Would you do it all over again?

[Papps]

Regardless of how you feel about flying now, would you get into aviation again if you knew what was in store? Especially if you started in the early 90's or 2001 or any other stellar stretch of aviation hiring. Yes, No, or Hell No

 

[lindsaya99]

If I had to do it all over again I wouldn't have failed the eye exam at Navy OCS. That was a bad idea. I could be dropping bombs on the Taliban right now.

 

[Dumb Pilot]

Absolutely not. All I hope is to do a better job at steering my son away from it as my father did with me

 

[Hootie9750]

******************** NO!
I can do now is try to be involved in the lives of wayward teens thinking about making the same foolish decisions I once made. We all need to do our part to make a difference.

 

[mamba20]

******************** no! Are you kidding? I'd rather have my tounge stapled to the floor then do this again.

 

[pullmyfinger]

Six years of college, two degrees, 10 years experience, two divorces... If I were given the chance to do it all over again. I wouldn't change a thing.

 

[Salty Pirate]

******************** no! Are you kidding? I'd rather have my tounge stapled to the floor then do this again.

NO F___ING WAY!! I already took it one step further and bailed out. I went from being a pilot to nursing school. Say what you want but in two years I will make more than almost all regional pilots, I have slept with my wife in my bed everyday for the last 7 months. I eat out of my fridge, sit on my couch, and watch my tv everyday. I actually got on an airplane for the first time in 7 months, went on a trip and actually enjoyed it. I am even buying a house because I know where I will live for the next five years. But I do really miss sitting in a motionless machine with the autopilot on for 3 hours reading People magazine wondering what I will do when I get to Dothan. One thing I have learned is that all jobs suck, Thats why they are called jobs. So what ever job you choose you better make sure you get paid.

 

[JAC2LAS]

I'm too dumb to do anything else Let's be honest, this is one of the easier jobs out there. Fair amount of time off, ok pay for now... I may be overly optimistic but things are going okay (for me anyways)...so far, I'd do it again.
But come on, a question like this on this site????
All you're gonna hear is how bad aviation sucks and you should get into real estate! (I hope my spelling and punctuation was all okay)

 

[mamba20]

I cant stand the sight of blood, unless its my own of course, otherwise that nursing thing sounds great.

 

[gnx99]

No. I should have gotten an engineering degree. More and more lately I wish I could do something creative.

 

[pdub20s]

Six years of college, two degrees, 10 years experience, two divorces... If I were given the chance to do it all over again. I wouldn't change a thing.

THATS THE FCUKN SPIRIT pullmyfinger!!!! You guys saying you wouldn't be a pilot if you had the chance to change; forgot the MAIN REASON you guys got into the industry.... GET PAID TO DO WHAT YOU LOVE..FLYING!!! AVIATION!!! Yes there are some airlines that take advantage of the pilots love for flying.... But you got to realize that the whole industry does not suck...There are greener pastures in this industry. You just cant give up finding them.

 

[Corona]

I cant stand the sight of blood, unless its my own of course, otherwise that nursing thing sounds great.

Interesting. I can't stand the sight of my own blood, yet am not bothered at all by the sight of others'.

I guess nature has a balance. (That, and I used to fly air ambulance.)

C

 

[BoilerUP]

If I had to do it all over again I wouldn't have failed the eye exam at Navy OCS. That was a bad idea. I could be dropping bombs on the Taliban right now.

No ********************. If I had it to do all over again I'd have made DAMN SURE I was taking eyedrops to treat ocular hypertension before going to MFS...two points cost me a ANG pilot slot.

 

[lowlycfi]

Started out in the airline industry on the ramp 15 years ago with a "commuter". I'm now on my third airline, third seniority list, and first wife (over 12 years now), and I wouldn't change a thing!

 

[Papps]

Yeah its not a bad job. I make decent money. Its exausting some days, feels like I havent been awake and energetic in years. Do I like the job? yeah its O.K. Its crazy boring 98% of the time, but its O.K. Would I do it again? Hell no I wouldent.

 

[SennaP1]

If all the Hell No's would kindly stand up and walk out of the room please (quit)....

 

[John Pennekamp]

Absolutely not. I wish I'd gone to law school.

Airplanes are fun, but you can fly an awful lot of them on your terms when you are a REAL professional and paid accordingly.

The golden days of the airlines died with TWA and they are never coming back. We're nothing more than computer babysitters and overpaid bus drivers now.

This industry has lost most of the luster that attracted us greybeards back in the 60s when we were kids. Back then if you flew for a TWA or a PanAm you were like a god. Airline pilots used to be respected and compensated accordingly. That's all gone now, and regardless of ALPA's ranting, it's never coming back.

 

[SSDD]

ABSOLUTELY I WOULD. I may do a couple of things differently, but flying beats just about any other career. Those people who say they'd go to medical, or law school, are making the same mistake they made in choosing aviation. They're looking at the glamour, rather than the reality. For avery successful heart surgeon there are thousands of family practicioners struggling with the HMO's, and struggling to pay their insurance premiums. For every successful TV lawyer, there are thousands chasing traffic tickets, and personal injury cases.

I'd bet that a lot of those people are wishing they'd gone to flight school.

