Piloting career regrets?

[Mr. Irrelevant]

Show me a lawyer who starts at less than 40K and I say he/she is a fool.

Gulfstream, I really enjoy your posts but in regards to that statement, let me tell you about some fools...... Two lawyers, both just out of law school in 1990, started their own practice. One lived at home, worked nights and weekends at the family pizza place to make dough on the side, the other temped with high school and college kids to earn extra money(did that for years after working all day). Takes time to build clientele. Both shared a small office for about 10 years. One does real estate law and by rough estimate made over 500k a year the last two-three years. The other just does small claims, some estate law, is a coverage attorney for a big city municipal court. He makes around 65-90k, just a guess. Not a ton, but is HIS OWN BOSS. No ridiculous reviews each year by his boss and golf on Friday afternoons in the summer. Sacrifice coupled with hard work pays pretty **CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED** well for lawyers, and I'm sure we'll all mostly agree, for other professions as well.

My advice is do what you want. I think it probably makes it easier regardless of the hardships.


Mr. I.

 

[b757driver]

EUT

Very moving story & I empathise totally.

I don't have any kids but do have a beautiful wife for thr past 12 years who knew what I did for a living. In fact, she has watched my career disintegrate every 4 years with the 5th layoff last year when my upmteenth carrier went bust after the employees involuntarily took pay cuts to bail them out. Still did not prevent the inevitable. I, too, used to be a poor flight instructor paying my dues not once - but TWICE. A few years ago, I took a job overseas for 2.5 years flying brand new shiny 737-800s all over Europe. I commuted from London to LAX/LAS every 4-5 months and the wife visited once, maybe twice a year. We did this to keep my career going. Now I am entering my second year of unemployment, having gotten yet another type rating in the interim, hoping it would make me more marketable. Nothing, not a single interview in over a year. Is this what I want? Is this the supposed "dream"? Of course not.
However, you are right EUT, there comes a time when you no longer can turn over and say "kick me again". Enough is enough. And it has absolutely NOTHING to do with attitude and perserverance. I could write the book on both those subjects and blow any HR person into space. The bottom line is you owe your family and the people who have stood by you through thick and thin. What have the airlines promised you - nothing! There is no such thing as job security and while I realise there are probably many other professions like this, airline pilots must come in the top 25% of unstable careers today.

The decision has to be a personal one and one based on individual circumstances. I love flying, always have done but consider it's not me that has given up, it's flying that has given up on me. There is nothing more I can do (really) to get an interview or even another flying job. Been trying for over a year with no success.

Good luck EUT in your endeavors. You certainly have your priorities right. And for those that still have their dream job, remember this: NO ONE IS SAFE - YOU COULD BE NEXT. What will you do then when you are not likely to be called back for @ least 2 years?? Friend of mine from UAL thought he had enough seniority to escape after 15 YEARS with the company. You guessed it, he got furloughed last week and he just bought a larger house!

 

[Floyd94]

My only regret???

...not starting soon enough...

 

[Typhoon1244]

My only regret...not starting soon enough...

Amen to that!

 

[Pilot Doc]

As a doctor who almost went the career pilot route, I'll throw in my two cents. The best comment someone made is that the grass is always greener elsewhere. I love aviation, but have very little opportunity to fly. I read magazines, haunt bulletin boards and hope to get checked out in a 182 someday. When I'm dealing with a family-killing drunk driver who's shooting up in his room at 2am, it's easy to second guess myself. I could have been a captain on something by now.

Medicine is much less attractive than it once was - certainly very few physicians can afford turbines - but it's still a fascinating and incredibly stable career. I make $40K a year plus benefits, not great for 80 hours a week, but it beats FO pay. I keep that up for the next 6-8 years and then I should make substantially more. And I can buy my own plane

 

[swc12nap1]

As a doctor who almost went the career pilot route, I'll throw in my two cents. The best comment someone made is that the grass is always greener elsewhere. I love aviation, but have very little opportunity to fly. I read magazines, haunt bulletin boards and hope to get checked out in a 182 someday. When I'm dealing with a family-killing drunk driver who's shooting up in his room at 2am, it's easy to second guess myself. I could have been a captain on something by now.

Medicine is much less attractive than it once was - certainly very few physicians can afford turbines - but it's still a fascinating and incredibly stable career. I make $40K a year plus benefits, not great for 80 hours a week, but it beats FO pay. I keep that up for the next 6-8 years and then I should make substantially more. And I can buy my own plane

Why only $40K? I assume you are doing your residency?

 

[Pilot Doc]

Why only $40K? I assume you are doing your residency?

Correct. The progression is

med school - 4 years. I spent $75K on tuition. No income. (Analagous careerwise to getting your comm/multi/inst.)

residency - 3 - 10 years. Work 80 hours/week for $35-50K/year. (Analagous careerwise to having a healthy amount of 121 Turbine PIC)

practice - Work/income ratio varies from infinity to zero. (Given a willingness to move anywhere and do anything, $80-100K is a near guarantee.)

I'm a first year resident.

 

[Typhoon1244]

...residency = 3-10 years.

As many as ten years??? Good gravy, I had no idea!

 

[skywiz]

why not go military?

Good posts, but everyone keeps talking about job security and how to make a living flying....

I am surprised no one has mentioned the military route? Its very secure (8 year commitement) and you are guarenteed to fly a turbine aircraft(if you make it through training). AND you make enough money to be very comfortable, and if you are married there are even more benefits.

I would recommend anyone who REALLY likes flying and who wants it to be a career to look into the military flight program. You also get to fly aircraft and missions in the military that you would NEVER be able to fly in the civilian world. On top of that, if you decide to get out after 10 years, you have many many options... (if you want to go airlines, the military flight resume is a definite plus)

 

[Typhoon1244]

Re: why not go military?

Originally posted by skywiz
I am surprised no one has mentioned the military route? Its very secure (8 year commitement) and you are guarenteed to fly a turbine aircraft (if you make it through training). AND you make enough money to be very comfortable, and if you are married there are even more benefits.

Just playing Devil's advocate...you fly, what? Eighty hours a year? Ninety? And you've got how many collateral duties?

Don't get me wrong, I'd have loved to fly in the Army. But the military's got its downsides too.