

 

[Dude]

PitotStatic,

Not to be contrary, but the "regionals" (stupid term, you're either an airline or you aren't) you mentioned have nothing resembling decent in their contracts. Rather than accept mediocrity, we've celebrated it as if it's something to be proud of. Comair's "industry-leading" rag isn't so leading. Those guys still do far more for their dollar than their mainline counterparts. This industry sucks and if it weren't for our sick, addictive need to get our rocks off, flying, it would be a lot better. Too many fellas out there willing to take the position for nothin'.

I truly wish it were different, but it ain't. Now, regional guys have to beg, borrow and steal to get what's coming to them while Capt. Woerth keeps signing consessionary deals and turning his back on the folks that put him there. I have seen more people quit in the last 3 mos. than I have seen hired in the same amount of time. Getting another job is nothing short of miraculous and who the hell is that qualified? A few years ago AirTran wanted a pulse to get hired and now they want 40+ years of age for less longevity and 12,000 hours as PIC in a hand-held environment just to fly a big RJ. SWA wants you to gamble on them, not a bad gamble but still a gamble. Corporate operators want 9,000 hours to pull gear in a CE-500. 135 ops want training contracts and 5,000 hours in type, so you can make $35,000/yr. salary to fly as PIC in a Lear.

Times suck, but I'll still fly an airplane for $hit instead of commute an hour each way for $100,000/year in my shiny SUV with the rest of civilization. The worst of times at my $hitty airline is better than the best at other positions. This was my choice and mine alone. It'll get better, but not before it gets worse.

 

[JohnDoe]

quote from dude:

"This industry sucks and if it weren't for our sick, addictive need to get our rocks off, flying, it would be a lot better. Too many fellas out there willing to take the position for nothin'."


BINGO!

This is, first and foremost, a job. It is great that people enjoy what they do, and there is nothing wrong with that. But at the end of the day, you need to treat it as a job, not some god-given almighty privelage (sp?).

 

[TurboS7]

Miami Air will be hiring in the fall, require 2500 hours, great place to work. You will see the world, and fly.

 

[-9Capt]

PitotStatic,A few years ago AirTran wanted a pulse to get hired and now they want 40+ years of age for less longevity and 12,000 hours as PIC in a hand-held environment just to fly a big RJ..

Unless you're a chick.

 

[gern_blanston]

Were there ever good ole days? After reading Fate Is The Hunter, I doubt it. Seems like aviation careers have always been tough.

I like that. It has always been a lot of work to 'get there'.
Hangar7Guy, you sound like you're burned out and done fighting to get where you want to be. If so, you'd probably be better off as an insurance salesman or something. If you push, and push hard, you can do some remarkable things in aviation. You've got to decide. I have to love what I do, because I've had jobs I hate and jobs I love, and if you don't love your job, your life sucks. If you hate your job, your life really really sucks.
I'm one of those 'hard-work-and-a-little-luck-prevails' stories, so I know they're out there. Good luck.

 

[Flyin Tony]

welll

 

[JediNein]

Unless you're a chick.

-9Capt, that's a load of bovine fecal matter.

 

[cynic]

I have been exactly where you are. Complete with an offer to fly for MESA. Here is the short version of my thought process...

-- Finding a job in aviation is easy, finding a GOOD job is not so easy

-- Pilot pay is not what it used to be and it will NEVER return. Long term, plan on topping out at around $75,000.00 a year and spending a lot of time in the low to mid 30's There are some carriers that pay more, some great corporate jobs that pay more, those jobs are disappearing and are being replaced by low paying jobs.

-- I started a business (something along the lines of a Subway) and I make enough off that to fly as a corporate / contract pilot and its lots of fun ONLY because I don't have to rely on it for more than beer money.