 

[hoover]

I had a fairly successful career. I was never layed off, never had to take a pay cut, always changed jobs at my choosing, and got offered a job with a major airline. And I am still on my first wife. But knowing now what I didn't know then, I would not do it again. I guess I just found a better way to live.

 

[79%N1]

No!!!!!

 

[gunfyter]

Hell No!

I would have studied hard and become a GOOGLE Billionaire....

Better yet I would have taken the $60k it cost to go to private university in the 70's and invested it all in BRKa. Would be worth over $4 million today. Then I would not have to hurt my brain with all that studying.

 

[pdub20s]

If all the Hell No's would kindly stand up and walk out of the room please (quit)....

I agree....Make room for the folks that want the jobs

 

[Princedietrich]

I would do it all over again, certainly. But there would be some things that I'd change.

I'd party a lot harder during my 4 years at college. I would tell that guy in Cleveland to kiss off. I would chat up that cute blonde flight attendant. I would beat that guy silly with a Caravan right rudder pedal.

Other than that, I'm happy with where I've ended up.

 

[TNHillbilly]

Sure I would, I just wish I would have started flying when I was 12. I just can't picture doing anything else. I just happen to be in the situation where I live at my base and I"m home everynight. I love it. The 16 to 18 days off aren't bad either when all my friends are getting up mon-fri and working...
I have a college degree totally unrelated to aviation so I could go do something else if I wanted, but flying is fun, and I work at a crappy airline. I can't imagine how fun it will be to work at a real airline.

 

[oldxfr8dog]

Hell, YES!
I've watched icebergs calve into the sea over Greenland, seen the Amazon rainforest on fire stretching for miles from 350 at night, been unable to maintain altitude due to ice over the mountains and felt the rush when I finally landed, then beat the ice off my light twin full of mail and took off again, felt the wheels touch on a 6,6,6 approach, looked down at the Suez and pyramids, drunk margaritas on the beach when mechanical'ed in Cabo, flown medical supplies into war zones where the airport looked like a "Max Max" movie, flown HRs in singles, and seen meteor showers on a black night at 370, with the lights turned down.

I'll bet the guys that wouldn't do it again don't even reduce their ROC to 50' fpm when they break out on top of a solid deck.

What? You'd be happier in a cubicle?

 

[vectorvictor]

Sure I would, I just wish I would have started flying when I was 12. I just can't picture doing anything else. I just happen to be in the situation where I live at my base and I"m home everynight. I love it. The 16 to 18 days off aren't bad either when all my friends are getting up mon-fri and working...
I have a college degree totally unrelated to aviation so I could go do something else if I wanted, but flying is fun, and I work at a crappy airline. I can't imagine how fun it will be to work at a real airline.

I couldn't agree with you more. I have a degree completely unrelated to aviation. I had a non-aviation career and I HATED it. Getting up everyday and getting it from the man. Now at least I get to sleep in on tuesday mornings and laugh at my friends who have real jobs. The part I like the best is that once I'm home...I'm home. I don't take my job with me into my house or into my personal life. Once you are out the door there is no stress to bring home. Thats the priceless part.

 

[fatdumbandhappy]

Hell Yes, Have you ever looked in the back of the airplane and seen all those stressed out business types who are working 60+ hr a week, plus they probably worry/work on there day's off (deadlines,promotions,etc.). At the end of the day I close up my flight bag and my only worry is knowing my next show time, thats it.

 

[Propsync]

I doubt it. I wouldn't say hell no, however. I guess for me it took several years to really figure out what its all about. Have I had fun? Yup. Has it been a challenge? You bet. Are there many other interesting and rewarding careers out there? More than I can think of. I'm staying at Skyway long enough to see if staffing gets better so I can have it a little bit better on reserve. If it doesn't, I'll probably just quit. With age 65 looming, I don't feel moving on and then staying at the bottom for five more years is worth it. Reserve, commuter, and furlough are three things I won't be able to handle. I figure I'd have to stay in it until 65 just to make it worthwhile. I'm more than a bit pessimistic about things, I don't see through my eyes that this career will be worth it for me in the long haul. For those that can't see themselves doing anything else, good for you. I just don't have that drive and desire to fly all of the time.

 

[AirCanon04]

I have to be realistic for me, I cant see myself doing this job 10 years from now, let alone doing this until I am 65, so sadly...no way....

 

[601Pilot]

Hell, YES!
I've watched icebergs calve into the sea over Greenland, seen the Amazon rainforest on fire stretching for miles from 350 at night, been unable to maintain altitude due to ice over the mountains and felt the rush when I finally landed, then beat the ice off my light twin full of mail and took off again, felt the wheels touch on a 6,6,6 approach, looked down at the Suez and pyramids, drunk margaritas on the beach when mechanical'ed in Cabo, flown medical supplies into war zones where the airport looked like a "Max Max" movie, flown HRs in singles, and seen meteor showers on a black night at 370, with the lights turned down.

I'll bet the guys that wouldn't do it again don't even reduce their ROC to 50' fpm when they break out on top of a solid deck.

What? You'd be happier in a cubicle?

That's a hell of a regional you fly for; who was that again?