What are these students hearing?

[j-bird]

Your in the army now, your not behind the plow lifes a bit** your diggin a ditch your in the army now.

 

[rvsm410]

Mayday, see the forest for the trees, pal.

with that kind of attitude, I'm sure you won't have a chance at working for a major airline.

The ingnorance of youth....what a waste....go on dude just let my points go right over your head....I am not trying to discourage you from flying or having a goal of one day working for a major airline......

But who will that Major airline be in the future? It maybe be one of todays regional airlines.....probably will in your lifetime....

Go for it, and learn the hard way....

By the way American West is a pretty good company to work for, but were not considered a Major airline...I am happy where I am at, but it took along time to get here.

 

[KeroseneSnorter]

I'm going to be flying for a regional when I'm 23 and fly for FedEx by 27.

If you do some research you will find that your goals do not match the hiring data. Regionals, maybe. Fedex at 27? Doubtful.

Add 8 to 10 years to that and you will be getting close.

 

[rumpletumbler]

I think most students realize that there is a shortage of airline pilots and that all the people from WWI, WWII, and Vietnam will retire in the next few years and that pilots will be able to pick the airline of their choice and name their salaries. It's a pilots market and even if 100,000 pilots a year were being trained at full speed now there would still be a shortage. I for one am glad to be in a field that I can earn a seven figure income and only work four days a month and then flying only the routes I choose and depart and come back when it suits me. There has never been a better time to get into aviation.

 

[bigD]

I think most students realize that there is a shortage of airline pilots and that all the people from WWI, WWII, and Vietnam will retire in the next few years and that pilots will be able to pick the airline of their choice and name their salaries. It's a pilots market and even if 100,000 pilots a year were being trained at full speed now there would still be a shortage. I for one am glad to be in a field that I can earn a seven figure income and only work four days a month and then flying only the routes I choose and depart and come back when it suits me. There has never been a better time to get into aviation.

Kit Darby, is that you?

 

[Lineup&wt]

Hey Rumple I just responded to something you wrote on another board. But Amen to what you said above, great time to get involved and reach for your dream.

 

[wakeboard]

Rumpletumbler gets the picture.

KeroseneSnorter,

How would you know? From statistics? My dad just interviewed a 28 year old, and my dad was hired at FedEx when he was 27. It is possible. The average age being hired at FedEx is 35, and that is because these guys joined the military and had a 10 year commitment - that is why the average age is so high. My dad is the one who helped my instructor get a interview at Pinnacle, but he now flies for Chataqwua (sp. again). My dad got his ATP on his 23 birthday with 2200 hours. He was a captain for People Express by the time he was 24 and hopped on with FedEx at 27. Some of you may have a bitter taste towards pilots who are younger than yourself and have figured out what they wanted to to early and are doing everything they can to make it happen. I'm 20 right now and by the time I graduate from school I will have my time and the industry will be on the rise again.

 

[bigD]

LOL...I think rumple was kidding, fellas.

 

[Lineup&wt]

Wakeboaord, sure you got a shot at the regionals, when your done with school probally before it. But i think its safe to say that the regionals are on the rise now. and the FedEx dreams, lets get real though. My roomate 26 going on 27 5000+ TT. Capt EMB 145 at CHQ and by great luck a CAPT on EMB 170. Tons of PIC jet time 2 or 3 types, extreme at this age some would say yes. Hopes of FedEx you bet, any time soon not hardly. You got six years make it happen, unless dad can get you on. Good for you. I not sure I would boost about your old man helping out with the Pinnacle interview, Not to hard to get one on your own.

 

[VNugget]

I hope you're trolling

Yes he was, now take a deep breath and laugh.

 

[rumpletumbler]

I hope you're trolling and aren't being serious. The days of seven figure, working 10 days a month, are over, except for those at the VERY top of the seniority list at a select few companies.

Pilot shortage? Are you out of your **CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED** mind? If there's such a pilot shortage, why do all the majors have THOUSANDS on the street? All you guys know is the BS all your pilot factory school shovel to pander to you guys. I know because I was there. Then you'll get out into the real world, see just how vicious the industry is, and realize that just having job security is better than an extra 20 grand a year....

