Wait out furlough outside of aviation?

[furloughita]

I highly do not recommend a detour from aviation. I do sympathize with your situation; I was out for 2 years since 10/01 and finally got on with a regional a few months ago.

For a year I worked for a police dept, and then for Signature Flight Support to get to know the NetJets and FlightOptions guys. I applied everywhere, including customs and flight instructing jobs and heard nada-nothing-zilch. I learned this: resumes in the mail don't do any good. Face to face makes a world of difference. I started to get interest from companies when I walked in with the blue suit and a resume (yeah, I felt stupid and wondered if it was even an unwelcome thing to do), but that's when companies took interest. I even got some tours of some air ambulance places. Wouldn't you know, this was when I got the regional call.

When you leave aviation, you forget stuff realllyyy fast. The stuff you would need to study for an interview seems endless after being out. The industry changes, and if you take a break, it's just more to adjust to when you get back. Not only that, but a furlough initially brings a welcome break--yeah, home every night! I can try other careers! I can have a life!! But I seriously began to miss the flying, the views, the challenge, and the respect that I hadn't really thought about before. You have no idea that you appreciate a little respect until you work customer service somewhere and then you'll see--the same ones calling you sir/ma'am when you're in the uniform are amazingly condescending when you're behind a desk. My coworkers didn't speak aviation. I made more money, but I also seemed to be at work a lot more often than I ever was when I flew. Come home, eat dinner, watch a show, go to bed, do it all over again all week. I felt like I was wasting every day and watching the clock.

If you love what you do enough to want it back someday, don't leave. I think you might need the person to person contact. Maybe Air Inc conferences or the silly blue suit. Contact your long-lost military, college, roommate, or flight school buddies to get a letter. Good luck; I know it sucks!

 

[b757driver]

furloughita

That was an excellent post - and food for thought. When one thing does not work, try something different, even though it might sound crass. After trying EVERTHING except the personal/cold calling technique, I have started to do as you suggested and I'm finding it's not that bad, just don't expect too much.
Can you PM please, I need to ask you some personal questions on your situation and how you made it work.
You have responded positively to some of my other posts on these boards and you seem genuinely concerned, have experienced it yourself and offer constructive advice without being condescending. Thank you.

 

[typhoonpilot]

Good post furloughita.

Getting out in the aviation scene is what it takes to get back to flying. Often times it is chance encounters with individuals or being at the right place at the right time. That will not likely happen when working outside of aviation.

The first two jobs I got after the 1991 furlough were a direct result of being " out and about ". The first one was just walking into an FBO in Sacramento ( because I saw a Bandit parked out back ). Low and behold, someone I knew from the commuters was running the Bandit program and offered me a job starting in 4 days. The next job was very similar. I had gone to Reno to help a friend fly an Otter across the country to Maine and we got stuck there waiting for the airplane to come out of maintenance. We happened to see a DC-9 sitting across the field and said, " hey, lets go see what that airplane does, and more impotantly, if they will hire us ". So we drove over and got to chat with the Director of Operations. He didn't need anybody at that time, but six months later he did and hired both of us.

I have a good friend who went to work at an FBO in North Carolina as a ramper after his furlough in 1991. In a very short period of time he was flying their Baron on charter then their King Air and eventually a Beechjet.

Flying jobs are out there, but are often unpublished. So you have to be out there to find them. Go to the FBOs, go directly to company offices and get to know people. Eventually you'll be in the right place at the right time and get an offer.

Typhoonpilot

 

[HEAVY HOG]

B757: I've heard those exact words several times during job interviews, especially for 135 freight jobs. An example: we want guys that will fly through weather, can file their own flight plan, don't mind loading and unloading several thousands pounds of freight in bad weather after we call you at 2 am, don't ground an airplane as soon as a light bulb burns out. And those 121 guys walk away as soon as someone else calls (probably true in most cases). Some of those 121 guys can't even fly single pilot! (this has been confirmed by what I saw at a previous employer).
We don't want 121 prima donna's.

SW3Drvr - Here's another perspective:

I realize that you don't necessarily feel this way, but companies with the above mentioned attitude, take advantage of an oversupply of pilots and drive our industry into an assembly line type of business.

I've been there. Of course it's a 2 way street and pilots who go along with unprofessional and unreasonable practices are equally despicable. Let's face it, 99% will not ground a plane for a light bulb, yet this oversimplified explanation is often used to illustrate a point. What is common though is say....a generator problem, yet it's night VFR. Or.... a gear problem, but the mechanic assures you it really works fine if you just recycle the CB 2x. Or.... how about flying over weight and in a situation to land with only 30 minutes fuel and it's night IFR. Or you have a life and a family and 22 hours on duty with a doctored duty log won't cut it.

The bottom line, none of us makes the rules, the FAA does. If companies are too cheap or inept to follow them (they knew the rules going in), then don't play the game. And further more, they shouldn't villify my professional pilot brothers and sisters who are trying to act as responsible crewmembers.

Until we can get a governing body such as the AMA (for doctors), or the ABA (for lawyers), that can control the supply of us and basic working conditions, I say do what is the right safe and professional thing to do.

While many of you are out of work or furloughed from majors, don't stoop to the chagrin of all of us, and to the benefit of a few crooks tryin to run half ass 135 / 121. It's the only way our industry will retain any of it's professionalism.

Until then, don't work in a sweat shop or on an assembly line. Think outside of the box. Use your college degree (most have them). Wait for the right flying job and do a little part-time flying or CFI in the interim.

At least you will be able to look in the mirror and won't destroy your credibility and personal relationships (the real purpose in life) over a few crooks' failed business plan.

 

[MachPi]

I highly recommend a detour from aviation.

This recommendation, of course, is based on the stipulation that a) you are furloughed from your 'dream job,' and b) you have other interests besides aviation.

If you are still building hours or need to maintain currency to be attractive to another company, and can survive on what a new company will pay you as a new hire, by all means do what you have to do.

If, on the other hand, flying is only one of your top three or five passions, try something else. You might like it.