the dream gone forever?

[illeagle]

"And no you don't have to dump toilets - the line guys do it and you throw them a tip. PM me about NJA if you want."

SHHHHH! Don't tell everyone.

 

[jonjuan]

I feel compelled to throw my two cents in here.....

I've been flying over 15 years, and have been with a scheduled carrier for about 12. I like what I do. From the time the cabin door closes until the time it opens this really is a great job. However, all the other baggage that comes with "block to block" isn't so hot.

You will fly sick.

You will fly tired.

You will fly hungry because you just haven't had time to eat.

You will spend hours trying to figure out the best way to pack 6 days of stuff in a 3 day suitcase.

You will eat like crap on the road. You'll eat many of your meals in 5 minutes or less.

Depending on your situation, you may or may not waste hours of your life contemplating your commute to and from work.

You will sit in hotel rooms and miss your family so badly it hurts.

Your kids will cry when they see you packing your suitcase.

You'll miss your kids' first steps/first words/first base hit in little league/first date/high school graduation.

You will miss more holidays and major family events than you will attend.

You have about a 50/50 chance of being stuck in a hotel somewhere with no immediate way home when you get the phone call telling you one of your parents has died.

There will be many times when your entire day is wake up, fly 5 legs, ride to the hotel, and try like hell to get to sleep because you have a 9 hour overnight with another 5 leg, 12 hour day tomorrow.

You will spend your entire career under constant scrutiny. When you make even the most minor mistake you will start to think about how it can hang you. You will develop a bad case of paranoia.

Odds are the company you choose to make a living with will furlough you at least once during your career. If you're lucky enough to avoid a furlough, you'll most likely endure a devastating paycut or two.

If you have four days off between trips, you'll most likely start dreading your return to work after your first full day at home. During your last full day at home before a trip, your wife will likely ask you, "What's wrong?"

There will be times when you don't think you have it in you to get out of bed and go do this job anymore.

And, to add insult to injury, all your friends and neighbors will continually tell you how lucky you are because you have a job that gives you so much free time and pays you "60 to 250 dollars an hour". You'll live your life around people who think that just because you happen to be off on Tuesday and Wednesday that you're living the "high life". After a while, you'll lose interest in trying to explain to them how it really is.

At the end of the day though, we all have to make a living. It's a job. Just like most any job, it's crappy more often than it's good. However, in my opinion, the cons now outweigh the pros. There was a time in the not too distant past where we were adequately compensated for the time we spend away from home and the disruption to our family's lives. For now, and for the forseeable future, that time is gone.

You will work as hard as or harder than your friends and neighbors and spend far more time away from home for equal or less pay.

Now, if the immediate gratification of shooting a difficult approach to a short runway in blowing snow or breaking out at minimums on your second try when you're thin on gas is enough to offset the harsh reality of what this job really is, then by all means go for it. However, you need to be damn sure you know what you're getting yourself into for the next 30 years or so.

There are better things to do with your life. Just my opinion.

Sounds like the life of a consultant or travelling sales rep. Dad did it and brother does it. They always wanted to trade to be a pilot. The grass is always greener.

 

[11thHour]

If you have four days off between trips, you'll most likely start dreading your return to work after your first full day at home. During your last full day at home before a trip, your wife will likely ask you, "What's wrong?"

So it's not just me then? I go through this exact same thing. I dread going back to work. My wife and a couple of friends have told me my personality has changed for the worse since taking this gig. I'm starting to realize they are right. Chronic lack of sleep doesn't help. Anyway, great post, and I agree wholeheartedly with everything you said.