I was just being silly. Here is a pretty good definition of a troll.

troll v.,n. To utter a posting on Usenet designed to attract predictable responses or flames. Derives from the phrase "trolling for newbies"; which in turn comes from mainstream "trolling";, a style of fishing in which one trails bait through a likely spot hoping for a bite.

(I like this part the best.

The well-constructed troll is a post that induces lots of newbies and flamers to make themselves look even more clueless than they already do, while subtly conveying to the more savvy and experienced that it is in fact a deliberate troll.

If you don't fall for the joke, you get to be in on it.

The following extract is from a broader expansion of the defining comments given above:

In Usenet usage, a troll is not a grumpy monster that lives beneath a bridge accosting passers-by, but rather a provocative posting to a newsgroup intended to produce a large volume of frivolous responses.

The content of a "troll posting generally falls into several areas. It may consist of an apparently foolish contradiction of common knowledge, a deliberately offensive insult to the readers of a newsgroup, or a broad request for trivial follow-up postings.

There are three reasons why people troll newsgroups:

People post such messages to get attention, to disrupt newsgroups, and simply to make trouble.

Career trollers tend for the latter two whilst the former is the mark of the clueless newbie and should be ignored.

 

[pilotyip]

Why you fly

Fly airplanes becasue you like to, if you are in it for the money, respect, etc you may be disappointed.

 

[bigD]

wakeboard - do yourself a favor and track down any post by Falcon Capt. Read his signature line. Think about it a bit, and start asking questions about your reasons for getting into this biz (as pilotyip said).

It's fine to be driven, and it's fine to have goals. But don't be that guy that spends his entire career looking forward to the next step. Not only are you setting yourself up for disappointment later, but you'll end up annoying everyone that flies with you.

 

[DesertFalcon]

Aviation is the land of cycles. First your up, and then your down!

You have a job one day, then the next your unemployed. I have been flying since the early 70's; I don't have enough room here to tell about all of the changes, I and others, have seen in the Aviation business.

For 35 years, I have been waiting for the projected pilot shortage!
Where is it? It almost happened in 1999 -2000.

I would suggest, the newbies to this industry be aware that most of your success in this career is pure persistence and a LOT of LUCK!

Don't believe the pilot shortage stuff. Never going to happen on any large scale.

And above all, don't be overly optimistic about this career; It is not what it seems to be.

Good Luck in your careers.

 

[mayday1]

Firstly, rvsm410... point taken. I understand you have experience in the aviation industry and are sharing your perspective. And while I think that it's informative, I would hope we stop short of flat out discouraging people from the profession. Hell, if I can't make it to the regionals, and I remain as a flight instructor, I'll still be satisfied that I tried. I'll have no regrets. My personal thoughts... 5 or 10 years from now I'd rather look back and know that I gave it my best shot, rather than still be sitting in an office staring at a computer screen wondering "what if"? And to me, becoming a CFI and living out a career in aviation instructing wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. These are my thoughts - not saying I would encourage someone heavily in debt, with a family to support, to borrow 75k and gamble their next career move.

I guess I also see other professions similar to aviation in terms of the investments involved (time, money), money making potential, security, stability, and likelihood of success...

Take the college kid who wants to become a doctor -- years of studying, medical school costs that far exceed the cost of getting your pilots certificates, and the dream that you'll be the next cardiac surgeon. There are many doctors around the country who are changing professions because they can't afford the malpractice insurance. Not to mention, the big bucks that doctors make usually take several to many years out of medical school to achieve (not to mention a tremendous commitment to developing knowledge, skills, abilities).

How about aspiring lawyers? The country is flooded with lawyers -- not exactly a sure path to riches and success being the next high powered courtroom attorney, or the corporate lawyer making big $$.

What about starting your own business? Many try, many fail.

People who have an artisitic side... what about their dreams of becoming an actor, tv star, etc. Very few make it, but LOTS try - because it's what they want to do with their life.

My point -- we shouldn't be discouraging people from going after their goals. I think discussions like this can help surface many considerations you need to have before making a professional pilot your career decision. But I think we should stop short of discouraging people from pursuing it.