Why are you flying for a living???

[Gulfstream 200]

Oh my Gad!, Did I see G200 say a $100K is an OK salary? You can live decently on $100K and do a job you really enjoy, few people ever get to do that. Start flying, have a plan to move to better jobs, and plan on paying your dues for about 10 years. Fly becasue you like to, and you will enjoy this job.

No yip,...I said 100K+ (PLUS!)

The old 100K success mark is now 200K.....sign of the times.

dont forget to tell the kid to go to college.

 

[pilotyip]

I have given up the no college thing for the next 5 weeks.

 

[Purpledog]

Why are you flying for a living???

The million $ question. I flew because it was fun (fighters). Now it's just a job, not an adventure. Make a lot of money elsewhere and go buy an Extra to have fun in. With two kids having to go to private school and then college, that 120k doesn't go too far. Definitely don't do it for the money!

 

[Gorilla]

A job is not an end in itself, it is a means to an end. Use the job (whatever it is) to finance your happy life. Time off is where it's at. Family, friends, creative hobbies, these will make you happy, not getting to wear some monkey suit at a big company flying big hardware.

If it was fun, you'd do it for free. Imagine crew schedule calls and says "We have a trip for you over the holidays. And oh yes, it is unpaid. Want to go flying!?" Chances are excellent you'd laugh at them and stay home. By definition, then, it must not be fun, otherwise you'd jump all over it.

It is a better job (and a worse job) than many. In the end, it is another variation on a job. On your death bed, you will not be thinking about that three-day LGA trip - you'll be thinking about loved ones.

Sorry to sound like some bitter old dude. Like I said, it's a job, and can be a fine one, but there are more important things to focus your life's energy on.

 

[mcjohn]

I have been making 30-40k a year go a long way and that's combined income with my wife. Give me 120k and I'd live like a king and send my kids to private school and college as long as I live in an affordable city/town.
I am perpeptually a little unhappy b/c I'm so freakin poor but my creadit's good and we're not accumulating debt. How can I make 30-40k/yr go a long way:
Don't finance a vehicle! Take the time to save the cash and buy a realiable beater.
My nissan pick-up = $3300 w/ 86k miles on it.
My wifes subaru = $2700 w/ 90k miles on it.
Buy a house! Great safety net and provides stability when your broke.
Hurry up and commit to a decent woman! If you don't you'll spend 40-50 bucks when your at the bars trying to meet one.
Make friends who are as poor as you are! So you don't get dragged out to restaurants and bars that you can't afford all the time.

So as you see it's a little depressing and QOL is down the tubes for a while as I wait to slowly inch my way toward that next aviation job.

Instructing and part-time bellman = $20k/yr if I'm lucky
Next I'll fly for Ram Air or Flight Express = $20k plus if I'm lucky
Then maybe a regional = $20k plus if I'm lucky

O.K. Now I got myself all upset!:bawling: and I have to go jogging to make myself feel better. WOE IS ME

 

[Gulfstream 200]

I have been making 30-40k a year go a long way and that's combined income with my wife. Give me 120k and I'd live like a king and send my kids to private school and college as long as I live in an affordable city/town.
I am perpeptually a little unhappy b/c I'm so freakin poor but my creadit's good and we're not accumulating debt. How can I make 30-40k/yr go a long way:
Don't finance a vehicle! Take the time to save the cash and buy a realiable beater.
My nissan pick-up = $3300 w/ 86k miles on it.
My wifes subaru = $2700 w/ 90k miles on it.
Buy a house! Great safety net and provides stability when your broke.
Hurry up and commit to a decent woman! If you don't you'll spend 40-50 bucks when your at the bars trying to meet one.
Make friends who are as poor as you are! So you don't get dragged out to restaurants and bars that you can't afford all the time.

So as you see it's a little depressing and QOL is down the tubes for a while as I wait to slowly inch my way toward that next aviation job.

Instructing and part-time bellman = $20k/yr if I'm lucky
Next I'll fly for Ram Air or Flight Express = $20k plus if I'm lucky
Then maybe a regional = $20k plus if I'm lucky

O.K. Now I got myself all upset!:bawling: and I have to go jogging to make myself feel better. WOE IS ME

what you are missing is that MOST of the time in order to make better money you have to live in more expensive areas...or drive 5 hours to work - no QOL.

Please tell us where you own a home on 30-40K/yr.

I read that as 25K/yr after taxes and ZERO savings or retirement money being saved. I also read that as $2200 cash a month.

 

[mcjohn]

Cost of living where I live (Asheville) isn't that cheap. I just happened to buy a house on the side of an interstate.
Wife and I saved ~$6000 and were able to buy a house doing the 80/15/5% down thing. 1200 sq ft for $128k 30 yr fixed @6.5%. ~$1000 a month including the 15% home equity loan. Some states give you grants to buy your 1st home.

Ahh that was a nice jog

 

[NTXPilot]

The old 100K success mark is now 200K.....sign of the times.

Yup and 30 is the new 20....sign of the times as well.

 

[Swaayze]

what you are missing is that MOST of the time in order to make better money you have to live in more expensive areas...or drive 5 hours to work - no QOL.

Please tell us where you own a home on 30-40K/yr.

I read that as 25K/yr after taxes and ZERO savings or retirement money being saved. I also read that as $2200 cash a month.

mcjohn is spot on. In many places you can afford to live comfortably (but far from extravagantly) on 40k and own a decent home IF you are smart with money and you don't buy stuff you can't afford (like new cars, fancy furniture, a Treo phone, etc).

We have an income equivalent to about a $45-50k gross and I'm (barely) able to have a beautiful new home in Fort Worth while the wife stays home with the kids. Our fancy vehicle is a 9 yo Olds minivan (loaded and in very good cond w/ less than 90k miles purchased used) and my truck is a 20 yo Ford F150 (ditto the details of the Olds save milage). We struggle only because we did buy too much home on the come and we eat out too often, but other than that we'd get by just fine because we have a cash cushion and we have ZERO DEBT other than our mortgage!

Take care of your money and your money will take care of you.

Sorry, I just enjoy talking personal finance......trying to figure out how to make that a nice second income is what I should be doing right now I guess!

 

[pilotyip]

Swaayze, would you then fit in that category that feels $100K/yr is a good salary?

 

[RichardRambone]

Dear God someone pay me 100K please. Thats an insane amount. Try 24K.

 

[Rip Vanwinkle]

I do it because they said I was too stupid to haul garbage. but too smart to be furniture.

- I get to fly the latest airplanes, with the newest technology.

- And theres just something that makes you feel alive about flying at 8 miles above the earth, at 500 mph in a small metal tube;

- A/C Flown: PA28, M20F, C310, BE90, C525A

If you're going 500mph in those small metal tubes, you won't be alive for long. Time to update the A/C Flown list?

Incidently, I can't speak for Ram Air, but if you don't net a fair amount more than $20k/year at FLX, you're not trying very hard.

 

[tracearabians]

Great Pic

Great Pic Falcon Capt. !!

The view that my office came with...

View from FL510

 

[pgcfii2002]

I tried to be a professional breakdancer....wasn't very good, so I decided to fly instead.

 

[mcjohn]

Incidently, I can't speak for Ram Air, but if you don't net a fair amount more than $20k/year at FLX, you're not trying very hard.

That's good news. Thanks