Screw this industry?

[Ty Webb]

The average in the industry is between 10 and 15 days off a month so let's say...heck, let's be generous and say 13 days off. That means
we are away from home for 17 days a month.

I hope this isn't true! I don't know about other airlines, but at Airtran, most lines show around 270 hours TAFB and the vast majority of them are 14-16 days off and around 82 hours credit.

 

[Flywrite]

Satpak, I have to ask why someone with a civilian background, flying a twin turboprop lists "Aircraft Commander" as his current position?

No offence intended, but having that in your profile makes you sound like a uniform-to-the-mall kind of guy...


On another note, why does everyone assume that a non-flying job means sitting at a desk from 9-5? There are other options out there.

 

[satpak77]

flywrite


good question, my flight dept calls Captains "aircraft commanders"

not my idea, the CP's

oh well, the check comes on time

see ya

 

[Flywrite]

Ahh..I see. CP's sometimes can't leave well enough alone, can they?

 

[flyingitalian]

Flyingfarmer et al,

Just so you know, since college - 10 years in the outside world - 5 years at a regional - and now 3 years at a major. I switched because I loved flying and have a supporting (dont read financial, she has always been a stay at home mom since we have had kids) wife. I made the switch when my daughter was 9 months old. I now have two kids and still have my wife who loves my schedule in flying vs. my other life. If you have to do math to try to make your point you just missed it. If you have to try to convince youself that your job is so stressful then you have not lived and worked in an outside job making a salary that has surpassed your ability outside aviation, or have not accomplished the opposite. It took me 8 years to equal my outside life salary and I loved every min. of it. I live in an upper income neighborhood and every other wife my wife hangs out with is jealous of my schedule. You want to make the upper income level you put the time in, but hey dont take my word for it. Leave and go do it. By the way, I fly for me not the image you think people think of you when you wear the uniform. I have never worn my uniform to anything but the airport. I feel sorry for you in a way because you will never be truely happy with your head hanging down low feeling sorry for yourself. You will never reach la dolche vida.

ciao

 

[Ty Webb]

Fortunately alot of us (me included) have outside interests and hobbies and do not wear our pilot uniform to the mall in hopes of someone validating us.

Or, in hopes of getting some sort of discount!

 

[saabcaptain]

you are not crazy. for me flying is in my blood. i know i would not be a good friend / husband / family member if i was regretting leaving, and so for me i am sticking out this industry and happy to do it. however family is #1, and if you aren't happy, if they aren't happy... never look back. do what is right by them and your heart.

 

[Flywrite]

Or, in hopes of getting some sort of discount!

Now THAT is the voice of a professional pilot!

 

[FlyingFarmer]

Agreed, and yet......

FI,

I would imagine that this fall unders the category of your mileage may vary.
I'm glad your living the dream. I really am, but after living through two
furloughs from real "majors" please allow me to admit that I'm more than slightly
burnt. I do the job because I love it, not because at this point I have to. I'm
basically in it for the bennies, but that doesn't mean that I don't get pissed at
the scheds. or whatever, and then when I hear you say how good you have it,
well forgive me and maybe some others when we hear your stories. I can imagine
you and yours down at the Stepford country club in CLT, DFW or ATL or wherever,
telling all the Caddies and the ladies auxiliary club how good you have it. So
they send their kids to the megabuck flight schools and have them pay for
training so they can "live the dream" that you are spinning. Which contributes to
your future demise.

Keep talking "Dolce Vita", but if you ask me, your heading for the "Vida Loco",
and just for the record, I make more than my "salary" at my side business', so
I'll compare my life to yours in Upper Sloburbia any day.

And as for Ty Webb, darn it, I knew I should have gone to Valu-Jet
when I had the chance, but NOOooooo, I wanted to live in base.
and one more thing Ty, include your reserves and then see what you
come up with. I wish my current employer viewed commuters like
your company.

-FF

 

[johnny taliban]

test test

 

[flyingitalian]

FI,

I can imagine you and yours down at the Stepford country club in CLT, DFW or ATL or wherever,
telling all the Caddies and the ladies auxiliary club how good you have it.
-FF

You are bitter. You think your two furlough story from real "major" airlines is anything that is unique to our industry? Take a second and stop boo-hooing long enough look around a little. Lots of people are out of work that were making a hell of a lot more money than you and I and there is no work. Jobs have been eliminated and people are working harder and harder to make a living. Friends of our in oil and gas was out of work and fell back on his carpentry skills to feed his family. Other are still out of work. You dont here them b!tching and moaning about how their industry sucks, they just tough it out and keep going.

Your story is starting to sound like a load of bull.

As far as the country club goes, that is a good one. The only reson my wife ever steps foot on a country club is when her band is working at one. Hopefully its New Years Eve because then I get to go too. And yes I have actually managed to get off, wow what an accomplishment or some sort of miracle in your world. We are thankful of our good fortune, we are generous to church and charity, and most of all we are modest. Its because my wife is so cheep that I was able to number one make the switch and number two live the life I live.

You are probably a real joy to fly with. Get your head out from you know where, pull yourself up and get it done. Take advantage of the opportunities before you. No one ever said it was easy or did not take sacrifice and good judgement. If getting it done means leaving the industry then do it already.

 

[johnny taliban]

FI,

after living through two
furloughs from real "majors" please allow me to admit that I'm more than slightly
burnt. And as for Ty Webb, darn it, I knew I should have gone to Valu-Jet
when I had the chance, but NOOooooo, I wanted to live in base.

-FF

well, maybe on day your "real" major will hire you back.

Johnny

 

[OldManPilot]

What a bunch of cry babies. Thankfully, most pilots are as passionate about their flying as they are about their families. There is room for both. My love for my job and flying makes me a happier person which reflects directly on how my family views me and how I treat my family. If you cannot do both then by all means leave, get out, go away, adios. There are way to many that have the same feeling that I do for you to waste all of our time with your cry baby attitude. Suck a bottle, change your diaper or whatever it takes, but stop your crying!!!!!

 

[Purple Haze]

A bad day flying is better than a good day in any office. I have been with my employer for a whopping 2 years, 3 months. In the first six months of 2004, I will have had 99 days off (16.5 average) - this includes vacation time. This is 99 days with no phone calls from work, never stopping by the office, no performance reports to write or any other garbage to bring home. Work stays at work. 99 days off is 99 days that my family gets to have me -- all of me, without strings attached. I'm not sure where you can have that. An office job is like voluntary prison. Granted, a flying job is not all roses, but I shudder at the alternatives.

If you would be happy doing something else, you and I are not alike. Good luck to you.

 

[LivingToFly]

Wow. I've never seen so many depressos in one place. And I'm sure everyone on this thread is just a ball to fly with.

This is like anything else in life...it all depends on your attitude and perspective. Some people don't know what they have til it's gone. Try getting sent to Iraq for 6 months, then maybe your 3 day trips around the country having to stay at the Hilton won't seem so bad. Try losing your medical certificate and maybe you'll realize how lucky you once were...every contrail in the sky will remind you of what you once had.

Are there positives and negatives to this career...of course there are. Your happiness will be based on which you decide to focus on. If you can't bring yourself to look at the positives, maybe this career just isn't for you...or maybe you just won't know what you got til it's gone.